What is The 5 C's of Editing?

The 5 C's of editing is a comprehensive framework used by professional editors to evaluate and improve content: (1) Clarity — is the meaning immediately obvious? Remove ambiguity, simplify complex sentences, and ensure the reader never has to re-read a passage; (2) Coherence — does the content flow logically? Check that paragraphs connect, arguments build, and the overall structure makes sense; (3) Consistency — are style, tone, terminology, and formatting uniform throughout? Check for voice drift, inconsistent capitalisation, and style variations; (4) Correctness — are facts accurate, grammar correct, and sources properly cited? Verify claims, check data, and fix technical errors; (5) Conciseness — is every word necessary? Cut filler, reduce redundancy, and tighten prose without losing meaning. These five dimensions form the basis of professional editorial review and map directly to AI content review criteria.