Act as a safeguard against libel or potentially dangerous misinformation. The Copy-Editor's Role
Verify facts, check data in tables against the main text, and ensure illustrations match their captions. 2. Implementation of House Style
Organize the "preliminary pages" (title, contents, preface) and ensure indexes are correctly formatted. 4. Legal and Ethical Checks
Refine vocabulary for precision and check for repetition or ambiguity that automated tools might miss.
Butcher defines the copy-editor as the The goal is to remove any obstacles between the author’s intent and the reader’s understanding while ensuring the production process remains efficient and cost-effective.
Apply a uniform house style for punctuation, spelling (e.g., -ise vs. -ize), and abbreviations.