CHAPTER 2
DOCTRINE
WRITING PROCESS
Section 2-1 Research
1. Research and Development (R & D) is the second phase of
the AFP Doctrine Development Process. At this stage, the Project Monitoring
Team (PMT), which has earlier been designated by the Proponents for the
proposed doctrine publication/manual project, and the doctrine writers proceed
to perform various data gathering and other writing tasks as required by the
doctrine publication project.
FOR IMPROVEMENT - DRAFT FIGURE ONLY
Writing brief. Based
on the guidance provided by the Proponents that includes writing briefs and
other references, the doctrine writers shall prepare a research plan and
schedule for approval by the Project Officers/Proponents. Upon approval of the said
plan and schedule, the doctrine writers shall undertake the research and
development of the draft. They may introduce new constructs into the research
with prior consultation with the Project Officers/Proponents;
In the context of the AFP doctrine
development process, research entails various tasks. These tasks include the
following:
a. Data gathering
1)
In
writing new doctrine publications/manuals, as well as the revision of outdated versions,
the PMT and doctrine writer shall be guided by the Table of Contents contained
in the approved PAd. The doctrine writer, assisted by the PMT, shall conduct a
survey of current literature and gather other data, specifically the most
current laws, directives, rules and regulations and other relevant issuances
from all available sources on the topics to be discussed.
2)
For
the revision of doctrine publications/manuals/tactics, techniques and
procedures (TTPs), the PMT shall provide the doctrine writer a printed or
electronic copy of the publication to be revised.
3) Both
the survey of literature and data gathering are common activities to the writing
and revision doctrine publications/manuals.
Interviews
with subject matter experts shall also be performed as they are valuable
sources of current information. During the consultative conferences among the
PMT, doctrine writers and the Proponent, the progress of the writing activity
is determined, more data are gathered, and data and information on hand are
validated.
b. Literature review and data check. It
is essential that the PMT and doctrine writer examine the collected data and
information for appropriateness. The appropriateness of data may be assessed
based on the following characteristics:
1) completeness (all required data are
in);
2)
consistency
(no contradictions even as data is obtained from various
sources);
3) accuracy (both textual and numerical
data are correct);
4) validity (applicability of the data
at hand to topic); and,
5) timeliness (currency, relevance, responsiveness).
Section 2-2 Doctrine Writing
1. Doctrine writing as
expository writing.
Doctrine writing is largely expository writing,
which is defined in the Stanford
University
website as “a type of written discourse that is used to explain, describe, give
information or inform”. Expository writing that instructs
and informs about various topics is differentiated from persuasive writing,
scientific or technical writing (that describes experiments or details
processes), autobiographical or personal writing (that records or expresses
one’s own observation and ideas), and creative writing (that outputs a work of
art).
We encounter expository writings on a daily basis. Past schoolwork
consisted of many term papers and tests that have required answers in essay
form. Autobiographies and other
non-fiction novels and accounts of particular events and features in magazines
and newspapers are largely expository. The workplace requires various reports
to inform superiors and other personnel about significant events and the state
of the enterprise. Expository writings inform on, instruct about, explain, or
describe particular topics.
2. Forms of
expository writing in doctrine writing:
a.
The
first pages of many doctrine publications/manuals that contain office
or unit histories are forms of expository
writing, particularly using the sequence
pattern where events and other historic information are presented in
chronological order.
b.
The description pattern of expository
writing is widely used in doctrine
writing such as the narration of
organizational characteristics (core competencies and capabilities), the depiction
of the hierarchy and structure of an office/unit, as well as office and
personnel duties and function. It is also a suitable writing pattern in the
presentation of processes and procedures, and programs and activities, as well
as career advancement plans and inventories of facilities and materiel.
c.
The
presentation of comparative or contrasting sets of data or information
in order to fully inform and update the doctrine
publication/manual user may be facilitated with the use of the comparison pattern that explains why two
or more items or processes are alike or are different.
