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Questions From Users of the Manual
Q: I am putting together an annotated bibliography for a manuscript. What is the correct order recommended by the AMA Manual of Style for citing multiple articles by the same author? Is it by date of...
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Quiz Bowl: Ophthalmology Terms
Do you know the difference between disk and disc? What about vision and visual acuity? Or conjunctival hyperemia and conjunctival injection? That’s right, this month we’re talking about ophthalmology!...
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Questions From Users of the Manual
Q: If the author of a manuscript has died, where in the byline do you place the death dagger? Should it follow the name or should it follow the degrees held by the author? A: It would follow the...
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Steal This Article
Today we shine a light on a fascinating blog on plagiarism and scientific misconduct, Copy, Shake, and Paste (dig that serial comma!), written by Debora Weber-Wulff. Do any of you work with...
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Ex Libris: Between You & Me
In the tradition of Eats, Shoots & Leaves and Woe Is I comes Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris. Norris is a veteran of The New Yorker copy department, having worked...
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Questions From Users of the Manual
Q: I would like to know how to reference a Kindle book. A: This question was addressed on this very blog on May 7, 2012. We love questions, though, so feel free to send them in as well as using the...
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Questions From Users of the Manual
Q: What guidance can you offer as to the inclusion of white space in a publication? My company prefers that level 1 headings begin on a new page, but if the text beneath the heading is only a single...
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Quiz Yourself
Correct the grammar error in the following sentence: We performed a quantitative overview of randomized trials which tested β-blockers in myocardial infarction, heart failure, and hypertension....
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Quiz Yourself
Edit the following sentence to eliminate jargon: A 78-year-old woman with a congenital heart and a history of high blood pressure and heart attack was admitted to the hospital and prepped for surgery....
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Why Not Say It Clearly: The JAMA Network Editors on Correct Usage
The second edition of Why Not Say It Clearly? A Guide to Expository Writing by Lester S. King, MD, was published in 1991 (first edition in 1978). Dr King was a charmingly irascible but fascinating and...
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The Percolating Proofreader
Editor’s Note: Here begins an occasional series by one of The JAMA Network’s favorite overcaffeinated proofreaders, David Antos. He has a deep affection for parts of speech, punctuation, and widows and...
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Quiz Yourself
Edit the following sentence for correct usage of anatomy terms: The investigators examined catheter-induced lesions of the right heart. Highlight for the answer: The investigators examined...
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Questions From Users of the Manual
Q: Is it correct to leave “post” as a separate word in the following sentence? “These activities must take place from prelaunch to post launch.” A: In section 8.3.1 (“When Not to Use Hyphens”), you’ll...
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The Percolating Proofreader
(Editor’s Note: We are a little late posting this update from the bold, fresh-roasted David—but it’s still January and still legit to think about the new year. And it’s always legit to think about...
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Quiz Yourself
Do you know the difference between the terms multivariable and multivariate? One term refers to multiple predictors (independent variables) for a single outcome (dependent variable), and the other term...
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Questions From Users of the Manual
Q: A colleague is adamant about citing page numbers even if the reference is used more than once in a paragraph. Is this necessary? A: There is a little advice on citing page numbers in the manual,...
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The Percolating Proofreader
(Editor’s Note: This month our favorite proofreader takes a bus journey and speedily ruminates on the Self, commas, exclamations, and the astonishing loveliness of ambiguity in a world [a style-manual...
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Quiz Yourself
Which of the following sentences is correctly punctuated? We conducted a randomized placebo-controlled trial. OR We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. ANSWER: We conducted a randomized...
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Point of View: A Conversation With Cheryl Iverson
(Editor’s Note: Point of View is an occasional series that features an interview with someone in the world of publishing. You are already familiar with Cheryl Iverson from her thoughtful and...
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Putting P Values in Their Place
Although I am not a statistician, I find something very appealing about mathematics and statistics and am pleased when I find a source to help me understand some of the concepts involved. One of these...
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