Top 10 checks - a starter kit for online copy editors

The Web may be creating a publish-then-filter environment but when you’re looking after your publication or brand’s reputation, traditional pre-publication copy editing checks still stand. And you need to get to the info quickly and get it from a reliable source… or at least find a fast trail to one.

Here’s an off-the-shelf starter kit.

1. For general enquiries, it’s gotta be Google. Blackle.com is a cute ‘energy-saving’ alternative - and it acts like a mirror on your screen for checking you still look damn good.
2. For a subject-specific starter, Wikipedia is hard to beat, despite its detractors. Well-visited pages tend to get more accurate over time (for various reasons), but it’s wise to skip to the external source refs at the bottom of the page to double-check the ever-editable posted info.
3. Bookmark your own set of reputable resources, eg, for the travel sector, your local Foreign Office site and the CIA World Factbook are sterling reference points.
4. Bookmark an e-dictionary – try Dictionary.com, Your Dictionary and Hyperdictionary. Many don’t differentiate between British and American English spellings – though with a global readership this may not be an issue. Merriam-Webster does but it has pop-ups :(
5. For celebrity names, it’s gotta be IMDb at www.imdb.com.
6. Crowdcheck spellings on Google – type in each name variant and see if there’s a big difference in volume of references. Think of it as an ‘Ask the audience’ for when you can’t find the answer yourself.
7. Check trademarks - eg, in the UK, go to Intellectual Property Office at www.ipo.gov.uk.
8. Convert currency at XE.com.
9. Convert measurements/weights at OnlineConversion.com. Or just type your amounts into Google, eg, 10m into cm, 50g into oz, and the answer miraculously appears.
10. Find statistics at UK Statistics Authority and YouGov.

Okay, so this list is a touch UK-centric and possibly more mag/brand-oriented than hardcore news so open to adds. Probably missed some lovely check spots, too. Any others?

[this post originally at http://subsstandards.wordpress.com]