Using Word’s Review Features
If you have never used Word’s review features, you aren’t alone.
Most of my first-time clients need a quick tutorial. Don’t panic! It’s pretty simple.
Track Changes
I will be editing your manuscript using Word’s “Track Changes” feature in the Review tab, which means every edit I make will be recorded for you to accept or reject. To see my markups, you will have to go to Review > Tracking and look for the display dropdown box. Choose “All Markup.” Then find the “Show Markup” dropdown box (usually located right underneath) and make sure “Comments,” “Insertions and Deletions,” and “Formatting” are all checked. If they are not, you will not be able to see them. [Note: This is a general guide. Every version of Word is slightly different, but they’re organized basically the same. I encourage you to experiment in a throw-away document and become familiar with yours.]
The in-text markups can be hard to see when they involve small changes like commas or periods. To help you spot them, Word adds a thin red line in the left margin next to every line of text with a change in it. Word also includes navigational tools (discussed in the next section) that will locate them for you. The markups I create will be either insertions or deletions. All text that I add will turn red and be underlined in red, and all text I delete will turn red and have a red horizontal slash through it. You will be able to accept or reject each suggestion. If you’re in doubt about what a markup means, accept it and see what changes. You can always hit the back button, and it will revert back to the markup.
Occasionally, you also may see a formatting markup (e.g., when a random margin is not in alignment with the rest of the text, or if a paragraph suddenly has different line spacing, etc.), but I usually make those corrections without tracking them.
Accept or Reject Edits
Go to Review > Changes and locate the “Accept” and “Reject” buttons as well as the “Previous” and “Next” buttons. To navigate to my first edit, click the “Next” button. Now you can decide to accept or reject any change I made in your document. When you click either option, the markup will disappear, and you will be left with normal black text that reads according to your choice. However, Word will automatically advance to the next edit, so you may not always see the final text. Also, once you accept or reject, that edit no longer registers with the “Previous” button. It’s gone—no longer a markup. You can always scroll back manually if you were uncertain of something. If you do, you’ll have to navigate to the next edit using the “Next” button. When you get to the end of the manuscript, clicking the “Next” button will bring you back at the beginning if any markups still remain in the text. Make sure you get them all by clicking “Next” until all have been addressed.
Comments
I often add comments that may explain something, ask a question, suggest a different word choice, etc. They will appear in your right margin. To navigate between them, go to Review > Comments and look for the “Previous” and “Next” buttons. Also note the “Delete” button. When you get to the end of the manuscript, clicking the “Next” button will bring you back to the beginning if any comments still remain in the text. Click through until all have been addressed and deleted.
Need help with anything?