Table
2.1 Selected Expository Writing Patterns
Pattern |
Description |
Cue Words |
| Description | The writer describes a topic by listing characteristics, features, and examples | for example; the characteristics are |
| Sequence | The writer lists items or events in numerical or chronological order. | first, second, third; next; then; finally |
| Comparison | The writer explains how two or more things are alike and/or how they are different. | different; in contrast; alike; same as; on the other hand |
Source: Mastering
the Writing Process by Caryn Gracey
3. Old writing
models. Traditional writing was a three-step process consisting of pre-writing,
writing, and re-writing, which steps were to be performed sequentially. Later researches have revealed that this
writing model is inadequate and tends to box in the writers and impede their
flow of creative juices.
The other old
writing models include the Stage Model of Writing that has four (4) steps
namely: Create goals, Formulate an outline, Write based on the outline, and
Re-read/Revise the finished product, and the Process Model, which has twice
more steps as it consists of Planning, Idea Generation, Organizing, Goal
Setting, Translating, Reviewing, Evaluating, and Revising.
The doctrine
writer is free to choose a writing model or not adhere to a writing model at
all. Current doctrine writing experience would however show that writers
necessarily, but not always consciously, go through a certain number of steps
that correspond to those that comprise the Stage or Process Models or some
other writing paradigms.
4. PMT as
“monitors”. A most important factor in the newer writing models is what
rhetoricians call the "monitor" whose task, overseeing the writing
process, is likened to the manner that a general oversees a battle being
waged. The monitor may issue either a
retreat-or-move-forward order or decide when to move from one process to the
next.
A writer may heed the guidance of a PMT monitor or
the writer’s “other self” that comes forward each time the writer decides to
check what has been written or when stumped or lost and momentarily unable to
write.
In addition to a personal monitor, the draft outputs
of doctrine writers, regardless of whether they are contracted civilians or
uniformed personnel, are subject to the monitoring authority of the appropriate
Project Officer (as provided by AFPM 8-03), who is tasked to check the
development of the doctrine publication/manual in terms of content and
substance (outline structure) and timeline.
5. At the
outset, the Doctrine Writers shall
observe the prescribed writing format, in addition to other guidelines on
style, grammar and visual presentations. They shall ensure that the drafts are
precise in both language and substance, the topics/subject matters are systematically
and objectively presented and in accordance with the approved Table of
Contents, and sufficient based on the requirements of the writing
briefs and other guidance. Annex C - Doctrine Format from the AFP Doctrine
Development Manual prescribes the layout of the chapters, paragraphs, graphics
and tables, and states that the Pagination is Chapter Nr; then Page Nr. In the
given example, “1-3”, “1” shall refer to the chapter number, and “3” shall
refer to the third page within the chapter. In the case of annexes, the first
digit is replaced by the annex letter.
While the doctrine writers are responsible to
and work under the direction of the Proponent, they are free to explore related
doctrines and to formulate new but justifiable constructs other than those of
the Proponents. Their main tasks, however, shall be the formulation and writing
of doctrines based on exhaustive research, studies, and consultations. They may
seek guidance from the Proponents, who serve as both advisers and sources of
assistance, and may request assistance from the AFPDDC through the Project
Officer. They shall comply with the requirements of the AFPDDC such as the
submission of progress reports (drafts), conduct of presentations, and
compliance with project schedule.
