A production edit is the look at the document before it is published, after all writing and editing activities are complete. There are hundreds of editing checklists available. The difference between good and bad legal writing is that good legal writing clearly conveys its message. A checklist is an advanced form of to-do list, in that the format is a precise one, including time of day and date for each task. UNH . However, editing and proofreading are just as valuable and necessary to transform your text into good legal writing. For example, a proofreading checklist for an ebook will look very different from a print book checklist. Here is a basic list of things to review after you edit … These errors are often skipped over and can be the most glaring and embarrassing. Before writing your document, write down the questions your readers have about your topic. Punctuation within quotations can be confusing. If written work is sloppy, disorganized, or muddled then it fails because readers have limited working memory to consume and digest complex information. An editing checklist is a one or two page document that lists all of the issues to check for, while reviewing a piece of writing. Documentation QA Checklist Project Name Version Confidential – ©2015 Documentation Consultants (www.SDLCforms.com) Document: 5010 Page 4 of 6 QA Topic Verified (yes/no) Comments Document content - Is technically correct, consistent, complete, and is easily understood. You can use Word’s find tool with forward or backward searching and correct many problems. Ms. Grey is also a Senior Attorney at Griffin Hamersky LLP. Technical editing experts have provided several guidelines to create a sharp-looking document. This checklist uses the acronyms ‘ARMS’ and ‘CUPS’ to remind students of the steps of t What is the best format for a checklist? Below is what it looks like as a full page. Did you use any synonyms instead of the proper defined term? Use your word processor’s find functionality to search for “there,” “here,” and … Navigate to the organization you want to build a checklist for. To ensure the accuracy of your document, and to acknowledge the work of others, you should, paraphrase text that contains information you found through research, reference a specific theory, method or idea that is not your own, include facts or figures from another document or study, use or modify tables, graphs, charts, or visual aids from someone else’s work, Editing your own documents is challenging because you know what you mean to write. Simply change the title to whichever […] Note lower, mixed, and upper case combinations. Is the title consistent across all documents? Document … Headings can also be persuasive and subtly encourage the reader to adopt your position. 1Bedford/St. Make sure that your target audience will understand your writing. Trust me – it can be a big time-saver and quality-enhancer in your efforts to produce high-impact … ... It’s helped us increase the quality and consistency of our editing. Good technology allows you to make final decisions, while also reducing the potential for introducing new errors during the editing process. Follow the steps below to do this. An inconsistent mix of legalese and plain English could provide grounds for dispute. In most cases, readers appreciate documents that begin with the main point. This copy editing checklist will also help you self-edit. Instantly Download Sample Checklist Templates, Samples & Examples in Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word (DOC), Microsoft Excel (XLS), Google Docs, Apple (MAC) Pages, Google Sheets (Spreadsheets), Apple (MAC) Numbers. By Erin Wright Leave a Comment. 32 72 Connors Writing Center Dimond Library 329 . Check for logical flow between concepts and paragraphs. Checked box item in Microsoft Word If you want to add the Check Box Content Control to other lines, place the cursor at the beginning of each line and click or tap the Check Box Content Control button or copy and paste an existing control. Answer their questions. Your readers will notice and thank you. Enter a title for the checklist and add a description. A variety of software tools can help, but two inexpensive products work particularly well together because together they assist with both stages: Both of these products leave the lawyer in control of every edit, and every final decision. The more stumbling blocks in your writing, the less likely readers are to fully understand what you are trying to communicate. The editor does not read the document word-for-word (which is a copy edit), but instead focuses on page layout, pagination, graphical, and other gross errors. To make sure your writing always meets the highest standard, this article shows how you can split checking into proofreading and editing stages; provides a checklist to help make your document shine; and points to interactive editing software that can give you a competitive advantage when you’re under time pressure. A professional copy editor will look for errors, inconsistencies, repitition, & format errors. Do a Save As … 159 Views officialcheckli Pro! The impact of a well-written document is worth the time it takes to complete both stages. Check for apostrophes, commas, unclosed quotes and parentheses, and other punctuation. The kind of checklist a proofreader follows will depend on the kind of text a proofreader is working on. Search for omitted words and incomplete edits by reading your document aloud, backwards, or upside down. It’s easy to get caught up in details and lose sight of the main idea. Make sure that your document answers the questions asked and serves the intended purpose. Generally, a checklist is used to perform routine checks and to ensure workers' productivity in the task listed in the checklist. 