Using Change Tracking to Collaborate

Because you can turn change tracking on and off, you can use it to collaborate. For example, you’ve written a 10 page article and had your cousin review it. When you got the document back, you worked your way through your cousin’s suggested changes/corrections. However, you have a few new ideas, a few new comments to make, and a few new questions.

Next Round
In yesterday’s instructions, I had you turn off change tracking while you were accepting/rejecting changes. After you have incorporated all of your cousin’s changes, you can send your cousin a document that includes your markup.

1. In the edited document, turn on Track Changes.
2. Add your new ideas, comments, and questions. They will appear in red text as edits.
3. Email the document to your cousin. Remember to leave Track Changes on.
4. When your cousin responds, your cousin’s edits and answers will appear in a different color.
5. When your cousin emails the document back to you, open it and save it. Also, save it as a copy in case you have questions down the line.
6. Turn off Track Changes.
7. Go through the document to see what your cousin’s responses might be, accepting and rejecting as you go along.

Another Option
You don’t have to work with just one document. For example, when your cousin sends you the article with a response you can open it in one session of Word. You can open a second session of Word and display your edited document. Resize your documents so that they display side by side on your screen. You can then see your cousin’s comments and make the actual changes in your Final document or not as you choose.

Resizing Screens
1. Click the minimize button beside the red X in the upper right of your page. This action releases the screen from a full-screen display.
2. Move your cursor over the edge of the screen. For example, point your cursor at the top left corner. A double headed arrow appears.
3. Click to grab the corner and move your mouse to resize the screen.

Running more than one session of software—any software—gives you an extra set of options you don’t have when working in one session. One of those options is being able to run the sessions side by side without have to flip back and forth between documents.