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The Track Changes function allows you to electronically keep track of all the changes made to a document, such as deletions and additions. This function allows you to both visualise the changes made by somebody else to your document and to make your changes visible.
In order to track the changes you are about to make to a certain Word document:
- Go to the Tools menu and select Track Changes
- You can also activate this function by using Reviewing from the toolbar
- If you want to change the settings for your revisions (for example, if you want the deleted text to appear in red, etc.) you have to go again to the Tools menu, this time selecting Options
- In the dialog box that opens, select the Track Changes tab and make your changes
- From then on, all changes you make will be highlighted.
- All the changes will appear in boxes on the right side of the text you are editing
If otherwise, you receive a document with tracked changes, you have the option of viewing them and finally accepting or rejecting them.
To review the changes in a document, one by one:
- Use the buttons Next and Previous on the Reviewing toolbar.
- As you check each change click Accept or Reject Change|Delete Comment
- If you wish to accept or reject all changes without reviewing them one by one, go to Tools|Track Changes and choose the option Accept or Reject All Changes or use the appropriate icons on the toolbar to do so
- If you do not want to see your changes marked, deselect Track Changes in the tools menu or simply click on the icon to render it inactive
The Track Changes function enables you also to insert or display comments in the text you are reviewing. These comments can be either printed or hidden:
- Activate the Track Changes like you did in the previous case,
- This time use the New Comment and Reject Change | Delete Comment buttons, according to your wishes
- Insert your new comments in the boxes that appear on the right-hand side
Why is this information important for translators and translation teachers?
The Track changes function is of particular interest to translators and proofreaders. Usually, every translation job is checked at least once for both technical and linguistic features. The proof-reader usually checks the document and suggests changes, which afterwards have to be accepted by the translator or another competent person. There are various tools that allow the visualisation of the changes. Some of them are more specialised, such as the revision function in the translation memory system DéjàVu, and some of them are more common, such as the Reviewing function in Word.