Correctness
Have you checked grammar and corrected any errors (e.g., lack of subject-verb agreement, misplaced modifiers, incorrect pronoun case)?
Have you checked punctuation and corrected any errors (e.g., comma splices, misplaced colons, incorrect apostrophes)?
Have you checked spelling and corrected any errors (e.g., typographical errors, errors arising from homonyms and similar-sounding words)?
Have you corrected errors in usage (e.g., words commonly confused, such as imply/infer; incorrect idioms and phrases, such as centres around)?
Consistency
Have you identified and consistently applied editorial style (e.g., abbreviations, measurements, treatment of numbers, Canadian/British/American spelling)?
Have you developed a style sheet, or followed the one that was provided, to track editorial style and apply it consistently?
Have you applied the citation style (Chicago name and date) consistently in a way that is appropriate to the material?
Have you identified and either corrected or queried inconsistencies in logic, factual details, and cross-references?
Have you ensured that all tables, photos, multimedia, and other visual elements are consistent with surrounding text and are consistently presented (e.g., headings, captions, numbering)?
Have you edited for consistency any uses of other languages, especially French, in an English context (e.g., capitalization, italicization, accented characters)?
Accuracy and Completeness
Have you identified and either corrected or queried items that should be checked for accuracy (e.g., names of people and places, titles, quotations, web links)?
Have you identified and either corrected or queried errors in material containing statistics, mathematics, and numerals (e.g., incorrect imperial/metric conversions, incorrect totals in tables)?
Have you ensured that material is complete and, as appropriate, query or supply missing elements (e.g., captions and headings, web links, phone numbers, addresses)?
Have you flagged places where citations are needed (e.g., quotations without a source, unsupported generalizations in academic work, tables that require a data source)?
Have you recognized elements that require copyright acknowledgement and permission to reproduce (e.g., quotations, multimedia, photos)? If necessary, have you prepared acknowledgements and obtained permissions or bring the matter to the attention of the appropriate person?
Communication
When working on electronic copy, have you used the agreed-upon markup system (e.g., track changes)?
Have you used judgment about when to query the author or other appropriate person and when to resolve problems without consultation?
Have you written clear, coherent, and diplomatic queries and notes for the appropriate person (e.g., author, client, other team members)?
Adapted from Editors Association of Canada Professional Editorial Standards (January 2010). www.editors.ca.
