Kevin Deissler

EDTECH 551
Module 3
Since 1976, The Levels of Edit has existed to assure the highest levels of
technical writing. While there have been changes, its overall purpose has remained
steady: avoid all errors and mistakes in your writing at all costs. Each level
represents a different angle of editing, whether its a grammar sweep, a check to
assure nothing has been copyrighted, or to make sure that all of the technical
information is correct. Editing a manuscript or a grant can take time to look for all
of these nuances; you need to almost use a fine-tooth comb over several sweeps to
make sure you havent missed any knots, or errors. The final product, however,
should reflect a top-notch piece of writing.
In the sample grant that we ran our combs through, there seemed to be
errors from the start. The entire first paragraph was a run-on sentence. The
paragraph that begins an essay causesthe most trouble, yet carries the most
importance.1 Indeed, this introductory paragraph did not grab my attention at all
and Im immediately lost as to what the actual grant is being written for. The follow
up sentence is a fragment; so right away, the eye-catching proposal has lost its
gusto. If this grant was edited, this should have been the very first thing to have
changed. I believe it only reached a Level 4 edit, where the paper was just screened
for errors, barely making any noticeable changes.

http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html, 2/13/15

There is a good amount of jargon in this grant that is not explained outright.
Depending on who your audience is, they may not realize that NCLB stands for No
Child Left Behind, or that the T in T-STEM refers to Texas. Im still not sure what an
LEA is and it was mentioned on the first page! The author also begins his first three
paragraphs with This application As a reader, Im aware that this is your
application; the author should find a new opening sentence to prevent this
redundancy.
Basic understanding of The Levels of Edit tells me that there may have been
some editing done on this, but it was a sub-par job at best. Im unclear as to what is
happening between pages 17-18 in which the author seems to be listing references.
While this continues later on in the grant, Im sure these references would be better
served as footnotes, or in their own separate citations page. As it is, they clutter and
detract from the authors words. Again, it appears that this grant was just screened
at a Level 4 edit, as opposed to moving further up the level to look at formatting
issues.
The Levels of Edit will allow me to develop a final written grant using a
professional approach. It is good to know that I will be performing a few of the
Levels myself before I put my grant in the hands of others. The goal is for my
application to be readable and relatable while utilizing research-based methods of
education to win over my audience and make them feel that my grant is worthy of
fulfillment. When you submit a grant, youre entering a competition among other
worthy candidates. Its impossible to win if your grant has errors, and, if followed
correctly, these Levels of Edit will help me win this competition.