This page describes the objectives, project details, recommended approaches, hints and tips, submission guidelines, and evaluation standards for the Manuscript Assessment & Edit project.
The Manuscript Assessment & Edit (MAE) is an examination of a manuscript (or set of manuscripts) that includes recommendations to the author on how that work might be revised. The MAE project challenges you in many ways: to develop an authoritative but respectful editorial voice; to assess effectively the strengths and weaknesses of a working manuscript; and to communicate recommendations for revision to the author.
Document type: memo of transmittal, author letter, edited & original manuscript(s)/document(s)
Document length: 350 words, 350–500 words, 8–12 pages
Project value: 350 points (50 points, draft; 300 points, final)
Evaluation rubric: _RPW435_Eval_MsAssess+Edit.pdf
The MAE project is an examination of a manuscript that includes recommendations to the author on how that work might be revised. This project challenges you in many ways: to develop an authoritative but respectful editorial voice; to assess effectively the strengths and weaknesses of a working manuscript; and to communicate recommendations for revision to the author.
Your final project submission will include the following elements.
A memo of transmittal introduces the accompanying document(s) to its audience(s). Your memo should be addressed from you to me, and should introduce the accompanying project. This document should be both detailed and specific. Treat this memo as your explanation to your Editor of how and why you think you ought to proceed in your communication with the author. Your memo should incorporate the following content elements.
The letter from you to the author frames the recommendations you offer, setting priorities, identifying patterns, and connecting that advice to the marked-up manuscript in direct, specific ways. For example, if you identity the need for stronger organization, direct the author to specific places (identified by page numbers and context) in the manuscript where such revisions would be appropriate.
The marked-up manuscript(s) presents your detailed document-, paragraph-, and sentence-level recommendations for revision. Implement the annotation scheme we discussed in class: (1) standard editing/proofing marks or digital edits, (2) explanation and appropriate additional commentary about your recommended revisions, and (3) references from Chicago Manual of Style (or another appropriate external resource) for grammatical, and production recommendations.
Recommended tool(s): Microsoft Word
This section offers guidance for how to interpret the project, and for how to proceed with your work on it. Therefore, as you work, selectprofessionally relevant material to edit
For this project, you recommend revisions to the author of a manuscript or document with the purpose of improving that document. Note that you do not have to actually incorporate your suggestions. You only need to communicate your evaluation of the manuscript, and your revision recommendations to the author. You choose the document and genre, selecting from the following list.
Choose your material for this project based on your experience and your professional development goals. If there are industries within which you would like to work, or genres with which you expect to work, select working documents based on those expectations.
In addition, focus on more than the text itself during this project. This is a good opportunity to examine the overall design of documents. It is also appropriate here to show a design mockup if you recommend significant changes in the overall design.
Be prepared to discuss your decisions in class. I may ask why you adopted certain strategies, how you would address your concerns with the author if given the opportunity, and other such questions that get at the work behind the work of editing.
Draw your material from the following genres, document types.
This section provides you with additional guidance for how to make your project successful. I offer all such advice based on my observing the successes and failures of past students. Consider the following 4 hints and tips as you prepare your submission for this project.
Follow these submission guidelines carefully. Failure to do so may result in delays in receiving feedback on the rough draft of your project, or in a lower grade on the final evaluation of your project.
Create a project folder inside your shared class folder on Dropbox.com. Remember, I can only view files that you place inside the shared folder. Until you place files in that space, you have not submitted them.
Name the folder Ms Assessment and Edit.
Note. Do not share this folder with me. By placing it in your class folder, you have already shared it by default.
Make sure the files listed below are available to me in the project folder by the draft deadline. Model your filenames on the listed examples:
Note. Do not share the individual files with me. By placing them in your project folder, you have already shared them by default.
Make sure the files listed below are available to me in the project folder by the final project deadline. Model your filenames on the listed examples:
Note. Do not share the individual files with me. By placing them in your project folder, you have already shared them by default.
Additional Note. The Feedback file is one you receive from me in response to your draft submission. Move it into your project folder when you assemble your final submission.
Because this project folder will accumulate several files by the time you assemble your final submission, take the time to organize your work as directed here, and to name each file properly. This helps me keep track of your work.
This section describes the standards by which your draft and final submissions will be evaluated.
There are 50 possible points for this project draft. You will earn points according to the following standard.
There are 300 possible points for the final project. You will earn points according to the standard described on the policies page (40% content development, 20% design execution, and 20% professionalism & attention to detail, and 20% impact of revision; see Policies). The specific areas of emphasis for this project are drawn from the description and discussion of the project, and are detailed in the evaluation rubric (_RPW435_Eval_MsAssess+Edit.pdf).
Remember that I will only post the point values for projects on the Grades page in SVSU Canvas. I will post the details relevant to that evaluation in your class folder in a project-specific file.
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