Academic & Scientific Proofreading Flashcards

In APA 7th edition, how should a journal article with three or more authors be cited in-text?

Answer: Use the first author's name followed by 'et al.'

APA 7th edition requires using the first author's surname followed by 'et al.' for works with three or more authors from the first citation.

Which error is present in this sentence: 'The data shows a significant increase in test scores.'?

Answer: Subject-verb disagreement ('data' is plural)

In formal academic writing, 'data' is treated as plural, so the correct form is 'The data show a significant increase.'

In a scientific paper, where should the limitations of a study typically be discussed?

Answer: In the Discussion or Conclusion section

Study limitations are conventionally addressed in the Discussion or Conclusion section, after presenting and interpreting results.

Which is the correct way to express a p-value in APA style when the value is very small?

Answer: p < .001

APA style omits the leading zero before the decimal in statistics that cannot exceed 1.0, so 'p < .001' is correct.

A proofreader notices 'Figure 3' is referenced in the text but the document only contains Figures 1, 2, and 4. What should the proofreader do?

Answer: Flag the discrepancy as a query for the author

A proofreader should query the author about the missing figure rather than making autonomous changes that could misrepresent the intended content.

In scientific writing, what does 'ibid.' indicate in a footnote citation?

Answer: The same work cited in the immediately preceding note

'Ibid.' (Latin for 'in the same place') refers to the same source cited in the immediately preceding footnote.

Which style guide is most commonly used for chemistry and physical sciences journals?

Answer: ACS Style Guide

The ACS (American Chemical Society) Style Guide is the standard for chemistry and many physical sciences publications.