5. Writer’s Draft
a. Based on the approved Table of
Contents, a narrative on the various approved topic(s) – called a Writer’s
Draft - is prepared by a doctrine writer and submitted to the Proponent through
the PMT. The Writer’s Draft must contain as much necessary information that has
been made available to or has been secured by the doctrine writer. The Writer’s Draft shall be revised based on
the inputs provided by the other members of the PMT and recorded by the
doctrine writer in such manner as to obtain clearer connection among the ideas
received. Careful editing that can be performed at any point during the writing
should result in both good grammar and the observance of the prescribed format.
b. Early on in the writing of AFP
doctrine publications/manuals, the doctrine writer is already provided with
various inputs such as the purpose and audience of the publication to be
written. The purpose is to provide information, explain ideas and instruct,
thus, the suitable writing pattern is expository. As with purpose, the audience
or the readership of the publication is likewise identified in the PAd and
usually stated as all AFP officers and personnel, their dependents and
authorized civilians, and the stakeholders of the proponent offices. AFP
doctrine publications/manuals must, therefore, be written following the
elements of style (coherent and efficient use of language) that heavily bear on
comprehension. Style, as well as editing and proofreading, will be more
extensively discussed in succeeding portions of this chapter.
c. The 1991 U.S. Army
Command and General
Staff College
Student Text identifies four (4) elements of written communication
namely: (1) substance, (2) organization,
(3) style, and (4) correctness. These elements are discussed as follows:
1) Substance is the idea one is trying
to communicate, the thought behind what you are saying; the very purpose of
communicating. Effective writing requires that the substance or the information
contained in a publication be relevant to the purpose of the publication and
does not waste reader’s time, that the substance be focused on a single controlling idea, with appropriate
scope and clearly and simply written, with sufficient information and able to
respond to relevant questions. In the
matter of writing AFP doctrine publications, ensuring sufficiency of substance
or content entails checking whether a draft contains the necessary information
required by the table of contents as contained in the approved PAd.
2) Organization is the arrangement of parts, i.e. the big parts such chapters and
small parts such as sentences that are essential to the understanding of ideas.
Coherent paragraph have singleness of purpose and focus, logical and smooth
sentences, and exact word choice.
3)
Style involves how well one understands
something and how quickly something is understood. It is the coherence and the
efficiency of language and it complements solid substance and clear organization,
the first two elements of communication. The fourth element, correctness, like
style, also refers to correct spelling, punctuation, readability, and
subject-verb agreement.
a) Correct spelling. Spelling errors are committed even by seasoned
writers. It is
important that commonly confused words, such as affect/effect, are checked to
make sure that the correct words are used. Together with incorrectly written
abbreviations and acronyms, and improper capitalization, these errors of style
may drag down the quality of a writing draft.
(Annex __ -
Frequently Misspelled Words)
b) Punctuation. The various punctuation
marks serve to regulate the flow of information through a sentence, showing
readers how to read ideas. Selected punctuation marks are identified and their
use explained as follows:
·
A
comma separates parts of a sentence;
a comma alone does not separate one sentence from another. Commas can be used
to set off an appositive phrase, but a pair of dashes is preferable when
appositive phrases from a list containing commas. (Annex
__ - When
to Use and When Not to Use a Comma)
Example: The contents of my knapsack
– longganisa,
fried sweet potato, coffee,
and ripe mangoes—made me want to rush to the picnic grove.
·
A
dash (--) alerts readers to an
explanation, to something unexpected, or to an interruption. Form a dash by
typing two hyphens, putting no extra space before, between, or after them.
Recent software will transform the two hyphens into one continuous dash. A dash
should be followed by a phrase, not a clause.
Examples:
o
Armed
with a single weapon—a drawn sword—he faced his attackers.
o
The
victim gasped, “Don’t let him get the -–“ and fainted.
o
In
Palawan there are at least two types of
off-city destinations – day-trips and overnight get-aways.
The dash must be used sparingly since overusing this
punctuation mark may produce a staccato effect.
o
An
apostrophe (-‘) indicates ownership
or possession. It can
also signal omitted letters as in who’s or can’t. (Annex __ - When to
Use and When Not to use an Apostrophe)
Examples: Fred’s books (the books belonging to
Fred)
the
government’s plans (the plans of the government)
a year’s pay (the pay for a year).
·
Double quotation marks (“ “)indicate where someone’s exact
words begin and end. (Annex __ -
Quotation Marks: Basic Guidelines)
·
Semicolons and Colons. A colon (:) may look like a
semicolon (;).
