The document that I selected for this project was the Natural Disaster Emergency Plan for the Fort Bend Women’s Center and their employee handbook. The document was in a draft form, to be generous, and was not ready to be published in the handbook. Upon completion of the project, and submission to the Fort Bend Women’s Center, the Disaster Plan is now published in the handbook at over 10-pages in length.

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       This was the most work-intensive and surprisingly fulfilling assignment that I have ever completed. Going into this course, I was essentially expecting “Peer Reviews for Dummies” and that was quickly shown to be a huge misconception. The process, standards, and procedures that were taught over the course of the semester were much more thorough and detailed than I ever could have anticipated prior to starting the course. Learning what to edit and why to edit, along with how to edit without shifting meaning were principles that never crossed my mind.

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       While certain aspects such as copy marking and editing for grammar came naturally, the nuances of proofreading vs. editing vs. copyediting took a lot longer and required much more hands-on experience. The final project for this course required comprehensive editing of a document from a business or organization outside of the university. After completing the course requirements and working with the Fort Bend Women’s Center, I have a new perspective on editing and what it can accomplish.