Flash

1
Flash
Course

• Edit, Communicate, Organize

2
Plan for Today

• Edit
• Improve the quality of early drafts,
  self-editing, and peer editing.
• Communicate
• For clarity and efficiency.
• Organize
• Find, use, share, and publish documents easier.

3
(Edit)ing Adjust Your BRAIN

• THINK EDIT
• Different mindset than writing.
• Critique, analyze, question.
• Details, words, sentences, paragraphs.
• Must look at overall organization and flow, but
  also must look at every word.

4
(Edit) Who? Me?

• First editor - the author.
• Thinking as a WRITER free your mind, focus on
  ideas, thoughts, descriptions and arguments, and
  letting all that flow onto the page. Think about
  the reader (PN/PB).
• Thinking as an EDITOR critique, analyze,
  detailed-oriented, organize, reorganize, focus
  the arguments, examine the details, cut
  unnecessary parts, identify where more/better
  information is needed, while always thinking
  about the reader.

5
(Edit) First, the Author

• General Overview
• Check flow, organization, logic/arguments.
• Did you answer the question?
• Does your EVIDENCE prove your ARGUMENT?
• Detailed Critique
• Check word by word, sentence by sentence.
• Consistency of style/structure.
• Spelling, grammar, word choice, accuracy.
• Spell-check.

6
(Edit) How to Edit Better

• Go slow. Take your time.
• Wait an hour or a day, then edit again.
• Move down each page with a sheet or ruler.
• Go backwards looking for spelling mistakes.
• Constantly think about the reader.
• CARE, and BELIEVE that you can write a better
  paper. Realize that the paper has your name on
  it, and it ultimately reflects the most on you.

7
(Edit) Next - Peer Review

• A second pair of eyes always catches mistakes,
  and sees things in a new light.
• Introducing - the Peer Review Guide .

8
(Edit) Who, when?

• The paper, from first draft until final
  (publishable) draft, is ultimately the
  responsibility of the AUTHOR.
• ONLY WHEN the AUTHOR thinks the paper is a FINAL
  DRAFT (publishable), should it be given to the
  division chief.
• ONLY WHEN the DIVISION CHIEF thinks the paper is
  a FINAL DRAFT, should the paper be given to
  Haitham, Atieh, Tomaso, Munir, or Paola, et
  cetera.

9
(Edit) Who, when?

• NOTE It is important that papers/drafts are
  improved first by the AUTHOR before being sent to
  the Division Chief or others for full reviewing,
  but this does NOT discourage discussing the paper
  or ideas at any point, before or during the
  writing process. Authors are ALWAYS welcome to
  discuss ideas, ask questions, or ask for certain
  words or sections of the paper to be reviewed, et
  cetera.

10
(Comm)unicate

• EMAIL
• TYPING

11
(Comm) Email

• Subject ALWAYS. Make sure it is clear.
• Summarize As appropriate.
• Be a gatekeeper. If something is unclear, but
  you think it is important enough to send to other
  people, add/subtract/summarize/change the
  information to clarify the message (just make
  sure it is clear where the message came from, and
  that you changed it).
• If forwarding a message, send only what is
  important, and get rid of what isnt important.

12
(Comm) Email (2)

• Judgment Please use it.
• Think twice before sending any unnecessary,
  confusing, or non-work-related messages (except
  if it is really REALLY funny).
• Creates a written record.
• So you can look back at the email if you forget,
  or something is unclear.
• Bottom line USE IT!
• Email can be far better, clearer, more complete
  than talking over the phone, or even in-person.
  All forms of communication have their place, but
  email is valuable. Make use of it.

13
(Comm) Email How-To

• Be Complete If you refer to another document in
  your message, explain how to find it on the
  Internet (link) on the shared folders or
  attached in the message.
• Be Clear and Concise Say what you want, and
  include a timeline, requests, or other
  important/relevant info.

14
(Comm) Typing

• 10 Fingers, No Looking at the Keyboard
• Faster
• Better
• Easier
• Healthier
• Frees your mind Think about what you are
  writing, not about the process of writing.

15
(Comm) Typing Challenge

• GOAL That EVERYONE (including Tomaso!) learns to
  type within the next three months, English AND/or
  Arabic.
• For people who do NOT know how to type at all
  take the Three-Month Challenge!
• I will provide resources, all you need to provide
  is (1) interest, (2) determination, (3) 30
  minutes a day for first week, then 10 minutes a
  day after that.

16
(Org)anize File Naming

• File naming system?
• A systematic way to name computer files.
• Why?
• To organize your files better.
• To find files easier.
• To get more use/information from file names.
• To share files easier.

17
(Org) Hierarchical Sorting

• Pics, label them 1-15. Example SCmtg.jpg
• 1-SCmtg.jpg, 2-SCmtg.jpg, 15-SCmtg.jpg
• SCmtg-1.jpg, SCmtg-2.jpg, SCmtg-15.jpg
• SCmtg-01.jpg, SCmtg-02.jpg, SCmtg-15.jpg
• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Have general/identifying/category info first.
• Have progressively more specific information.
• Remember how computers sort information.
• Same for both files and folders.

18
(Org) Apply to NAPC

• FILE NAMING RECOMMENDATION
• PB01-RDD-SustainAgri-SS-En.doc (final pub)
• For Drafts PB-RDD-SustainAgri-SS-En-draftZ3.doc

• CB (Commodity Brief)
• PB (Policy Brief)
• PN (Policy Note)
• WP (Working Paper)
• Report/Study Name/Year (FSS, CAS, SAT, etc.)
• PROC (Proceeding)

• SAD (SAD Documents)
• NWSLTR (Newsletter)
• TRAIN (Training Docs)
• WEB (Inter/Intranet docs)
• NAPC (General Org Docs)

19
File Naming Complications

• Length limitation
• Character Limitation A-Z, a-z, 0-9, - (dash),
  and _ (underscore).
• Sharing between people.
• Different systems/reqts/compatibilities.
• Capitalization, spaces, extensions.
• Web-safe filename cannot have two periods, and
  CANNOT HAVE ANY SPACES.

20
Questions?

• Next Steps?