An editor manages the deliverables for the entire project team. Every edit to the main document is performed by the editor. The editor CoP is managed by the chief editor, who is usually selected by the PM and who reports directly to the PM.
The editor has several responsibilities: define and manage the document workflow, construct the main document, and prepare the main document for submission.
Workflow
The chief editor, assisted by all the editors, will determine the document workflow. This means they define how contributions from the technical specialists are incorporated into the main document. There are many ways this can be done, all of which are enumerated in W03 Reading.
A few workflow decisions that need to be made:
- How will ICs send edits to the editors?
- What format will IC submissions need to be in?
- What is the role of individual editors in each team?
- Who is allowed to change the current draft of the document?
- Who is allowed to see the current draft of the document?
- How are defects and to-do items annotated in the document?
- Where will the document be stored (such as GitHub or Google Drive)?
- How will backups or version control be conducted?
Document Construction
The chief editor, assisted by all the editors, will determine how the main document will be assembled. A few document contribution decisions that need to be made:
- What editor will be used to author the document (such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word)?
- How the document is formatted (such as styles and headings)?
- What file format will the document be stored in?
Submission
The chief editor, under direction from the PM, will determine how assignments are submitted.
A few document contribution decisions that need to be made:
- Will the chief editor be in charge of submitting the document in I-Learn or will the PM do that?
- What format will the submission be in?
- Who has to give approval before the submission happens?