Structural edit
A review of how the document works as a whole: organization, sequence, gaps, repetition, and the relationship between its purpose and the reader’s experience.
Line edit
Attention to sentence and paragraph craft, including rhythm, clarity, transitions, emphasis, and voice. The scope should say how much rewriting is included.
Copyedit
A detailed review of correctness and consistency, commonly covering grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, terminology, and agreed style conventions.
Proof
A near-final version checked after editing or layout. Proofreading focuses on remaining errors and visible inconsistencies rather than extensive restructuring.
Author query
A question raised when the editor cannot safely determine the intended meaning or correct information. A query asks for a decision rather than guessing.
Style sheet
A record of choices specific to the project, such as terminology, capitalization, spelling, numbers, and exceptions to a general style guide.
Tracked changes
A document feature that shows insertions, deletions, and other revisions so the author can review them before producing a final version.
Clean copy
A version with editorial markup removed or hidden. Hiding changes is not the same as accepting them, so check the file state before publication.
House style
An organization’s preferred editorial conventions. It may supplement a published style guide and should have an owner responsible for updates.
Scope of work
The written agreement about what will be reviewed, how, in which format, and with which deliverables. Service names alone are not a substitute for a defined scope.