An editorial workflow for sourced writing
Editorial work often moves between the shape of a story and the detail of a single sentence. A stronger opening may change the order of the evidence. A revised quotation may require another look at the source. Those decisions belong close to the draft.
Citation gives writers and editors a shared place to work on reported features, essays and nonfiction. Keep source records with the article, discuss revisions in context and prepare the copy for the publication’s production process.
| Tools for writers and editors | Citation |
|---|---|
| Shared article and manuscript drafts | Supported |
| Viewing and editing access | Supported |
| Comments attached to selected passages | Supported |
| Source records connected to citations | Supported |
| AI suggestions for clarity and voice | Supported |
| Saved document version previews | Supported |
| Document and reference exports | Supported |
Develop the article from a clear brief
Set out the audience, the angle and the question the article should answer. Use the first draft to test the structure: what the reader needs to understand first, which evidence advances the story and where an example would help.
Save the published sources behind the reporting as you work. Place references where a fact or borrowed idea enters the draft, so attribution remains visible when an editor moves or rewrites the passage.
Review structure, wording and attribution
Give a comment a specific job. Ask whether the opening promises the right story, whether a paragraph needs another source or whether a quotation retains its original context. The writer can respond beside the passage and revise with the question in view.
Use AI suggestions for a deliberate editing task, such as shortening a repetitive explanation. Compare the change with the piece’s voice and meaning. Revisit the original source when an edit changes the strength or scope of a claim.
Hand off the agreed copy
Read the whole article after the detailed edits. Check the relationship between the headline, opening and conclusion, then resolve any remaining questions about attribution. Confirm which version the writer and editor have agreed to send forward.
Export the copy and, where needed, its reference data. The publication’s CMS handles production and distribution. An export is a separate copy, so make later revisions in the working document and prepare a fresh handoff.
Take a reported feature through an editorial review
Begin with a complete draft and the material behind its central claims.
- Save the published sources, connect references and identify quotations or facts that need an editor’s attention.
- Invite the editor to discuss structure and attribution in comments, then revise the article in the same document.
- Agree on the final wording and export the copy for the publication’s production process.
The editorial handoff includes an agreed draft and its reference records, ready for the next production step.
