The scale of this study is too small to produce adequate guidelines for
accurate editing, yet following the guidelines given here would eliminate
many inaccuracies. The prime rule of thumb for working editors must be:
when in doubt, don't. As Rosenblum (1979, p. 112) notes, "any alteration
increases the chance for inadvertent error". Severe copy editing can be
compatible with accuracy. Station YA edited heavily but very accurately
(index 0.5 on 0-6 scale). But one PA editor who edited as heavily scored a
quite astonishing 4.2 for inaccuracy, an extreme error per story. Editors who
make few alterations give themselves less chance to produce an inaccurate
version.