Editing and Proofreading - Editing a written document for clarityEditing or revising a written document is a vital process for everyone who writes anything. Students, authors, journalists, or advertising agencies need editing to make sure their writing meets their objective. There are no exceptions. It is extremely rare for a written document to be letter perfect the first time round.Even if we don't need a letter-perfect document, editing is still mandatory, as the mind moves faster than the hand, and errors unknowingly creep in. Students, particularly ESL pupils, must edit their writing, as their sentence construction may be totally baffling and incomprehensible.Whether a written instrument stays within the organization for employees only, or whether it is meant for customers, every writing should be readable, and its message concise and clear. The editing process tries to achieve this.In business, documents frequently use technical vernacular that can be flurrying to the layman. Jargon is acceptable If meant for limited circulation. If designed for the public, editing is crucial to make the message clear and distinct.Correct syntax, grammar and punctuation will not only result in clearer messages, but also project a professional image to readers of the document. Organizations, students and other writers may elect to self-edit if they have the time and patience, or out-source the process to editing services providers.Editing Tips in brief:1. Summarize long sentences; preferably, break them up into shorter sentences. Short sentences are much easier to absorb.2. Use specific instead of generic words where appropriate.3. Avoid slang, dialect or colloquialism that may cause offense or misunderstanding.4. Don't try to wow readers by using bombastic words.Editing written documents for context, accuracy, syntax, grammar and punctuation mistakes.Before editing, be very clear about the primary purpose of the document. Is it meant to inform, instruct, impress, persuade, motivate, comfort, etcetera. Word choice and arrangement must match the purpose of the writing.Follow the style guide if writing for organizations, publishers or for term papers, assignments or dissertations. Outsourced editing services usually do not include editing for style. This is the writers responsibility. Editing is even more crucial if the document's substance is extremely abstruse, particularly if it needs to be pitched to customers and laypersons. Sentences may need to be split, punctuation marks skillfully applied and you may need to paraphrase wherever necessary, to make it clearer and easy to understand. Punctuation rules do exist, and are important in editing, but they are not as strict as crucial grammar rules. Some rules may be adopted by a few groups while being pooh-poohed by others. Unless you have a photographic memory, it is next to impossible to learn the correct use of English by memorizing rules. The most effective approach is through reading, writing and practical usage. However, you may choose to familiarize yourself with some punctuation and grammar principles which have universal application to a majority of writings. This may be enough to cover most normal editing needs. Keep in mind that while there are grammar rules that need to be observed, writing style and syntax are pretty much in the hands of the writer. Copyright fogfactor.com 2011. This article may be reprinted provided the original content and all embedded links together with the Author's Bio are included intact and unedited.