Main page

Discussion and application worksheets

Documents for editing practice

Internet resources for editors

Software tutorials and PowerPoint presentations

Course preparation materials

Internet Resources for Editors

These resources are organized according to the chapters in Technical Editing, 3rd ed. Some general resources are at the bottom of the list. All external links will open in a new window. A pdf version is available for download.

Chapter

Topic

Site and URL

Annotation

1

definitions of editing

Bay Area Editors' Forum: What Do Editors Do?

Descriptions of different types of editorial services. Also see an archive of articles on editing at the site.

5

soft-copy markup

Microsoft Word Legal User's Guide

Tutorials on Microsoft Word, including styles, track changes, and headers and footers.

Cascading Style Sheets

Resources for learning CSS, including a brief tutorial, Chapter 2 of Lie and Bos, Cascading Style Sheets, and Dave Raggett's guide to using cascading style sheets.

XML Cover Pages

Reference guide for both XML and SGML.

6

electronic editing

The Technical Editors' Eyrie

Download Electronic Editing, by Jean Hollis Weber, for A$10, US$6.

InTech Track Changes

Track changes plugin for Adobe FrameMaker 6.0 and 7.0

8

copyediting

Copyediting-L archives

Archives of the email discussion list, Copyediting-L, from 1997; searchable by subject.

9

spelling, abbreviations

Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary

Dictionary and thesaurus.

Multicultural Glossary

Guidelines for writing about different ethnic groups; a link from the Texas Association of Museums website.

Acronymfinder

Definitions of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms.

Law.com Dictionary

Definitions of legal terms and links to other online resources in law.

8

consistency, style guides

Chicago Manual of Style FAQ

Questions and answers from the University of Chicago Press editors.

GPO Style Manual

The complete style manual for the Government Printing Office is available in PDF format.

10, 11

grammar

Guide to Grammar and Writing

Interactive quizzes, PowerPoint presentations, and links to other sources.

The American Heritage® Book of English Usage

Instruction on topics such as grammar, style, and gender; includes a search function.

12

quantities and statistics

The NIST Reference

Definitions, explanation, and symbols for the International System of Units (SI).

ISO 9000 2000

Quality management principles and requirements of ISO 9000-2000.

Statistics Every Writer Should Know

Basic concepts of statistics defined in plain English.

15, 16

style

Plain English Network

Guidelines for writing "user-friendly" documents plus before-after examples.

20

global contexts

Free Translation Service

Converts typed text from one language to another.

Babel Fish

Converts typed text from one language to another.

21

online documents

Usable Information Technology

Information about web usability plus books, conferences, and other resources; by Jakob Nielsen.

World Wide Web Consortium

Comprehensive orientation to WWW technologies.

Accessibility Initiative

Guidelines for making web content accessible to people with disabilities.

Bobby Online Free Portal

Free test to determine website accessibility.

Editing Online Help

Download Editing Online Help, by Jean Hollis Weber, for A$10, US$6.

InfoDesign

Portal to resources on information design and websites.

22

legal and ethical issues

Copyright Office, United States

Copyright basics, forms, legislation, and other information.

23

type and production

Desktop publishing

Introduction to halftones, with examples and links.

General resources for editors

 

web portal

EServer TC library

Comprehensive portal to online resources in professional, scientific, and technical communication.

  

research and fact finding

The Library Spot

Resource for research on topics including grammar, calendars, countries, time, science, and many more.

Statistical Abstract of the United States

Data on technical, environmental, education, health, and population issues and more.

technical writing

Techwr-L site

Archives of the email discussion list, Techwr-L, plus a directory of resources, job information, and more.