Editing a manuscript through the draft stages to produce a final product is time consuming, but the process ensures clarity, sense, accuracy and consistency.
Macro-editing
Macro-editing involves rewriting and reorganising the document by asking:
- is there sense and clarity?
- are the title and abstract concise, accurate, informative, of the correct style and length?
- are the paragraphs in the right order?
- is the emphasis correct?
- are the data accurate?
- is the referencing adequate?
- are the tables and figures consistent with the text and presented effectively?
- is the document relevant to – and at an appropriate level for – the reader?
- is the document concise?
Micro-editing
Micro-editing ensures that the language and style are correct and consistent. Look for:
- completeness;
- correct grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation;
- abbreviations, acronyms and symbols (are they correctly defined and consistent?);
- capitalisation;
- numbers (i.e. words or numerals?) and units (correct and consistent?);
- heading hierarchy, fonts, consistency of bulleted listed and justified/unjustified text;
- references (are they in the correct style, are all cited references listed and are all listed references cited?);
- tables and figures that are complete with title, legend and axis labelling, are consistent, and are correctly numbered, cited in the text and in the correct position in the text; and
- drug names and medical terminology that are correct and consistent.
