Do not wash the whole document when only spans are flagged

Charles Li · HumanPen · dont-wash-whole-document

Chat-box washes treat the entire file as text to scrub. The literacy move here is do not wash the whole document when the report only painted some continuous-prose spans.

Distinct from leave-unflagged-prose-alone (protect neighbors), only-flagged-continuous-prose (scope of edit), and pay-by-rewritten-words (billing). Here the point is refuse whole-file wash as the default.

Better order

1. Import the full AI writing report; confirm attempt identity; read the legend once.
2. List the highest-flagged continuous-prose spans; leave tables, captions, and references alone.
3. Rewrite those spans in place inside the DOCX—do not flatten the paper into a paste box.
4. Freeze citations, numbers, formulas, and layout on every edit.
5. Re-export and re-import a fresh report before the next round.

Why whole-document wash hurts evidence

Washing unflagged neighbors changes text the report never questioned and can scramble styles reviewers trust. Targeted rewrite keeps the draft recognizable as the same submission with limited edits.

What this is not

• Not a guarantee the next AI percentage will drop or clear.
• Not permission to chase “undetectable” output or to hide authorship.
• Not a substitute for your course integrity process if one is opened.

Product: humanpen.net. Charles Li · HumanPen.