EASA-450 Scientific Communications, Spring 2003

Martha Davis - Chapter 8 Style and Accuracy in the Final Draft

Points for initial attention

• focus on organization and content

• final draft requires attention to format and details

• note especially accuracy in form and style

• proofread to catch grammatical errors and improve clarity and consistency  in wording

Style

• style define the publishers guidelines for appearance of the text

• style includes font type and size, capitalization, punctuation, indentations, spacing, abbreviations, citations, and references

• style includes clarity and consistency in use of words and symbols

• stylistic differences occur between different journals and editors

• most organizational styles are similar from one publication to the next

• efforts have been made to provide consistency, e.g. systems of units

• generally should follow style of publication, journal, or publisher

Headings

• transitional points for reader to identify sections

• follows overall style guide from the publisher

• divided into level1, 2, or 3 depending on hierarchy

• can be boldface, larger point size, or underlined (rarely all 3)

Documentation

• must be accurate and complete

• references normally include author, year, title, and source

• electronic publications should give URL and date accessed

• note 3 systems for citations:

  1. alphabet - number (does not give easy identification, less costly to publisher, not easy to insert new references)

  2. name - year (easy to add/delete references, costs more space, multiple citations can be unsightly)

  3. citation sequence (easy for short papers, not alphabetized, listed in order of appearance, difficult to add/delete, save space)

• be alert to new information on references (e.g. in press --> published, URL changes)

Proofreading

• paper needs several proofreading stages (at least 3)

• read word by word, sentence by sentence, and paragraph by paragraph

• one reading should be out loud

• use standard proofreading symbols to correct text

• find a second person to proofread text

• mistakes and errors can deter a reader from continuing to read

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