The Science of Words: Prompt Four.

The Science of Words
Editing comprises a system of technical decisions more similar to the progression of a
Commented [AS1]: Your writing style is so unique! I love the
intricacies of it. It feels intelligent (which I appreciate). This is a
beautiful paper. I didn’t find many, if any, mechanical errors. My
comments and edits are geared toward improving the flow and
style. I hope they’re helpful.

doctor’s checklist than to the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” Wordsworth used to

describe artistic inspiration (Wordsworth, 295). The portion of wordsmithy thatwhich deals with
artistic inspiration is generally the responsibility of the author; it is the editor’s duty to impose
order and improve clarity, functions more closely aligned with science than with art. Along these
Commented [AS2]: What style are you following? I’m
assuming MLA. If so, you don’t need a comma between the author’s
name and the page number, and you don’t need to include the name
if it has been mentioned in the text. I have changed this citation as an
example, but I haven’t changed any others. Also, don’t forget to
create your header at the top of the page (Name, Professor’s Name,
Class #, Date).

lines, Saller explains in The Subversive Copy Editor that editing is “solving problems with

writing” (Saller, 3), and that for each solution to each problem “you must know why, according

to an authority, chapter and verse, you are making that change” (Saller 31), meaning that in

editing, almost all solutions are based on rules. While art certainly does contains rules, these Commented [AS3]: Change OK? Added for emphasis.

rules are very easily broken—just ask E. E. Cummings or members of the Dada movement.

Editorial flexibility for rule -breaking is determined by outside factors such as the author’s style,

the publisher’s preferences, and how much leeway the editor has with the text. In the end, the Commented [AS4]: Isn’t flexibility that is determined by outside
factors the definition of leeway? Can this be rewritten to show
what other outside factor(s) influence an editor’s leeway and to
rules govern editing far more than flexibility does. These rules guide the editor to follow a make it parallel with the rest of the list?

meticulous process, which, although it may differ slightly from editor to editor, is much like a

doctor’s checklist or a scientist’s system of data collection. The editor’s, the doctor’s, and the Commented [AS5]: Great comparison.

scientist’s processes are similar because, although there is some wiggle room as to when smaller

steps are taken, the larger steps form the predictable, logical process of the scientific method.

Just as a meteorologist takes readings for humidity or air pressure before analyzing or

forecasting weather, so an editor begins his or her task by scoping out the job at hand. Having

looked over the document, or a portion of the document, to be edited, the editor must make

judgement decisions similar to the way hypotheses of those who follow the scientific

methodscientists make theirs; to make these decisions, the editor and scientists must ask
 The Science of Words: Prompt Four. 2

questions and locate answers. These questions may include asking which changes to the Commented [AS6]: Change OK? Trying to compare decision
making to the method rather than to hypotheses.

document will best benefit readers, how heavy of an edit is required, and how much to

alignshould the writer’s style alignto with the publishing house’s style. These questions help the

editor form a general theory of approach, a plan of attack similar to the scientist’s testable

predictions or the doctor’s tentative prescription. Commented [AS7]: Are doctors really tentative when they
make prescriptions? Could we find a better word here?

Next, the editor tests his or her theory, implementing the changes he or she thinks will

align the document to the most favorable outcome. Much like a doctor prescribing medication,

some of the changes the editor implements solve problems in the document and need no further Commented [AS8]: Twice I’ve read this sentence, and it’s led
me down a garden path. Could it be reworded to prevent
misreading?
adjustment, while others may require fine-tuning. This is the testing and experimenting phase.

Once the editor begins receiving feedback, answers to queries, and authorial reviews, the editor

can revise, expand, and refine his or her judgement decisions. At the completion of the project,

the editor can his or her results, having more information now on which decisions and changes Commented [AS9]: Did a verb get accidentally omitted here?

worked and which did not. He or she is now better prepared to make similar decisions for future Commented [AS10]: I have noticed many uses of he or she to
avoid gender bias. Could other strategies be used for variety?

projects. As a whole, this procedure bespeaks editing as a science far more than it does as an art.

Science is the systematic study of how things work, the system by which questions are

clarified and processes are made more efficient. Editing is the science of words, the resolution of

questions of grammar, usage, and style to align to the requirements of rules. It is the system by
which written communication is made more efficient. As Einsohn notes in The Copyeditor’s
Commented [AS11]: This paragraph is wonderful. Could it be
moved to be the second paragraph? I think it would make a great
transition from the intro to the main body, and then the section
where you compare editing decisions to the scientific method
would fall right before the example where you illustrate that point.