A colon is two dots; the semicolon, a dot above a comma.
They are however used in different ways, and they are not interchangeable. (Annex __ - When
to Use and When Not to Use a Semicolon; Annex __ - When to Use and When Not to Use
a Colon)
·
Periods (.) are used at the end of
sentences. They are used to
end a sentence that makes a statement or gives a command.
Periods, not question marks are also used to end a sentence concluding with an
indirect question. Periods are also used
with abbreviations, decimals, and with amounts over a peso. When a sentence
ends with an abbreviation, it is not necessary to add an extra period. While
periods are generally used to signal an abbreviation, a distinct feature of
military writing is the absence of periods after abbreviations.
Examples:
5.4, ₱2.95
● A question
mark (?) at the end of a sentence signals a direct question. Use a period after an indirect question.
Examples:
What is she doing?
I wonder what she is doing.
·
An
exclamation point (!) at the end of
a sentence indicates that
the writer considers the statement amazing, surprising, or
extraordinary. It can be used, together with a question mark and an exclamation
point with a period that signals an abbreviation.
·
Parentheses [( )]are used to mark an aside or
provide additional information.
Example: Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has made world boxing
history (winning eight major international boxing titles).
Parentheses are also used to enclose citations in a
documented paper and to enclose numbers preceding items in a list.
Example: (3) A paper submitted to the AFP CGSC in
early 2000 recommended that the doctrine proposal and doctrine development
steps in doctrine development be strengthened to enhance doctrine formulation (Mendoza
5).
At the end of a sentence, place the period inside the last
parenthesis only when a separate new sentence is enclosed.
Example: Pacman has made boxing the second Philippine
national sports. (In addition, the country is reported as safer during his
fight showings because almost no crimes are reported.)
·
Brackets
o
Square brackets ([
]) are used to enclose the inserted or changed material when inserting
words or commas or making changes to words within a quotation.
Example: According to
Ridley, “the key to both of these features of
life
[the ability to reproduce and to create order] is information.”
Square brackets may also be used to
insert the Latin word sic
(meaning “thus”) into
a quoted passage in which an error occurs. Using sic tells readers that the word or words that it follows were
present in the original source and are not your own.
Example: The AFP Physical Fitness
program aims to encourage servicemen to “exercise to strengthen abominable
[sic] muscles.”
o
Angle brackets (< >) are used to enclose e-mail addresses,
uniform resource locators (URLs) and other Web site addresses.
Example: AFPDDC
Various
other punctuation marks communicate essential information in Web site
addresses. All marks must be included in writing e-mail addresses, and when it
becomes necessary to spread a URL over more than one line, it must be split
after a slash or before a punctuation mark.
The protocol (http://) must not be split.
Example: The American Psychological Association,
whose Web site is at http://www.apa.org, provides examples of documenting Web
sources.
·
Ellipsis dots. Appearing like three
(3) spaced dots (. . .), ellipsis dots are used to indicate omitted material
(ellipsis) from the middle of a quotation. When words are omitted from a
quotation at the end of a sentence, ellipsis dots shall be inserted after the
period (making four spaced dots in all) and enclosed in quotation marks.
A complete sentence omitted from a quoted paragraph shall be
indicated by three (3) ellipsis dots.
Ellipsis dots shall not be used when quoting only a word or
phrase (as it is obvious that material has been omitted).
