Macro of the Month – Special Edition – 2024 Global Editing Macros Survey Results
Top 10 macros for editing and other survey results
A big welcome to all the new subscribers who attended Paul Beverley’s and my ACES VCON session in September, where we revealed the top 10 most popular macros among editors around the world. In this special newsletter post, you will find that list plus additional information about the survey we didn’t have time to share, including a list of other editing software editors use.
About the Survey
Paul Beverley and I conducted a survey of editors around the world in spring 2024. A big thanks to all those who participated! We wanted to learn (1) how editors around the world use macros, (2) what challenges they face when learning to use macros, and (3) which macros are the most popular. We know that learning to use macros can be challenging, and we plan to use the information gathered in the survey to help us create better training resources.
Overview of Key Results
229 editors from 18 countries around the world participated in the survey.
Respondents were mainly from majority-English-speaking countries, but also from Spain, Greece, Taiwan, Romania, Bahrain, and others.
57% currently use macros in their editing work. Of those macro users:
65% regularly use 10 or fewer
11% regularly use 21 or more
90% use preprogrammed macros as their main source
A few respondents reported that they record their own macros, program their own macros in VBA, or use AI to help them program macros.
73% of those who don’t currently use macros cited a lack of time or confidence as the reason preventing them from using macros.
Of those who have tried to learn macros but were unsuccessful, 54% said that they were overwhelmed by the information and 48% said that they were unsure how to incorporate macros into their workflow.
Top 10 Most Popular Macros
Respondents were asked to list their favorite macros. Click on the macro name to link to the newsletter post that explains how to use that macro.
1. CaseThisWord: changes the capitalization of a word
2. DocAlyse: lists spelling and punctuation conventions in the document
3. GoogleFetch: speeds up a Google search
(tie) [Dictionary]Fetch: speeds up searching an online dictionary
5. ProperNounAlyse: lists potential inconsistencies among proper nouns
6. FRedit*: applies standard global conventions (e.g., punctuation, spelling, spacing)
7. HyphenAlyse: lists potential hyphenation inconsistencies
8. CitationAlyse: lists potential inconsistencies between in-text citations and
references
9. NumberToTextUK / NumberToTextUS: converts a number to text
(tie) HighlightPlus: adds and removes highlighting in different colors
* Download the FRedit from Square One self-study guide here.
Honorable Mention
CopyToListAlphabetic: copies words to the word list section of your style sheet, placing them in alphabetical order
How Many Macros Do Editors Use?
Curious how many macros you need to use to be effective? According to what your peers say, not that many.
What Other Tools Do Editors Use?
We also asked what other software tools editors use.
We'd love to hear about your favorite macros! Click the comment button below. And if you have ideas for future training guides or webinar topics, don't hesitate to reach out. You can email me at jennifer@wordcollaborative.com or Paul Beverley at paul@wordmacrotools.com. Your input helps us create resources that best serve the editing community.
Happy macroing,
Jennifer
ps: Don’t forget to back up your macros.