8.4 Forward Slash (Virgule, Solidus).

The forward slash is used to represent per, and, or or and to divide material (eg, numerator and denominator in fractions; month, day, and year in dates [only in tables and figures]; lines of poetry). It may also be used in URLs (see , Manuscript Preparation).When 2 terms are of equal weight in an expression and and is implied between them to express this equivalence, the forward slash can be retained.The diagnosis and initial treatment/diagnostic planning were recorded. If the approval process raises concerns among the researchers or the ethics committee/IRB members, the author may want to explain the resolution ...Less

Use the forward slash in dates only in tables and figures to save space (month/day/year) (see , Visual Presentation of Data, Tables, Punctuation). Avoid this presentation of dates in the text. ...

In equations that are set on line and run into the text rather than centered and set off (see , Mathematical Composition, Stacked vs Unstacked), use the forward slash to separate numerator and denominator.The “stacked” fraction y=r1+r2p1−p2 is written as y = (r1 + r2)/(p1 − p2).Note that when the slash is used for this purpose, parentheses and brackets must often be added to avoid ambiguity. ...Less

The forward slash is also used to set off phonemes and phonetic transcription and to divide run-in lines of poetry./d/ as in dog …cold-breathed earth/earth of the slumbering and liquid trees/earth of the mountains misty-topped. ...Less

Although a forward slash may be used to express a ratio (eg, the male/female [M/F] ratio was 2/1), JAMA and the Archives Journals recommend use of a colon to express ratios involving numbers or abbreviations (the Apo B:Apo A-I ratio was 2:1) and the word to to express ratios involving words (the male to female ratio). (See , Colon, Numbers.) ...Less

When 2 terms are of equal weight in an expression and and is implied between them to express this equivalence, the forward slash can be retained.The diagnosis and initial treatment/diagnostic planning were recorded. If the approval process raises concerns among the researchers or the ethics committee/IRB members, the author may want to explain the resolution of these issues.When the question of duality arises in the he/she construction, change the slash construction when the gender is to be specified; substitute the word or for the forward slash or, preferably, rephrase to be gender neutral.Dr Kate Wolf and Dr Rob Cox agreed ...Less

In the “per” construction, use a forward slash only when (1) the construction involves units of measure (including time) and (2) at least 1 element includes a specific numerical quantity and (3) the element immediately adjacent on each side is either a specific numerical quantity or a unit of measure. In such cases, the units of measure should be abbreviated in accordance with , Abbreviations, