Course description

This course is for people who have taken an introductory course in copyediting and know that they want to continue. It takes you on to the next stage from the CIEP’s Copyediting 1: Introduction. Specifically designed to sit between  Copyediting 1: Introduction and Copyediting 3: Progress, Copyediting 2: Headway expands your knowledge and understanding of principles and practice.

At a minimum, before tackling Copyediting 2: Headway you should be able to answer ‘Yes’ to the following questions.

  • Do you understand the basic role of a copyeditor, and what to look out for when copyediting a text?
  • Can you follow a client’s brief?
  • Do you know how to identify the different elements of a document (such as headings and lists)?
  • Do you have a basic working knowledge of Microsoft Word and of how to mark up text on paper using the British Standard symbols for copy preparation and proof correction?

The course guides you through the technicalities of copyediting displayed matter and bibliographies, and introduces you to photographs and figures. The exercises cover a variety of texts, from public information to academic books, and give a lot of scope for practice.

After taking this course you should be confident in your knowledge of how to deal with more complex material that is routinely encountered in copyediting – or should know where to look if something unusual crops up. As a result of your tutor’s marks and comments, you should also know exactly where you need to work hardest to improve.

Copyediting 2: Headway is an assessed course. Two upgrade points are awarded for completing the course, and a further three for passing the final assignment. Achieving a pass indicates that you are ready, should you want to, to move on to the more advanced Copyediting 3: Progress.

Buy this course


To purchase this course, please go to the booking page on the CIEP website.

View the curriculum


  Welcome
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  Before you start
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  Resource centre
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  Unit 1: What a copyeditor does
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  Unit 2: Displayed matter
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  Unit 3: Editorial style
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  Unit 4: References and bibliographies
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  Unit 5: Images: photographs and figures
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  Course completion
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