070822TSC Writers CheckList A.doc 2 Second Level Editing Second level editing works best when you read each sentence as an independent item. Browse a few and cobble together the ideas that are most relevant to your position and writing tasks. They don’t tend to value checking and correcting text. Bedford/St. National Holidays You Can Celebrate All Year Long. Make certain that your checklist … necessary to prepare and efile your taxes. Is the name of products consistent? Look for words that spell check gets wrong, such as principle/principal or statute/statue. A checklist can help. Technology cannot replace your thought process and experience. 1. Branding . However, the best Plus, the courteous and knowledgeable helpline is always there to assist and quickly remedy any issues. When we’re editing long documents, such as manuals and research reports, we can easily get so focused on the main content that we forget to check ancillary items. Missing Comma with a Nonrestrictive Element Wrong: Shoes which are worn on your feet come in many styles. Strapline Does not use a cliched “hook” that undermines the sophistication of the essay’s voice. To demonstrate the point, I’ve listed some proofreading checklists for a variety of texts below: Proofreading Typeset Documents Writing is a fundamental part of the practice of law and it is essential to do it well. Are they used correctly and consistently? She’s been named as a Rising Star in the New York Metro Area three years in a row, and her significant representations include In re AMR Corp. (American Airlines), In re Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, In re Eastman Kodak Company, and In re Nortel Networks Inc. Ep 119: Boost Your Law Firm’s Business with Text Messaging, Ep 118: How Pay-Per-Click Ads Lead To More Clients, Rocket Matter Partners with Woodpecker Document Automation Software, Ep 117: Streamline Your Document Automation with Woodpecker, The Ultimate Virtual Courtroom Strategy—Tools for Success. Request your free legal document editing checklist and we'll email it to you immediately. If you're into printing out and filling in your checklists, here's a 1-page Microsoft Word checklist template. Proofreading is the process of reviewing a completed written document for inconsistencies, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, formatting mistakes, and typos. Check for legalese. Be sure to guide your reader through each logical step. Headings should provide a compelling overview of your document and can provide a visual representation of how each part fits together. Does the document adhere to the company style guide? However, you can use software to speed both processes up and give yourself a competitive advantage. Customize the checklist line items/rows in the table to fit the review requirements you need for a specific document. Both are integral, inter-related parts of the drafting process. The editor must see the document as a whole, completed work. Whether you are writing for a client, a colleague, or a judge, the clearer your work, the more likely you are to have a positive outcome. Or download the Documentation Review Checklist in MS Excel. Proofreading and editing are both time-consuming. Five-Step Checklist for Better Editing When you edit your document, be sure to: Review for clarity and overall comprehension. Revisit your reason for writing. So you need software that will work with you by bringing errors to your attention. This can help avoid writing too much, … Word processing tools, such as spell check and grammar check can help you find obvious errors in your document. Before you send your shiny new user guide into the wild, use the following checklist to review your technical documents: Title. For example, instances of the passive voice, common spelling mistakes and so on. Eliminate Filler Words. Make sure that your target audience will understand your writing. If you are creating this as a generic checklist for your team to use with multiple clients, you will want to create it inside your own organization. Typically, you should be checking your work for grammar, spelling, readability, and consistency. If you miss an important form on your tax return, such as income or deduction, you will have to prepare a Tax Amendment. Editing is the process of improving content, clarity, structure, and substance. Right: Shoes, which are worn on your feet, come in many styles. They include putting away writing for a day, reading it out loud, using text-to-speak program, building a checklist of writers’ most common mistakes, customizing spell check, and reading back to front, bottom to top, right to left. Put your main message first. WBDG