Editorial/Style Guide

Potential Sections for In-House Editorial Style Guide (TRU-OL)

The Editing Team

[dump from Dropbox]The TRU-OL Editing Team is committed to providing consistent, high-quality service by helping to develop innovative and interculturally appropriate educational materials that meet the needs of students and educators.

The TRU-OL Editing Team provides quality assurance of TRU-OL course documents. The Course Editor checks for clarity, organization, consistency, structure, content, and appropriateness for the learner in language and style.

Editors make corrections and recommend organizational or other modifications in course documents to meet the learner's needs. In this work, they apply TRU-OL academic and legal standards.

Editing may include the following:

● Editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics of style

● Identifying and reporting copyright and legal issues

● Fact checking to confirm the accuracy of content

● Checking validity of URLs and availability of resources

● Rewriting to make the text clearer or more appropriate for the readers and educational purpose

● Researching source materials and style guides

● Identifying and reporting problems to various stakeholders, and suggesting solutions

● Querying and consulting with writers, SMEs, or IDs about errors or inconsistencies, structural concerns, clarity, meaning, and so on

● Problem solving, reporting, coordinating

● Applying citation styles (MLA, APA, Turabian, and so on)

● Checking for consistency of presentation

● Applying a head schedule and formatting (for Production); ensuring consistency of both

● Highlighting and noting design and Production requirements; writing instructions to Production, if needed

● Cross-checking across multiple documents to ensure consistency (e.g., same titles)

● Coordinating various components into proper relations to ensure harmony

Levels of Editing

Copy Editing

Copy editing enhances the consistency and accuracy of the course, which aids the readability and educational benefit for students and educators. Copy editing ensures correct spelling, grammar, formatting, and adherence to house style [link to TRU-OL style sheet?].

Substantive Editing

Substantive editing focuses on the content and structure of a course, and on the suitability of the text for the target readership. Editors consider the appropriateness of course materials on many levels, which may include the clarity of the writing and organization, academic tone, gender neutrality (non-sexist language), cultural and ethnic diversity, and so on.

Stylistic Editing [EAC ]

Proofread [EAC info]

TRU-OL Course Development Process [check list? info graphic? perhaps sourced from JIRA workflow screen?] 1) Pre-Editing Development Process “Where do courses come from” Courses are conceived by … then designed by … then developed by... and then sent to editing team... and then assigned to an editor... Upon being assigned to a course, the editor’s job is to: 1) Confirm we have the complete set of files, materials, access to publisher’s resources, software … 2) Consult with the Course Lead to confirm purpose, audience, context, scope, process (how to handle the files, how to report, … 3) Edit to TRU-OL Editorial standards. Please see editing checklist, style conventions, … 4) Confirm IP status, report third-party materials to Intellectual Property Office, resolve, ?? 5) Track work and report status through D4P2 (OL wide) and JIRA (internal to editing team) 6) Query problems and exchange feedback on the initial edit with writers, subject matter expert (SME), Course Lead 7) Implement changes as a result of feedback in Step 6; query or exchange feedback as needed 8) Send completed course to the Editing Supervisor for review 9) The Editing Supervisor sends the course to Course Lead for final pre-Production review 10) Proofread print proof or review in Blackboard (not always done by the editor) Post-Editing “Where do courses go to?” Course Lead sends to Production

To request editing services, please complete the Course Editing Request Form. [link] Send your editing request form and documents to csrequests@tru.ca. [link]

What Is a Style Guide? (Purpose Statement)

• What is a Style Guide? How to use a style guide? Who should use this style guide? Benefits of using a style guide?
• How does this support the TRU Academic Plan? 

Structure of TRU-OL Courses

TRU-OL courses come in many shapes and varieties, which we call methods of delivery.

• Distinction between modalities and delivery modes

Other Resources

• Standardized Course Guide

Writing Conventions

The original plan had file naming conventions under writing conventions, but I suggest we make a new section for file naming (below).

File Naming Conventions

We use file naming conventions in Curriculum Services for syntactical consistency, which in turn supports file management and helps Production to identify how files should be organized. [Could we express this more clearly using plain English?]

How to name TRU-OL files

Guidelines for Typography/Page Design/PowerPoint

• Sample hierarchy of headings
• Sample title page

Copyright Guidelines

New policy 02/04/2013: New online copyright clearing form: http://kamino.tru.ca/ipo/register.html The results come directly to IPO team care of the copyright@tru.ca e-mail. This should eliminate the need for filling out other forms.

Editing Best Practices and Style Checklists

• Media
• Math type and eq. editor
• Styles in MS Word
• Templates
• Show changes: How to do it? What to keep in show changes & what to accept?
• Deep links & URLs: link from anchor text and/or provide written URL?
• Publisher's online materials: computer requirements, open access mandate, log-in instructions, privacy concerns (if any)

Glossary

Standardization

• Misspelled-words.jpg

  Caption1

To ensure consistency, accuracy, and clarity, the following spelling and standardized terminology lists have been developed.

