Editing examples

Express your messages clearly

If would like to bring out the best in your work, contact Cinden.

She has experience editing a wide range of material for government, the private sector and non-profit organisations.

Cinden will work with you to make sure your information is clear and accurate, and appeals to your intended audience.

Here are just some examples of past work. Note, government department names were correct at the time.

• Annual reports – Writing and editing award-winning annual reports including for the Digital Transformation Agency (2017–18 to 2022–23), National Centre for Indigenous Genomics (2019 and 2020), Australian Skills Quality Agency (2020–21), Questacon (2017 to 2021), Clean Energy Regulator (2014–15 to 2019–20), Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (2014–15 to 2018–19), Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (2009–10 to 2017–18). This includes editing information for ‘one voice’ and consistent style as well as making sure technical or complex content is easy to understand.
• Capability reviews – Editing a series of Australian Public Service agency capability reviews for clear, accessible English, consistent voice, and government style.
• Research reports – Editing a Queensland University of Technology research report, Screen Content in Australian Education: Digital Promise and Pitfalls, Securing Australia’s Future (SAF) reports, 11. Australia’s diaspora advantage: realising the potential for building transnational business networks with Asia and 10. Skills and capabilities for Australian Enterprise innovation, research papers (about media and migration, and comparative research on voluntary return and reintegration) for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, a background paper on security sector reform trends in conflict-affected states for the Australian Civil-Military Centre. Editing was for consistent voice, tone and style, clarity of expression, and accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Essays – Editing Paradigm shift essays for the Australian National University including a series on Perfection and on energy security.
• National Bushfire Recovery Agency report – Substantive editing and some rewriting for the national recovery plan, Journey to recovery, to ensure the tone was engaging for the intended audiences, and to check for clarity and consistency.
• Commemorative publication – Editing, research and writing sections of Twenty years of modern criminal intelligence a publication describing highlights from 40 years of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission in its various forms. This involved reviewing available draft content, conducting additional research as required, recommending an improved structure, and editing/writing to ensure the publication came together in ‘one voice’.
• National Ice Taskforce Final Report – Editing the final report of the National Ice Taskforce to ensure a strong narrative with clear key messages, logical structure, minimal repetition, and consistent style and voice.
• Business development strategy – Editing the ACT’s 2015 business development strategy for consistent voice and style, clear and engaging language and accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Intranet content – Reviewing the the Fair Work Ombudsman’s People/HR intranet content, recommending a more user-friendly structure and editing or rewriting content.
• Website content – Reviewing background information and editing website content for several small businesses and consulting companies.
• Flagship reports – Editing a range of flagship reports such as Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s The Costs of Serious and Organised Crime in Australia, Organised Crime in Australia 2011, the 2009–10 and 2010–11 Illicit Drug Data Report and the National Criminal Target Report in 2011 and 2012. Also reviewing and reworking a draft public submission outlining the ACC’s position on and interest in cybercrime. Also edited a range of other publications for clarity, consistency, and accurate style, grammar and spelling. 
• Local council policies and plans – Editing and rewriting council information including asset management plan, confined spaces policy, hazardous noise corporate practice, and management of open spaces policy for Mosman Council.
• Expression of interest – Reviewing background information, writing sections and editing other sections of a registration of interest bid for a local commercial development alliance.
• Guide – Editing Comcare’s Working for recovery: Suitable employment for return to work following psychological injury guide for clarity, consistency, style, and accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation. Also tidied up formatting to help prepare the document for design.
• Governance framework – Editing a governance framework for the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission to check for clarity, consistency, logical flow, accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation, and to add summary boxes with key points for each chapter.
• National strategy – Editing a report into CrimTrac’s national strategy on identity resolution to ensure the language was active, clear and more meaningful, as well as editing for consistent style and accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Inquiry report – Editing the Northern Territory’s Stella Maris Inquiry Report for appropriate style and tone for a public report, clear expression, logical flow, consistency and accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Strategic framework and guides – Providing advice, editing and writing services for the Australian Federal Police to assist with a strategic framework and guides for international police development work. This included reviewing and advising on improving draft material from a communications perspective, as well as writing, editing and rewriting as required.  
• Public reports – Providing substantive editing for AUSTRAC’s Money laundering in Australia 2011, including rewriting sections as needed for logical flow, consistency, clarity and accessibility to a wide audience. 
• Corporate documents – Editing and rewriting sections of the Department of Communications’ Corporate Plan 2014–17 for clarify, consistency and public presentation. Subsequently engaged to engaged to edit a range of supporting corporate strategies related to organisational change. Also rewriting the 2011–13 corporate plan and writing a short introductory brochure outlining the department’s role and responsibilities, to add creative flair and ensure they were succinct, engaging, easy to read and appealing to the intended audiences.
• Portfolio Budget Statements – Editing and writing major sections of the Department of Communications Portfolio Budget Statement 2014–15.
• Response manual – Editing the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service publication, Protecting Australia’s Border and Australian Maritime Counter-Terrorism Response Manual for clarity, style and accessibility to wide audience. 
• Booklets and reports – Providing substantive and copy edits of a range of documents for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs including Keys to Living Together booklets; Engaging fathers in child and family services: participation, perceptions and good practice; Evaluation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy 2000–2004 Final Report; and the Quality Strategy Toolkit for Disability Employment and Rehabilitation Services. 
• Strategic vision – Providing substantive editing of the draft Strategic Vision for Government use of ICT 2020 for plain, engaging English, reduced repetition, clarity of expression and messaging and consistent style. Also editing the Report of the ICT Professional and Skills Development Taskforce; Responsive Government: A New Service Agenda (the 2006–2010 e-Government strategy) and the Australian Government ICT Investment Framework, for the Australian Government Information Management Office. 
• Style guides – Reviewing, editing, updating and writing style guides for various government agencies including Defence Housing Australia, Department of Communications, Clean Energy Regulator and the Australian Crime Commission. The aim was to produce guides that ensure professional, consistent written material (including writing for the web) and visual communication.
• Online resource kit for community events – Edited the National Australia Day Council community resource kit for accuracy, clarity, consistency, reduced repetition and easy-to-understand language.  
• Australian Public Service Reports – Editing reports for the Australian Public Service Commission including Note for file, the Management Advisory Committee report on record keeping and records management within the Australian Public Service (also drafted a short summary flyer to highlight key points), and the Building better governance report which provides guidelines on governance within the Australian Public Service. 
• Information and marketing materials – Editing annual reports, fact sheets, website and CD-ROM content for PSMA Australia, a leading source of spatial mapping data. 
• Newsletters – Editing content for the Department of Education and Training’s newsletter, editing various editions of On the Wire, the former journal of the National Film and Sound Archive, and editing and writing articles for Artbeat, the former journal of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. 
• Exhibition catalogue – Editing Reveries: Photography & Mortality exhibition essay/catalogue for the National Portrait Gallery. 
• Guide for business – Editing the first edition of Selling to the Australian Government: a guide for business. This involved comprehensive editing including restructuring and rewriting the original guide to make it more logical and client-focused (Department of Finance). 
• Staff resource/guidelines – Editing the Complaint Investigation Guidelines. This included reviewing, restructuring and editing/rewriting to create a more user-friendly online resource for staff (Commonwealth Ombudsman).