is a gateway to up-to-date information on integrated 'whole building' design techniques and technologies. A free checklist maker to organize your mind. If there is another way to express your information, use plain English. They’re education, too, since they teach you to learn to spot these mistakes and develop better judgment for your next piece of legal writing. Both clients and lawyers value key parts of legal drafting, such as researching and processing legal concepts, generating and organizing content, and ultimately writing legal prose. Do not leave your reader guessing how or why you are making each statement. Now that you’ve finished creating your checklist, the next step is to convert it to pdf so you can now start sharing it with your readers. It's easily customizable, and shouldn't be much trouble to edit inside Word if you want to include more or fewer boxes / pages. Review all titles, headings, the case caption, and your client’s name. Editing Checklist for Long Documents. A good checklist organizes your tasks by priority, leaves room for notes and details, lets you track your progress and mark completed tasks to boost motivation and lets you rearrange or move tasks that need to be rescheduled. It adds polish, reduces frustration, and saves non-billable time. And you should be wary of ceding total control to any so-called “smart” technology. Options in Microsoft Word also allow you to find passive voice and long sentences. Martin’s Student Center for Easy Writer, 4th edition: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/easywriter4e/#t_518364___, ©2021 Nicholas School of the Environment | Duke University | Durham, NC, USA, Best Practices for Communicating Difficult Issues, Best Practices – Social Media Communications, Culturally Inclusive Communication in the Workplace, http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/easywriter4e/#t_518364___, missing commas after introductory elements (e.g., for example), vague pronoun references (NOTE: the mysterious “they” sould be replaced with a noun). Edit for structure. Revision and editing checklists for students using ARMS (add, remove, move, substitute) for revision help and CUPS (capitalization, understanding, punctuation, and spelling) for editing.Great for student writing notebooks or for displaying on a wall.Two versions of each of the two types of checklist It is a set of records of the repetitive activities and to collect data in an orderly manner. Most importantly, be consistent. Clients prefer documents that they can understand on their own. Clarity is crucial to achieving your goals as a legal writer. Are you writing for a colleague, a client, or a judge? To exit the control and continue editing the checklist, press the right arrow key a couple of times. Create recurring team processes Create and share private checklists Embed interactive checklists Free Template Library. Some of the ‘editing’ process can be addressed quite early by looking at planning strategies. Product name. Consider adding headings and subheadings to break up your writing to make it easier to read and remember. To use a checklist file with your Garmin cockpit display or portable GPS unit, save the.ace file to the root level of an SD card and insert it in the unit's card slot. The goal of 'Whole Building' Design is to create a successful high-performance building by applying an integrated design and team approach to the project during the … You can use it both for peer-editing and self-editing. Assess students’ progress of the editing process by creating a simple checklist. Click on the office/File button located at the upper left side of your word document as you can see on the screenshot below. Fortunately, several techniques exist to help you. Customize the front page, including headers, footers, logos, and other standard/required text. Remember that periods and commas always go inside the quotations marks. However, when you are familiar with your own work (or when you are tired or under time pressure), it is difficult to focus on small details. Develop good proofreading and editing practices and invest in technology to help you. Intro: First sentence of the intro duction DOES NOT mention the text in any way. If you skim or speed-read the document you cannot perform a second level edit. Check for consistent use of defined terms. In the left-hand menu, select Checklists and then click on + New > Checklist. Download the Documentation Review Checklist in MS Word. Before you turn on Track Changes, tidy up the document. writing.center@unh.edu 603-862-Self-Editing Checklist *If you are unfamiliar with any of the terms used below, ask a writing tutor to explain or see our collection of Handouts, which can be found in the center and on our website. This is a checklist for students to complete the revising and editing phases of the writing process independently mainly for personal narratives--although, you could change it for other types of writing as well. Quickly Customize. As a lawyer and as the writer entrusted to document the agreement or idea, only you know what you intend to convey so it is important that you have the final say in all editing decisions. 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