·
Slash (/). A
slash or solidus is used to separate two or three lines of
poetry quoted within the text. It is also used in
expressions such as and/or and he/she to indicate options. The use of
the solidus or slash punctuation, however, must be avoided in doctrine writing.
c) Summary of Uses of Punctuation Marks. The following table summarizes
the common punctuations marks and the purposes they
serve:
Table 2.2 Summary of
Uses of Punctuation Marks
Purpose
|
Options
|
Overall purpose: To
end a sentence
·
To mark where a sentence ends
·
To indicate the end of a sentence with a close connection to the next
sentence
|
Period, question
mark, or exclamation point (. ? !),
Semicolon (;)
|
Overall purpose: To
separate
·
To separate independent clauses only when a connecting word (and, but, or, nor, so, for, or yet) is used
·
To separate introductory words, a phrase, or a clause from a following
independent clause
·
To separate items (words, phrases, clauses) in a list (x, y,
and z)
·
To separate items in a list
that contains internal commas (x,
x; y, y; and z)
·
To separate certain adjectives
·
To separate a verb from a quoted statement that follows or precedes it
·
To separate lines of poetry written as running text
|
Comma (,)
Comma (,)
Comma (,)
Semicolon (;)
Comma (,)
Comma (,)
Slash (/)
|
Overall purpose: To
insert
·
To insert a word, words, or an “extra information” (nonrestrictive)
phrase or clause into a sentence
·
To give more emphasis to the insert
·
To insert a change within a quotation
·
To insert explanatory information
|
Commas (,,)
Dashes (--)
Square brackets [ ]
Parentheses ( )
|
Overall purpose: To
anticipate an explanation or a list
|
Colon (:)
|
Overall purpose: To
quote
·
To quote exact words or give the title of a story, a poem, or an
article
·
To enclose a quotation within another quotation
|
Double quotation
marks (“ ”)
Single quotation
marks
|
Overall purpose: To
delete from a quotation
|
Ellipsis dots ( . .
.)
|
Overall purpose: To
indicate possession
·
For most words
·
For nouns forming the plural with s
|
Apostrophe + s (‘s)
Apostrophe after the
s (s’)
|
Source: Keys for Writers 5th ed. by
Ann Raimes
c) Readability. Vital references such as AFP doctrine publications must be
readable, must make use of distinctive vocabulary choices (good
diction), be comprehensible and applicable (utile), and enjoyable
(user-friendly, not alienating). Readability may be achieved through the proper
use or references for pronouns, tone, the use of non-discriminatory language, the preferred use
of the active voice as against the passive voice, the avoidance of strong,
emotionally-charged words, and subject-verb agreement.
·
Proper use or references for pronouns. Pronouns are words
that substitute
for
a noun, a noun phrase or another pronoun. In writing, a pronoun refers to its
antecedent (a noun or noun phrase appearing just before it in the text. When
using pronouns, determine the following: What word or words in the sentence
does the pronoun refer to? Does the pronoun refer to a noun or pronoun that is
singular or plural?
Example: My best
friend enjoys her state-of-the-art mobile phone, but she lost it to a
pickpocket last night. (her and she refers to friend, while it refers
to phone)
Table 2.3 Summary
of Forms of Personal Pronouns
Person
|
Subject
|
Object
|
Possessive
(+ Noun)
|
Possessive (Stands Alone)
|
Intensive
and
Reflexive
|
1st person singular
|
I
|
me
|
my
|
mine
|
myself
|
2nd person singular
|
you
|
you
|
your
|
yours
|
yourself/
yourselves
|
3rd person singular
|
he
she
it
|
him
her
it
|
his
her
its
|
his
hers
Its
(rare)
|
himself
herself
itself
|
1st person plural
|
we
|
us
|
our
|
ours
|
ourselves
|
3rd person plural
|
they
|
them
|
their
|
theirs
|
themselves
|
·
Tone. While speakers have voice and
gestures to help them
communicate, writers only have words on paper. Doctrine
writing requires a formal, unbiased, respectful tone that will elicit
appreciation and compliance of rules contained therein, as well as valuable
feedback. Formal writing denotes the use of accepted rules of grammar, among
others. To write politely is to write reasonably, that is with the proper
bases, and persuasively, that is using the most effective words. Writing in a
respectful tone relates to the next topic on politically-correct writing.