Handbook, the four tenets of editing are “clarity, coherency, consistency, and correctness”

(Einsohn, 3), which together allow the editor to meld the author’s artistic genius with the

practical requirements of linguistic function. In plainer English, an editor uses these four tenets

to be a doctor for words, a scientist who looks at the details of a document, and an engineer who

makes communication more efficient by fixing errors in documents. By removing errors—and Commented [AS12]: I love this so much!
Commented [AS13]: I’ve really liked your judicious use of the
em dash.
 The Science of Words: Prompt Four. 3

thereby aligning a text with the rules—editors make communication more efficient because the

reader does not have to reconstruct the meaning of a text from scattered pieces. Weiss reminds us

of the importance of this in The Elements of International English Style when he states that

“making a text easy to understand makes it harder to misunderstand” (Weiss, 16). By making a

text hard to misunderstand, we eunsure that the text can fulfill its purpose—that it can

communicate.

My personal experience with how editing functions as a science came when I found
myself unsure of a rule. and tThe artistic side of me wanted to explore a hundred and one101
options of how to make the phrase “sound better.” The problem was with the word literatures. It
Commented [AS14]: It’s amazing what a fantastic addition this
is. The personal voice is awesome, and I would love to see more of
it and hear more of your experiences.
Commented [AS15]: Chicago dictates numeral form, but I also
really like how you broke the rule. Your call.

was my first edit for a university psychology journal and, having never taken a psychology class

in my life, I was a bit confused by some of the terminology. The word literatures (used to refer

to a collection of psychology articles), in particular, seemed particularly incorrect and out of Commented [AS16]: I would either put particularly here or
make In particular an introductory phrase so it doesn’t interrupt the
flow, especially after a parenthetical insert.
place. I had always thought of literature as a collective noun composed of pieces of literature

like The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and Great Expectations. To treat literature as a countable noun

seemed absurd at best and appeared to flouting the rules of grammar at the least. Yet the word Commented [AS17]: I removed the so this phrase would match
at best, but I’m not sure what I think of it. Your thoughts?

popped up several times in the document, and I realized that it was not a mistake. So, I turned to

the method both scientists and editors use:, the scientific method. Having all ready appraised the Commented [AS18]: Edited according to Chicago 5.220.

document and identified what I viewed as a problem, I hypothesized that the word was unique to

the discipline. I then did my research, checking to see whether or not the word was indeed used

todid in fact mean a collection of scholarly psychology articles. I found that it was indeed used

that way, and occasionally , asin the a countable plural. Because there was still some uncertainty Commented [AS19]: I assumed that way meant as a plural.
Clarify or rephrase the sentence, please?

as to whetherif the countable plural was the most appropriate choice, I queried the author and

was informed that literatures was the preferred term in the university’s psychology department. I
 The Science of Words: Prompt Four. 4

then knew not to change instances of literatures in future psychology documents. Had I not

followed this process and instead gone with my instincts and my ear, I would have introduced an

error to the text. Einsohn’s tenets of editing—clarity, coherency, consistency, and correctness—

apply here as well. In most other disciplines, literatures would have been unclear, but in

psychology, the meaning was clear, and there was no incoherence. The word was used

consistently throughout the text and the discipline. Altogether, these factors made the use of the

word correct.

Similarly wise editorial decisions can be made if the editor follows the steps of the

scientific method. (will finish conclusion later)

The Science of Words: Prompt Four. 5

Commented [AS20]: I know your conclusion is going to be as

wonderful as the rest of the paper. I love the point you made. It’s
not too complicated, and you illustrate it well. Very well done!
What a pleasure to read.
Formatted: Space After: 0 pt, Line spacing: Double
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Works Cited
Einsohn, Amy. The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate
Communication. 3rd ed. Los Angeles:, University of California Press, 2011. Third edition.
3.
Saller, Carol Fisher. The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago (or, How to Negotiate
Good Relationships with Your Writers, Your Colleagues, and Yourself). 2nd ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2016. Second edition. ProQuest (ebook ISBN
9780226239903). 3-31.
Weiss, Edmond H. The Elements of International English Style: A Guide to Writing
Correspondence, Reports, Technical Documents, and Internet Pages for a Global
Audience. Armonk, NY: Routledge, 2005. ProQuest (ebook ISBN 9781317457220). 16.
Wordsworth, William. Preface to “Lyrical Ballads.” In The Norton Anthology of English
Literature: The Romantic Period, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, 9th ed., vol. D. (New
York: Norton, 2012.), 295.
Commented [AS21]: Cool feature: Under “Home,” in the
“Paragraph” formatting box, click the arrow in the bottom-right
corner. At the top of the pop-up box, switch to the “Line and Page
Breaks” tab, then check the box that says “Page break before.” This
will create, in essence, a new page so you don’t have to use enter a
bajillion times. I just learned about this trick last month. 
Commented [AS22]: I’m really impressed with your use of the
citations in your document. Even though the quotations are
relatively short, they really contribute to your paper.
Commented [AS23]: I’m not sure which style you’re following,
but Chicago says the URL or DOI should appear at the end (14.167).
Please edit according to your style guide.
Commented [AS24]: I couldn’t find a source that clarified how
to correctly cite secondary sources in a bibliography. Sorry. (If
you’ve already found one, then way to go.)