Fact Sheet: Track Changes

By JPUncategorized

Guide to Track Changes and Comments

This guide will introduce you to the track changes and commenting features in three major word processing platforms: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Apple Pages.

While they serve the same fundamental purpose, each platform has its own terminology and methods for enabling and using these tools:

  • Microsoft Word: This program calls its revision tool Track Changes, which allows users to suggest edits that can be accepted or rejected. Comments can also be inserted to provide feedback without altering the text.
  • Google Docs: Google Docs offers an Editing, Suggesting, and Viewing mode, with Suggesting mode functioning similarly to Track Changes. Users can also insert Comments to leave notes or ask questions.
  • Apple Pages: In Pages, the equivalent function is called Change Tracking, which highlights edits for review. Users can also add Comments to provide additional feedback.

In the following sections, we will walk through how to enable, use, and customize these features on each platform to enhance your writing and collaboration experience.

How to Use Comments & Track Changes in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word offers robust features for collaborative editing and reviewing documents.

Two such features are Track Changes and Comments. When used effectively, these features can simplify the revision process and facilitate communication between collaborators.

1. Turning on Track Changes:

  1. Open your Word document.
  2. Go to the Review tab on the ribbon.
  3. Click on the Track Changes button to activate it.

Note: Once activated, any changes made to the document (like adding, deleting, or modifying text) will be highlighted.

2. Making Changes:

With Track Changes on:

  • Deleted text: Will be displayed with a strikethrough.
  • Added text: Will be underlined and in a different color.

Example: Original: “The quick brown fox.” With changes: “The quick brown red fox jumps.”

3. Inserting Comments:

  1. Highlight the text or place the cursor where you’d like to add a comment.
  2. Go to the Review tab.
  3. Click on New Comment.
  4. Type your comment in the bubble that appears to the right of the text.

Note: Each reviewer will have a different color associated with their comments and changes.

4. Accepting or Rejecting Changes:

  1. Navigate to the Review tab.
  2. You will see Accept and Reject buttons.

  • To accept a change: Click on the change and then click the Accept button. This will incorporate the change into the document and move to the next suggestion.

    Example: “The quick brown red fox.” becomes “The quick red fox.”

  • To reject a change: Click on the change and then click the Reject button. This will remove the proposed change and retain the original text.

    Example: “The quick brown red fox.” reverts back to “The quick brown fox.”

  1. If you want to accept or reject all changes at once:

    • Click on the dropdown arrow beneath either the Accept or Reject button.
    • Choose Accept All Changes or Reject All Changes.

5. Replying to or Deleting Comments:

  1. Hover over a comment.
  2. Click the Reply button to respond to the comment.
  3. Click the Delete button (often represented by an “X” or a trash can icon) to remove the comment.

6. Finalizing the Document:

Once all revisions and comments have been addressed:

  1. Go to the Review tab.
  2. Click on Track Changes to turn it off.
  3. Click on Next to navigate through remaining changes/comments, or use the Accept and Reject buttons as needed.
  4. To remove all the markup from your finalized document, go to the Display for Review dropdown (usually found in the tracking pane) and select No Markup.

How to Use Suggesting Mode in Google Docs

Google Docs provides a user-friendly way to collaborate on documents with its Suggesting Mode and Comments features.

These tools allow users to propose changes and provide feedback without permanently altering the original text until the changes are reviewed and accepted.

1. Enabling Suggesting Mode:

To track changes in Google Docs:

  1. Open your Google Docs document.
  2. Click on the Editing button in the top-right corner (next to the Share button).
  3. Select Suggesting from the dropdown menu.

Note: Once enabled, any changes made to the document will appear as suggestions rather than direct edits.

2. Making Suggested Edits:

With Suggesting Mode on:

  • Deleted text: Will appear with a strikethrough.
  • Added text: Will appear in a different color and be underlined.