·
Use of non-exclusionary language and
images. While writing is often
performed from a perspective that a writer is familiar with, divisive terms may
foster gender bias and stereotyping, and alienate special-interest groups.
Among the areas of concern in the matter of biased language are gender,
ethnicity and race, place, age, politics, religion, health and abilities, and,
sexual orientation. Doctrine writing that considers that men and women make up
the country’s armed forces is gender-sensitive and respectful doctrine writing.
DND Circular Nr 01 (Annex C) also contains suggestions on how to use
gender-fair language. Visual aids must likewise show a range of people – AFP
personnel (both men and women), Christian and Muslim chaplains, etc. – and
avoid portraying stereotyping of jobs, e.g.
women soldiers typing doing clerical work, etc. (Annex __ - Using
Images)
·
Use of the active voice as against the passive
voice. Unnecessary passive voice constructions tend
to create wordy, uninteresting statements.
Whenever possible, use the active voice especially when you mention who
or what is doing the action.
Examples:
o (Passive) The homesick
troops in Mindanao were entertained by several
batches of movie and TV personalities last Christmas.
o (Active) Several batches
of movie and TV personalities entertained the homesick troops last Christmas.
·
Avoidance of strong,
emotionally-charged words. Doctrine publications shall not contain
strong words, such as vivid verbs and other intense, passionate words and should their use be inevitable,
such words shall not be repeated unnecessarily
·
Subject-Verb Agreement. In Standard
English, a third person singular subject
in the present tense takes a singular verb (with –s), and a plural subject takes a plural verb (with no –s). (Annex __
- Subject-Verb Agreement)
4)
Correctness
is the last element of written communication and, as earlier
stated, entails correct
spelling, readability, punctuation, and good subject-verb agreement, topics
which have earlier been discussed. (It is described as the least contributory
factor to meaning and purpose but may drag down the more important elements of
communication.) Correctness includes the correct usage of acronyms,
abbreviations, signs and symbols and capitalization.
·
Usage of Acronyms. Acronyms are formed from the initial
letters or
key components in a word or
phrase. They may consist of individual
letters where each letter is written in upper case or parts of words where the
first letter of each abbreviated word is uppercased. The exceptions are 1)
copyrighted logos or word forms established by law, and 2) word forms that have
become common nouns, e.g. radar (radio detecting and ranging), scuba (self-contained
underwater breathing apparatus). (Annex __ – Usage of Acronyms)
Examples:
CSAFP – Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines
APC – armored personnel carrier
LD – line of departure
LAW – light anti-tank weapon
WestMinCom - Western Mindanao Command
For consistency, military ranks, the designations for morning and
evening, and other comparable shortened word forms shall be treated as acronyms.
Examples:
CPT – captain
SGT –
sergeant
AM – morning
or ante meridian
PM – post
meridian
The plurals for
most acronyms shall be formed by the addition of a lowercase “s”,
Examples: LAWs, NCOs, SOPs
An “s” shall not be added to form the plurals of acronyms whose meanings
are plural.
Examples:
PSYOP (Psychological Operations) play an important role in low- intensity
conflict.
PIR (Priority Intelligence
Requirements) are essential to
planning the
suppression operation.
To avoid using a lowercase “s” in a title that is otherwise entirely
uppercased, plural items in titles shall be written out.
Examples: IDENTIFYING MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES
instead of
IDENTIFYING MOSs.
The traditional rules for forming
singular and plural possessives shall apply to acronyms.
Examples: The duty
roster is on the NCO’s desk. (Singular possessive).
The NCO’s recommendations are excellent.
(Plural possessive).
A
common error in using acronyms is redundancy.
Examples:
Write FS (not FS support); FS stands for Fire Support.
Write PSYOP (not PSYOP operations);
PSYOP stands for
psychological operations.
In
addition, no alternate word form shall have more than one meaning in the same publication.
Example: CP, referring to command
post in one section of a publication, shall not refer to checkpoint in another.
