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,[1] and so on.

Stylistic Editing

[adapted from EAC] Stylistic editing involves clarifying meaning, eliminating jargon, smoothing language, and other non-grammatical and non-mechanical line-by-line editing. It may also include checking or correcting the reading or language level to meet readers' needs; editing or recasting tables and/or figures; and negotiating changes with other stakeholders.

Proofreading

[adapted from EAC info]

Proofreading is a close reading of edited manuscripts and/or checking the final version of a print or online document.

Proofreading a print document may include flagging errors in the text; checking the appearance, positioning, and colour of art; and verifying page references, page breaks, and running heads.

Proofreading of online documents may include verifying the appearance and usability of the online document. This can include verifying the computer code and the accuracy of hyperlinks.

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, … For Maintenance courses, this information is generally available from the the Course Maintenance Proposal (CMP) form, which should accompany the files to be edited (or is available from CurriculumServices).

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?  ]

The TRU-OL Editorial Style Guide comprises style guidelines for TRU-OL employees and contractors. The purpose of these guidelines is to enhance quality and consistency in TRU-OL courses and documents.

The TRU-OL Editorial Style Guide is normally followed in all TRU-OL courses—print, online, and web.

It is a set of default conventions; that is, it is followed in all writing and editing functions, except where the Course Lead has specified variations, or if a licensed course agreement prohibits such changes.

A style sheet of variations and terms particular to the course is created by either the Course Editor or the Copy Editor and is kept with each editorial project’s documents.

A style is set for each TRU-OL course. To set an example for students and reinforce the use of a particular style, it is recommended that editorial staff use that same style throughout the course materials. TRU-OL courses normally follow either APA or MLA style; however, editors should check with the Course Lead to confirm if a discipline-specific academic style was used in place of APA or MLA.

Dictionary

TRU-OL uses the Canadian Oxford Dictionary (2nd ed., 2004), unless the project team decides on alternatives—for example, to be consistent with the main textbook for a course.

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

Reference Style Guides

TRU Library offers several references to style guides at: http://www.tru.ca/library/guides/citation_styles.html

OLA Fairness to All Guide: Communicating with Respect is a set of standards used by IDs and editors in TRU-OL to help identify and avoid bias and stereotype in our communications. Here is the link to the current version: www.tru.ca/library/pdf/tru-ol_fairness_to_all.pdf

The Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.): Consult this manual if you encounter a problem not addressed in the house style guide: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (6th ed.): Consult this guide if you encounter a problem not addressed in the TRU-OL Style Guide: http://www.apastyle.org/

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.): Consult this handbook if you encounter a problem not addressed in the house style guide: http://www.mlahandbook.org/

Style Guides for TRU-OL Students

TRU-OL has designed a set of three academic style guides that are based on and extend or modify some version of MLA or APA Style. Students are directed to use one of these three styles in their course assignments. The guides are described next and are available through TRU Library at: http://www.tru.ca/library/guides/citation_styles.html#bcou.

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.

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

Blurb Cemetary