The writing process begins with the writer choosing an interesting topic and researching it. In this discovery stage, the writer finds as much information as possible, then brainstorms and decides how to put the ideas together in a unique narrative. The writer examines writings that have already been published, then determines how much of this information he will require and which of these reference materials is essential to his writing.
An important part of the research process includes interviewing experts whose ideas will support the writer's argument. The expert's level of authority---popular or scholarly---depends on the topic and how serious or trendy the finished work will be. When including interview material in the writing, the expert might be quoted directly with quotation marks. The writer could also choose to paraphrase the remarks and attribute the comment to the expert accordingly.
This isn't the stage for editing, so the editor is locked out until the words have made it onto the page. The writer is trying to predict what her readers want when choosing reading material. She is writing for a particular audience. But the writer must also argue her point from her own point of view and back it up with evidence obtained through her research and interviews.
It's time to unlock the door and invite the editor in. The editor examines the manuscript and helps the writer resolve any problems. He's looking for opportunities to slash, insert and rephrase. The editor re-organizes the writer's diction, choosing better words and making sentences succinct. The editor adjusts the writer's tone, or mood, and unique style so the piece reads more smoothly. Finally, the editor fine tunes the words and sentences for rhythm, so they develop logically, and for flow, so the reading seems effortless.
Here is where the editor uses a fine tooth comb to weed out typographical errors and errors of omission. He also looks for spelling, grammar and punctuation problems, almost like an artist putting the finishing touches on a painting. A word of warning here: spell-check is fabulous, but it has its pitfalls. It sometimes switches out misspelled words for an incorrect substitute (i.e. there instead of their or they're), thereby changing the writer's meaning.
The list of works cited catalogs the sources and experts used during research. Citing sources credits the writers who previously collected the information so that the current writer can use it to broaden her own understanding and re-apply it. The works cited list appears at the end of paper or book and records the authors, titles and publication information for each source.