·
Signs and symbols. If readers
are expected to understand technical
symbols, these must be defined in the definition of terms. Symbols, however, may used when referring to
temperature, gravity, angles or coordinates.
Examples: 8°C (Note:
If Celsius is written out, then write out the
word degrees.)
30’
15’20°
·
Abbreviations. It is necessary to spell out abbreviations
the first time
they
appear in each chapter of a doctrine publication. If they appear only
twice or infrequently, spell out the
terms every time and avoid the abbreviation entirely. Clarity must be put before
economy. In the case of various abbreviations introduced by electronics, such as
CD-ROM, RAM, PIN and others, doctrine writers must guard against the use of
abbreviations found in informal on-line communications. (Annex __- Rules on Abbreviations)
·
Capitalization. Capitalized common nouns are observed to
abound in military writing. There are rules
that govern capitalization in sentences (as opposed to titles or headings).
Proper nouns and adjectives shall be capitalized. Common nouns and adjectives shall be written in lowercase. (www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/ 011309Capitalization).
It is commonly
known that the first letter of the first word of a sentence is capitalized even
if it is not a complete sentence. There are rules in capitalization and the
same rules apply to both military and non-military writing except for the use
of periods after abbreviated titles. (Annex __ -
Rules of Capitalization)
Section 2-3 Review and Revision (recommended for deletion)
While the PCD that has been formulated is well-anchored on
official and current references, subjecting the concepts and constructs, and
rules and processes it contains to test, evaluation and validation transforms
the PCD into an authoritative reference. Upon approval and promulgation by the
CSAFP, the tested, evaluated and validated war fighting concepts are
transformed in to doctrines.
Section
2-4 Editing and Proofreading
Editing and
proofreading are both writing processes and are part of the revision
phase. While both demand close and careful
reading, editing and proofreading focus on different aspects of writing and
employ different techniques. (Annex __ -
Computer Tools for Editing)
a. Editing strategies. Editing
strategies are mainly focused on four aspects:
1)
Target readers/users of the publication. In presenting technical information to both technical and
non-technical readers, technical terms (jargon) shall be defined, and diagrams and images utilized to enhance
comprehension;
2)
Sentence
punctuation. Punctuation errors are distracting. Care should be taken so that
periods, semicolons, and commas are correctly used with coordinating
conjunctions;
3)
Sentence
quality. Well-written sentences are not
wordy and the use of clichés is minimized. A
cliché is defined as an expression,
idea, or element of an art work that has been overused to the point of losing its
original meaning or effect; and,
4)
Grammar.
Editing for grammatical correctness may be facilitated by asking a few
questions such as follows:
a)
Are there any errors in subject-verb
agreement?
b)
Are there any errors in pronoun
usage?
c)
Does the writing switch from present tense to past tense?
b. Levels
of editing
Editing
usually focuses on sentences (or even smaller elements of the text) and may
involve extensive rewriting of sentences.
There are five (5) known levels of editing namely: content, overall
structure, structure within paragraphs, clarity, style and citation.
1)
Editing
for content
primarily entails checking whether a draft contains the necessary elements
or information required by the table of contents as contained in the approved
PAd. In addition, all parts of the draft shall be focused and contain only
relevant information.
2)
Good
overall
structure, the internal structure or logical pattern of ideas within a
piece of writing, is essential to the understanding of ideas or the substance, which
a military doctrine or any publication intends to convey. These ideas or
substance is the very purpose of the publication. In addition to the
information required in the introduction and conclusion, good overall structure
or organization in a draft is
manifested by the close relation of each paragraph in the body to the overall
topic. Moreover, paragraphs are arranged in a logical sequence and there are
clear transitions between paragraphs.
3)
Good
structure
within paragraphs requires that each paragraph has a clear topic
sentence and each paragraph sticks to one main idea.
4)
A
draft passes the test for clarity intelligible when all
important terms are clearly defined and the meaning of each sentence is clear.