Standardized TRU-OL Spelling List

• acknowledgement
• aging
• anaesthetic
• analyze
• appendices
• archaeology
• audiovisual
• axe
• backup (n.)
• behaviour
• benefited
• biased
• birthdate
• Blackboard
• Blackboard Collaborate (not Elluminate)
• cacti
• café
• catalogue
• CD-ROM
• cellphone
• centimetre
• centre
• cheque
• chlorophyll
• clamour
• colour
• co-operate
• coordinate
• coordinator
• counselled
• counsellor
• Course Guide
• coursework
• database
• decision-making (attrib.)(adj.)
• decision making (n.)
• defence
• demeanour
• dialogue disc (sound or video)
• disk (computer)
• draft
• e-book
• email
• endeavour
• enrol, enrolment
• Enrolment Services
• equalled
• Exams Department
• favour
• fetus
• fibre
• focused
• focuses (n. & v.)
• formulas
• fulfill
• fulfillment
• grey
• Hhome Ppage (for our courses); home page
• honour
• humour
• icon
• imperilled
• indexes
• instalment
• instill
• Internet
• jewellery
• journalling
• judgment
• kilometre
• labelled
• left-hand
• levelled licence (n.)
• license (v.)
• lifestyle
• likeable
• livable
• long-term (attrib.)
• lustre
• manoeuvre
• marvellous
• meagre
• medieval
• meter (instrument)
• Metis
• metre (measurement)
• midterm
• modelled, modelling
• mould
• naive, naïveté
• neighbour
• Net (Internet)
• odour
• offence
• online (adj. & adv.)
• Open Learning Faculty Member (not OLFM)
• organize
• paralleled
• paralyze
• per cent
• plow (n. & v.)
• postwar
• practice (n.)
• practise (v.)
• practice exam pretense
• program
• prophecy (n.)
• prophesy (v.)
• realize
• recognize
• regroup
• revisit
• savour
• self-test
• short-term ((attrib.)
• signalled
• sizable
• skilful
• smoulder
• sombre
• spectre
• storey (building)
• Student Handbook
• sulphur
• theatre
• toward
• tranquilize
• tranquilizer
• travelled
• traveller
• TRU-OL (use hyphen)
• TRU-OL, Open Learning
• tumour
• usable
• videoclip
• videotape
• vigour
• web (Internet)
• web browser
• web page
• website

This list conforms to The Canadian Oxford Dictionary, (2004), which we follow unless the a course project team decides on alternativestakes an alternate approach—, for example, to be consistent with the main textbook used for a course.

Standardized Terminology

• “Assignments” (for the link in the LMS, not Assignment File)
• click (not “click on” or “clink on”)
• Course Modules OR Course Units (but not both)
• Course Guide (not Course Overview OR Course Manual (but not both)
• Course Tools menu (not Course Menu area)
• “Discussions” (not forum, area, board, or conference)
• Distance Regional & Open Learning (DROL) Services (and no quotation marks, no hyphen after Regional)
• “Following a citation trail” guide (as the title of the guide itself, not the link)
• “Getting Started” (not “Getting Started with WebCT Guide”)
• “Help” link or “Help” (not HELP button)
• home page (two words, lowercase unless referring to course Home Page)
• How Do I...? (Do is first-initial cap; question mark goes after ellipses)
• IT Service Desk (not Help Desk, not IT service desk)
• learning management system (not WebCT)
• Library (when TRU Library) (not TRU-OL library)
• “Mail” tool (instead of “mail in WebCT”)
• Pack Slip (not Packing Grid)
• PIN (not PIN number)
• Student Handbook
• TRU Library (not the TRU Library)
• TRU-OL Social Sciences Guide
• TRU Open Learning
• Tutor Open Learning Faculty Member (not OLFM, Tutor, Facilitator, or Instructor)
• Tutor Marked Assignment form
• “View Attempt” not view results
• “Web Links”
• welcome letter (lowercase)
• World Wide Web, but web
• Other:
• “Getting Connected to WebCT” is outdated (get rid of WebCT references)
• There is no “WebCT Guide”
• Italics for course names (after acronym and number)
• Print info not needed, how to access course online info not needed
• Think in terms of students viewing the info on a monitor: for example, change language such as “turn now to your Assignments File”

Recommendations:

Include, on the “Web Links” page, a link to TRU-OL Examinations (so students can plan) Include, on the “Web Links” page, a link to Submission Guidelines, as it is referred to constantly in some courses Include, on the “Web Links” page, a link to Grading Systems and Procedures Fix language in grading scale: for example, Grading Systems and Policies is called Grading Systems and Procedures on the TRU web page

Appendix A: TRU-OL Course Formats Information

• Note: Please see the discussion topic on presenting the appendix info in a wiki or web context.

Appendix C: Forms

Links to:

• IP form
• Media web site
• CIS (?)

Appendix D: Overview of TRU Open Learning

Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) is the Division of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) that specializes in providing learners with flexible learning options, open access to education wherever possible, and a wide variety of course and program choices, meeting the needs of its own students and helping other institutions and organizations meet the open and online learning needs of their communities.

TRU is a public institution mandated by the provincial government to provide the province's open learning programming and an open learning educational credit bank, TRU-OL opens the door to accessible, recognized and quality post-secondary education, providing learning opportunities in print, online, web-based or blended formats, with programs tailored to each student's personal needs and support offered by over 160 highly respected and qualified Open Learning Faculty Members from all over BC.

For a comprehensive description of TRU, Open Learning Division (TRU-OL), see About TRU Open Learning

Appendix E: Work in Progress

TRU Editing Style Checklist

Purpose Statement

Reference Style Guides and Other Resources

Writing Conventions

Copyright Forms and Guidelines

Media Forms and Files

Glossary

Interculturalizing the Curriculum Resources

Standardized Course Guide Resources

Best Practices

File Naming Conventions