The Importance of Track Changes
Recently, I completed two proofreading jobs for my friend that required me to use the Track Changes feature on Microsoft Word, and on both occasions, I had to briefly explain what Track Changes is, how it works, and why I’ve used it.
The majority of proofreading work on Word is done through Track Changes as it allows you to directly collaborate on a document and suggest changes for the document owner to either accept or reject.
Proofreaders use Track Changes to make changes to grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Track Changes also allows the document owner to see any deleted or added text by the proofreader, which is denoted by a red underline.
Track Changes is found in the Review tab on Word or can be turned on by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+E. On the same Review tab, you can choose your preferred viewing options and whether you accept or reject the changes.
A document with lots of revisions can become quite hectic and distracting and Word allows you different viewing options to navigate this:
Original: This hides all markups and shows the original version of the document.
All Markup: This shows the final version of the document with all markups.
Simple Markup: This shows the final version of the document without the markups, but red markers will still indicate where revisions have been made.
No Markup: This shows the final version of the document without the markups.
Proofreading using Track Changes is often accompanied by the comments feature. Comments are used to highlight a certain change to explain why the revision has been made from a proofreader’s perspective. Comments are also found in the Review tab and can be placed by highlighting text.
If Track Changes has been used on your document, you will need to either accept the changes or reject them. You can accept all the changes at once or accept them one by one, depending on whether you put your full trust in your proofreader.
Your proofreader should provide you with a style sheet that will provide further instructions on which changes need to be made to your document, per the style guide they are following.
If you are seeking a proofreader for your document, whether it is a manuscript or not, you should take some time to become acquainted with Track Changes so you understand what changes your proofreader suggests.
For more detailed information on Track Changes, with visuals, I would suggest checking out the following blog post.
Lauren Ternent | The Editorial Geordie