Sentences and paragraphs may lose
intelligibility as a result of confusion
in word usage or choice of words. (Annex __ – Easily Confused Words)
c. Quoting. This is
done when using the words of a well-known authority or when the words are
particularly striking. Quoting must be done only when the original words
express the exact point the writer desires to make and to express it succinctly
and well. Otherwise, paraphrasing must be done. When quoting, the writer may ask the following questions: Which point of mine does the quotation
illustrate? Why am I considering quoting this particular passage? Why should
this particular passage be quoted rather than paraphrased? What do I need to
tell my readers about the author of the quotation?
d. Citation
1) Doctrine writers must ensure that
quotes, paraphrases, and ideas from various sources, including AFP
publications, are appropriately cited and that citations are written in the
correct format. (Annex __ - APA Citation Style)
2) What to cite: All sources that have
been referred to must be carefully cited and documented. Information about the
author, title, publication data, page numbers, Internet address, dates –
whatever is available – must be provided in order that readers can locate the
sources and read them for further information.
3)
Sources
must also be documented to preclude questions about which words and ideas are
original and which belong to others (authors, interviewed experts, etc.).
4)
The
following are some basic citation rules:
a)
Cite
all facts, statistics, and pieces of information. However, citation is not
necessary for facts regarded as common knowledge, such as dates of the date of Philippine Independence,; facts
available in many sources, such as author’s birth and death dates and
chronological events; or allusions to folktales that have been handed down
through the ages, etc. When in doubt
about whether or not a fact is common knowledge, cite your source;
b)
Cite
exact words from your source, enclosed in quotation marks;
c)
Cite
somebody else’s ideas and opinions, even if you restate them in your own words
in a summary or paraphrase; and,
d)
Cite
each sentence in a long paraphrase (if it is not clear that all the sentences
paraphrase the same original source).
e.
Paraphrasing. Paraphrasing, also termed as
summarizing, is done by
selecting the main points expressed by an author or other
source materials and presenting them briefly and in one’s own words “without
commentary or interpretation”. It is common practice to indicate the author’s
name and the publication year of the cited material within or after the
statement paraphrased from another work. (Annex __
- How to paraphrase)
Examples:
·
Bautista (1992) identified…
·
Several researchers (Zaide, 1990; Ocampo & Diaz, 1985;
Nakpil et al., 1980) reported …
·
Or
at the end of a sentence paraphrased from another work (Valdez, 1992).
f.
Proofreading. Proofreading is the last step that writers perform to ensure
that the document
is presentable and effective? It generally
involves only minor changes in spelling and punctuation and is undertaken only
after the writer has completed all other editing revisions. Proofreading is
undertaken for the following reasons:
1.
Better comprehension of written
documents rely on how
information is presented and laid out;
2.
While content is what really
matters, the way a paper
looks affects the way others judge it; and,
3.
Comprehensive and accurate content and proper form are
requirements of the
AFP doctrine style.
Strategies in proofreading
1)
While writers and proofreaders vary in their manner
of proofreading, most proofreaders start with common problem areas, e.g.
punctuation, sentence completeness, etc., concentrate on typographical or
encoding errors, and read from the end to the beginning to check for both
typographical and spelling errors.
2)
A thorough
proofreading session may comprise of the following activities:
a)
Proofread
one sentence at a time – from end of the paper to the
beginning. Reading
in an out of context manner enables a proofreader to detect common flaws and
errors;
b)
Proofread
one more time;
c)
Read
the paper aloud; hearing errors can lead to better detection than reading; and,
d)
Proofread
slowly - read each word from right to left, then left to right on each page.
g. Preparing the Definition of Terms. To enhance comprehension of the doctrine, as well as
forestall confusion, it is necessary to define the terms that are not commonly
used or that may have several meanings. A list of these terms with their
corresponding definitions shall be provided as part of the publication to be
known as the Definition of Terms. (Annex __ -
Defining terms)
