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 Computer based training materials
The audience for the material being edited is not comprised of
other technical people; or if it is, the editor is not the person
responsible for ensuring the technical accuracy of the material.

What people think editors do
 Check grammar and spelling
 Enforce company style

 Collect contributions from
o writer
o photographer
o graphic artist

 Ensure all is complete and in order
 Handle associated clerical work
 Make arbitrary changes

 Cause delays
 Interfere with writers’ creativity
Or (especially in academic or scientific circles)

 Judge the technical or scientific merit of documents
 Turn over the clerical work (above) to an assistant
What technical editors should do

 Determine suitability of material for target audience
o organisation
o presentation
o word use

o illustrations
o comprehensibility
o completeness and correctness

o retrievability (index, table of contents)
 Be involved from planning stage to completion
In addition, an editor may be called upon to fill the following
extraordinary functions:

 Provide additional or missing material
 Edit copy written by person unskilled in English
 Edit transcribed tapes

 Edit for technical content
Types of edit
Van Buren and Buehler (1980) published an excellent summary

of technical editing work, organised under the following "types of
edit":