Keep one shared draft for a group assignment

Choose a location everyone can use

Create the document in an approved shared location and give the required group members appropriate access. Check access from each person's actual account rather than assuming a link works for everyone. Agree who owns the file and what happens if that account becomes unavailable.

Put the working link in one clearly named group message or project page. Stop circulating editable attachments as parallel drafts unless a particular stage requires it. If someone must work offline, agree how their changes will be reintegrated and who will resolve any conflict with edits made in the meantime.

Set editing conventions

Agree whether members edit their own sections directly, suggest changes elsewhere or use comments for substantive questions. Distinguish a wording correction from a change to the argument or method. The latter may need group discussion before implementation. Make comments specific enough that the relevant person knows what decision is needed.

Use headings and consistent section labels so everyone can navigate the draft. Keep a small decisions note for changes affecting the whole project. Avoid relying on a long comment thread to preserve the current plan; once a decision is made, update the relevant instruction or outline.

Test changes and visibility

Make a harmless practice edit and confirm that others can see it. Try a comment, a response and any tracked-change feature the group intends to use. Check how the document displays in the browser and desktop application if members use both. Resolve basic incompatibilities before substantial work begins.

Confirm that everyone understands the difference between hiding markup and accepting or rejecting changes. A clean-looking view may still contain unresolved edits. Use the application's current instructions for review rather than clicking through unfamiliar controls during the final submission period.

Review the complete argument together

Set a stage when the draft is complete enough for a whole-document read. Check repeated points, inconsistent definitions and claims that depend on evidence in another section. Assign review responsibilities across the group so the person assembling the file is not the only reader of the complete work.

Resolve substantive comments with a recorded decision. If members disagree, return to the brief and evidence, or ask the tutor through the permitted channel. Do not silently delete another person's contribution merely to make the document shorter. Explain the reason for changes and keep the group's agreed scope visible.

Prepare a deliberate submission version

Agree when routine editing stops and who creates the final export. Resolve comments and tracked changes as required, then inspect the exported file for missing text, layout shifts and broken references. Name the submission version clearly and keep the authoritative working draft separate.

Confirm that the uploaded file is the version the group approved. Share the submission confirmation through the agreed channel. Retain access to the working record according to the course's practices. The point of one shared draft is that everyone can understand how the submitted work developed and which version represents the group's final decision.

Your next steps

• Test access using every group member's account.
• Agree direct edits, suggestions and comment conventions.
• Resolve whole-document issues before final export.
• Submit the version the group has explicitly reviewed.

Keep planning

• Keep high-demand library books from derailing preparation
• Request a missing article or book before the assignment deadline
• Keep quotations, paraphrases and your own ideas separate
• Translate an assignment brief into writing decisions