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We have a similar situation in our organization for manuals. We bid for the project, so we don't have the luxury of two edits unless the author requests it. Our docs go out to a team for content review. We edit DURING the first review. We rely on the author to incorporate changes correctly according to our group's style sheet and the corporate style guide. The author can question the editor if unsure. In your case, I don't think this would work unless you edited, returned it to the author to make changes, then sent it to the content review, then to the author. However, that would ensure the cleanest copy for content review.
I think you'll have to look at time and money. If you can afford both for a second review, which I would call "editorial approval," then I'd do it. If not, consider editing before content review and allowing the author to get back to you with questions when they incorporate the content comments. Does your group have a style guide? If not, you might publish a weekly email newsletter with "Tips and Tricks" (errors you see that you can turn into a training).
I have one such white-paper in front of me now and I have to pass it on to a
suitable content reviewer. The reviewer will read it, pass it back to me
with comments/suggestions and I then return it to the author. The author
addresses the comments/suggestions and we publish the paper (or not, as the
case may be).
My question then: where in the process would a
grammar/punctuation/omit-useless-words check be most useful? Before I pass
the paper to the reviewer? Or just before the paper goes out the door here?
Or at both stages?
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