tcuk 2012, david farbey, letters from the editor
DESCRIPTION
TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the EditorTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Letters from the Editor
David FarbeyTechnical Communication UKNewcastle, UK4th October 2012
![Page 2: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Agenda
•Scope of technical editing•Advice for editors•Survey responses•Letters from the editor•Any questions?
![Page 3: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Agenda
•Quiz!•Scope of technical editing•Advice for editors•Survey responses•Letters from the editor•Quiz Answers!•Any questions?
![Page 4: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Quiz!•The next slide shows an editor from a TV
drama. Can you name:▫The actor?▫The character?▫The TV show in which the character first
appeared?•Answers at the end of the presentation!
![Page 5: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Trust me I’m an Editor
![Page 6: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Technical editing
![Page 7: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Relationships
AudienceOrganisati
on
Content Writers
Editor
![Page 8: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
The Levels of Edit
Robert Van Buren and Mary Fran Buehler.Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 1980
http://www.technical-expressions.com/learn2edit/levels-of-edit/levels_of_edit.pdf
![Page 9: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Nine types of edit1. Coordination2. Policy3. Integrity4. Screening5. Copy Clarification6. Format7. Mechanical Style8. Language9. Substantive
Van Buren and Buehler
![Page 10: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
General classes of edit
•Policy edit (includes Coordination and Policy)
•Copy edit (includes Integrity, Screening, Copy Clarification, Format, and Mechanical Style)
•Developmental editing (includes Language and Substantive)
![Page 11: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
An ideal workflow
1. Author and Editor plan work (Policy)2. Author develops text3. SME reviews4. Author corrects5. Editor reviews (Developmental)6. Author corrects7. Proofreader copy-edits8. Organisation publishes
![Page 12: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
![Page 13: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Advice for editors
![Page 14: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Editing is not fact-checking
Editors verify external facts
Authors and SMEs confirm accuracy
![Page 15: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Editing is not evaluation
Grading the content
Preparing the content for publication
![Page 16: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Mentoring, not Managing
Command and control
Support and growth
![Page 17: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Building the Style Guide
Take decisions once
Searchable collective memory
![Page 18: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Accuracy, Clarity, Consistency
Text conforms with principles
Text is free of mechanical errors
![Page 19: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
What about structured authoring?
Written in chunks, so edit in chunks
Each chunk conforms to type
![Page 20: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
![Page 21: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
What about Agile development?
Consider when the doc item is shippable
Consider when the whole doc is shippable
![Page 22: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
![Page 23: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
![Page 24: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Having the last word
Ongoing skirmishes with other managers
Clear organistional policy
![Page 25: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Survey responses
![Page 26: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Technical Editing SurveySeptember 2012
79 responses in 3 days
indicative, not representative
![Page 27: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Is your work routinely reviewed by a subject matter expert?•69 responses•No my work is not routinely reviewed –
5.8% (n=4)•Sometimes my work is reviewed but not
routinely – 15.9% (n=11)•Yes my work is routinely reviewed –
73.9% (n=51)
![Page 28: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Is the work that you produce routinely edited by another person?•68 responses•Yes my work is routinely edited – 17.6%
(n=12)•Sometimes my work is edited but not
routinely – 35.3% (n=24)•No my work is not routinely edited –
41.2% (n=28)
![Page 29: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Comments from the survey
•Do you think that technical editing improves the quality of your work?
•Do you think that technical editing makes your job easier?
• If you are a writer, how would you describe your relationship with your editor? If you are an editor, how would you describe your relationship with your writers?
![Page 30: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Comments on quality of work•“Undoubtedly. More importantly, a technical
edit can greatly improve the cohesiveness and consistency of bodies of work (e.g. documentation sets) that are produced by multiple writers.”
•“Yes. Whenever I persuade someone to look critically at my work I get feedback that helps me improve the quality of that document. The feedback is often applicable to other documents, so the overall quality can be improved.”
![Page 31: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Comments on quality of work (2)•“When I've worked with a technical editor
in the past, it has definitely improved the quality of my work. I learned most of what I know about technical writing from the editors.”
•“Yes, it's vital both to ensure the quality of my output and consistency across the company.”
![Page 32: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Comments on ease of work
•“Not necessarily. Dealing with the editor's comments can take quite some time.”
•“Doesn't necessarily makes it easier - but does ensure a very high standard of content/quality.”
•“Yes, in that it provides an alternative view. No, in that it often delays the work beyond the required deadline.”
![Page 33: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Comments on ease of work(2)
•“Two of the biggest challenges in my role are knowing what the audience needs and knowing whether my work is as clear and useful as I intend. An editor could help significantly with the second and at least give a second perspective on the first.”
•“Yes, if the editor is good.”
![Page 34: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Comments on relationships
•“Good -- so long as the editor is consistent from one edit to the next, and keeps writers appraised of changes to the standard style guide/layout/content guidelines.”
•“Very good. They respect my ability to describe subject matter clearly and I respect their in-depth knowledge of the subjects.”
![Page 35: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Comments on relationships (2)
•“Earlier in my career as a writer, I very much valued the input and feedback given by editors. it certainly helped me grow and develop. However, editors are a dying breed now.”
•“It's one of mutual respect - and it works best when the editor is empathetic: understanding what the writer is going through.”
![Page 36: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Comments on relationships (3)
•“I have had good, open relationships with my editors over the years, although it was a learning curve to get there and understand my role as writer being edited. It helps that I want to learn and improve.”
•“I have a great relationship with our editor. He asks good questions, makes comments, generally helps me improve the document, and accepts comments on his comments when I think he's mistaken.”
![Page 37: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
Letters from the editor
![Page 38: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
Dear Organisation
•Please give us clear guidelines on editorial policy.
•Please help us reach out to our audience.•Please give us the professional authority
to do our jobs.•Please employ us!
![Page 39: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
Dear Audience
•Please let us know what you do.•Please tell us how we can help you.•Please give us your feedback.•(We need your feedback!)•(No, really, we do!)
![Page 40: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
Dear Writer
•Your editor is your friend.•(Even if your editor is also your manager.)•If there’s a style guide please use it.• (If there isn’t a style guide please remind
us to create one.)•If you have any questions, please ask.•We’re only human so we can make
mistakes too.•(No, really we are only human. Honest.)
![Page 41: TCUK 2012, David Farbey, Letters from the editor](https://reader033.vdocuments.mx/reader033/viewer/2022061220/54ba86564a7959f81d8b4691/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
Quiz Answers•The actor is Ed Asner•The character is Lou Grant•Lou Grant first appeared in the sitcom
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The drama series Lou Grant was a spin-off.