Example:
Original: The quick brown fox.
With suggested changes: The quick brown red fox jumps.

3. Inserting Comments:

To add feedback without making direct changes:

  1. Highlight the text or place the cursor where you want to leave a comment.
  2. Click the comment icon (speech bubble with a plus sign) in the toolbar, or right-click and select Comment.
  3. Type your comment in the box that appears.
  4. Click Comment to post it.

Note: Collaborators can reply to comments to create discussion threads.

4. Accepting or Rejecting Suggested Edits:

To review and finalize changes:

  1. Click on a suggested edit in the document.
  2. Use the checkmark (✓) to accept the suggestion (which applies the change permanently).
  3. Use the X to reject the suggestion (which removes the proposed edit).

Example:
Suggested edit: The quick brown red fox jumps.

  • Clicking ✓: The quick red fox jumps.
  • Clicking X: The quick brown fox.

To accept or reject all changes at once:

  1. Click on Tools in the top menu.
  2. Select Review suggested edits to see all changes in a list format.
  3. Click Accept all or Reject all as needed.

5. Replying to or Resolving Comments:

To engage in discussions or finalize feedback:

  1. Hover over a comment.
  2. Click Reply to respond.
  3. Click Resolve (checkmark) to mark the comment as addressed and remove it from view.

6. Finalizing the Document:

Once all suggestions and comments have been reviewed:

  1. Accept or reject remaining suggested edits.
  2. Ensure all comments have been resolved.
  3. Switch back to Editing Mode (by clicking the same mode button in the top-right corner and selecting Editing).

By following these steps, you can effectively collaborate using Google Docs’ Suggesting Mode and Comments, ensuring a smooth revision process.

How to Use Change Tracking in Mac Pages

Apple Pages includes Change Tracking and Comments features to facilitate collaborative editing and feedback.

These tools allow users to propose modifications without permanently altering the original text until changes are reviewed and approved.

1. Enabling Change Tracking:

To track changes in Mac Pages:

  1. Open your Pages document.
  2. Click Edit in the menu bar.
  3. Select Track Changes (or press Command + Shift + K).

Note: Once activated, any edits made to the document will be highlighted for review.

2. Making Suggested Edits:

With Change Tracking on:

  • Deleted text: Will appear with a strikethrough.
  • Added text: Will be underlined and in a different color.

Example:
Original: The quick brown fox.
With suggested changes: The quick brown red fox jumps.

3. Inserting Comments:

To add feedback without directly modifying the text:

  1. Highlight the text or place the cursor where you want to leave a comment.
  2. Click Insert in the menu bar and select Comment, or right-click and choose Add Comment.
  3. Type your comment in the yellow sticky note-style box that appears.
  4. Press Return to save the comment.

Note: Collaborators can reply to comments for discussion.

4. Accepting or Rejecting Suggested Edits:

To review and finalize changes:

  1. Click on a tracked change in the document.
  2. Use the checkmark to accept the change (which applies the edit permanently).
  3. Use the X to reject the change (which removes the proposed edit).

Example:
Suggested edit: The quick brown red fox jumps.

  • Clicking ✓: The quick red fox jumps.
  • Clicking X: The quick brown fox.

To review all changes at once:

  1. Click View in the menu bar.
  2. Select Show Comments & Changes Pane to see a list of all proposed edits.
  3. Use the Accept All or Reject All options as needed.

5. Replying to or Deleting Comments:

To interact with or remove comments:

  1. Hover over the comment.
  2. Click Reply to respond.
  3. Click the Delete (X) button to remove the comment.

6. Finalizing the Document:

Once all suggested edits and comments have been addressed:

  1. Accept or reject any remaining tracked changes.
  2. Ensure all comments are resolved or deleted.
  3. Turn off Track Changes by going to Edit > Track Changes again.

By following these steps, you can efficiently use Mac Pages’ Change Tracking and Comments to collaborate on documents while maintaining control over revisions.