Well-structured documents are the foundation of good written communication. A document with structural issues, in either organization or content, can be difficult to read and understand.
This course, a perfect complement to Copyediting and Proofreading: Introduction, introduces students to the basics of structural editing and is appropriate for people interested in editing as a career as well as those looking to improve their own documents. The course focuses on non-fiction documents.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Explain what structural editing is and how it fits into the editorial process
- Conduct a basic audience assessment
- Evaluate a document for structural issues
- Identify common issues with document organization and content
- Fix common structural issues
- Apply concepts of accessibility to document structure
- Communicate with clients
You’ll learn through a mix of lecture, hands-on activities, readings, and homework assignments.
Course Outline
Week 1: Introduction to structural editing and basic principles of document organization
Week 2: Audience assessment, document evaluation and outlines
Week 3: Common issues in organization and content, and solutions for common issues
Week 4: Accessibility considerations and client communication
How Am I Assessed?
This course is marked complete/incomplete, and is based on your attendance and participation. You are expected to attend each class and actively participate in class discussions. You will have weekly homework and in-class assignments, but you will not be formally assessed on them.
Technology Requirements
To take this course, you’ll need access to:
- an email account
- a computer, laptop or tablet under five years old using Windows or macOS
- the latest version of a web browser (or previous major version release)
- a reliable internet connection
- a video camera and microphone
Textbook
There is no required textbook for this course. You will be provided with weekly readings as part of your homework.
Course Format
This course is 100% online and instructor supported with real-time classes. Log in to your class at scheduled times and participate by video conferencing.