All products and materials engage in a review process. This is an important component of our quality control and assurance process. Reviews may happen with peers, project leaders, partners, and funders.

Reviews are an important component to content writing. This is one strategy we use to build collaboration and share knowledge with each other. Reviews also help to ensure our work meets standards and guidelines. Engaging in the review process can help to hone writing skills and enhance various elements of our writing. Reviews are also often required by our funding partners.

In this section, you will find some specific tools and processes related to reviewing materials and products internally. Some products and grants will have customized review processes to follow, as well. Please also review the Specific Funding Partner Guidance section in the guide.

Read more about quality assurance by exploring resources in the Quality Assurance Toolkit on the Resource Development Portal.

Review Request Form

Consider using the Review Request Form (download link) when preparing materials for internal review. It includes key information about the project that can help with reviewing. The goal is for reviewers to have context for their review and know what feedback is being asked for. If this information is communicated differently as part of the review process, the Review Request Form may not be needed. Partner with the project’s project manager to determine if this form would be helpful.

Content Quality Checks

Content Reviews

Content in our products is reviewed frequently as part of the content development workflow. The frequency and type of review will vary by project. Often, products are reviewed internally and also with external partners.

These reviews ensure the content is accurate, relevant, and meets the deliverable. These reviews also ensure many of the content developement guidelines are met. For example, products follow the Intentional Teaching Framework, reflect universal design practices, have learning objectives that are reflected in the content, are appropriate for the intended audience, and/or align to specific early learning standards.

Content developers can refer to the project charter or work with the project manager to determine content review schedules and processes. These will vary by funder and deliverable.

Content Production Quality Checks

Content developers support quality assurance for our products. The content production quality checks are part of a project’s larger Quality Assurance (QA) Plan.

The Content Production Quality Check  tool  (download link) ensures basic accessibility and writing style guide requirements are met. This tool is an at-a-glance checklist for meeting the guidance we are required to follow from the Content Development and Style Guide. Completing the Content Production Quality Check ensures that the final phases of development and review will be completed as efficiently as possible. This can help the product to be delivered on time.

Content developers should complete specific portions of the Content Production Quality Check  tool at four phases of development. Complete the quality check before sending materials for:

• copy edit,
• translation,
• final design, and
• final delivery.

Though the quality check is completed four times, different criteria is reviewed each time as the product moves through the various phases of production. 

The Content Production Quality Check should be used with any outward public facing materials and products. This is true whether the product is delivered to a funder or delivered by Cultivate Learning staff to community participants directly.

There may be different and additional tasks for online courses and professional development that are being created with instructional design. Be sure to partner closely with instructional design for these types of products. For example, these materials may have a modified approach for the final design review or it may happen with the instructional designers not graphic design team. The criteria in that section aligns with accessibilty requirements and should still be completed – but may be done in partnership with the instructional designer depending on the online platform.

User note: After downloading the Content Production Quality Check, please review row spacing as some criteria may be cut off when downloaded. This document may be  revised and updated to adapt to new requirements, as needed.

Instructional Video: Content Production Quality Check Tool

View this 15-minute Content Production Quality Check Instructional Video to learn about using the Content Production Quality Check tool. This video provides verbal instructions while looking at the tool. This video does not have captions but it does have an Ai generated downloadable transcript.

Copy Edit

Most materials we create in English will be copy edited as part of the production process. This is typically done after materials have all been approved. After copy edit, the content developer applies any necessary edits to the materials. Then, they may move to a final form and function review or translation, depending on the deliverable.

Often, there is some back-and-forth between the copy editor and content developer as this review is happening. Work with the project manager to understand the steps needed for your project within the timeline for the product deliverable.

Completing the Content Production Quality Check before copy edit helps this review happen as efficiently as possible. This ensures the product can move to the delivery phase more quickly.

Copy Editing and Proofreading Translation

Copy editing is typically done for materials before translation. This is helpful to ensure consistency since often, phrases or wording changes as part of the copy edit process. Completing the Content Production Quality Check before translation can help to ensure that materials meet all our standards. This can help language QA to be as efficient as possible which ultimately supports meeting our deliverable on time.

If the materials are simplified after the initial copy edit, a common step for materials being translated to Somali, they do not need to be copy edited again in their simplified version.

When materials are written in Spanish or Somali (not translated), they are typically proofread internally.

When materials are sent to a vendor for translation, it is important to review the translated materials once they are returned for accuracy and relevancy to our audience.

Refer to the Langauge Quality Assurance chapters.

Final Form and Function Review (Design Team)

Most material will have a final form and function review by the graphic design team before final delivery. This review ensures that the materials meet all branding guidelines so our products are aligned and meet specific criteria before delivery. In addition, the graphic designer will review that the template was followed, double check the graphic elements in the product, and ensure all media is functioning properly. Finally, the design team will do one last look at accessibility features to ensure the content developer has met all requirements.

Often, there is some back-and-forth between the graphic designer and content developer as this review is happening. Work with the project manager to understand the steps needed for your project within the timeline for the product deliverable.

Completing the Content Production Quality Check before the final form and function review helps this review happen as efficiently as possible. This ensures the product can move to the delivery phase more quickly.

After the final form and function review, there may be additional edits for the content developer to implement. Depending on how extensive the needed edits are, the materials may need to return to graphic design for an additional form and function review.

As a reminder, the final form and function review may differ between synchronous and asyncronous (online) products. For online courses and professional development, partner with both graphic design and instructional design to ensure all final reviews are completed.

Instructional Design Quality Assurance

Online courses and professional development (PD) undergo extensive quality assurance (QA) with the instructional design team. This QA helps the end user have the best experience possible. QA may include ensuring all features work as intended and that the content aligns to the online platform needs. The instructional designer partners closely with the content developer throughout the production process and may have specific review and QA tasks for the content developer.

As a reminder, all online courses and PD must have alt text for media in the product. Content developers list this alt text as part of the asset tracking tab in the Mulitmedia Tracking Sheet. In addition, there are specific tools the content developer uses in developing online PD. These tools ease the final QA processes. Work with the instructional design team to understand the content developer role for production and QA for online courses and professional development.

The final form and function review may differ between synchronous and asyncronous (online) products. Instructional designers may partner with graphic designers for parts of their QA. Content developers can collaborate, as needed.