Editing - Writing for Computer Science - page 184

Consistency
Editing is the process of making a document ready for publication or examination.
Much of editing consists of checking the document for errors that fall under the
heading of consistency (or lack of it). Use the checklist at the end of this chapter
when revising your papers, or when proofreading papers for others. A surprisingly
effective editing exercise is to pretend to be a reader, amember of the paper's intended
audience. This shift of framework, of consciously adopting the position of critic, often
exposes problems that otherwise go unnoticed.
My experience is that early drafts tend to be repetitive and long-winded. Often,
not only are concepts awkwardly expressed and sentences unwieldy, 1 but material
on one theme might be in separate parts of the paper. It is common to find similar
material included several times, in different places, particularlywhen there are several
authors. Another problem is that some material may become irrelevant as the paper
develops through a series of revisions.
The ordering too may need to be reconsidered once the paper is complete. When
material is moved from one place to another, check that the text in each location
is intelligible and appropriate in the new context. Beware, for example, of moving
definitions of terms or of breaking the flow of an argument.
For many papers, editing leads to removal of text. Don't be afraid to shorten
your papers: cutting will improve the quality. Edit for brevity and balance. Omit or
condense any material whose content or relevance to the paper's main themes does
not justify its length.
Style
Another kind of editing is for style and clarity, and is perhaps the hardest part of
finishing a paper. Chapters 6 - 10 are concerned with points of style that should be
checked during editing; these should be considered during every revision. Keep in
mind the fundamental aim, which is to make the paper clear. Lapses will be forgiven
so long as you are easy to understand.
When revising the text of other writers, it is often preferable to make minimal
changes: correct the presentation but retain the flavour of the original text. Don't
expect to impose your style on someone else.
Most journals have a preferred style for elements such as references, figure num-
bering, spelling, table layout, and capitalization. If you are planning to submit to a
particular journal, consider using its style.
1 Not having an absence of double negatives is a common problem in my writing.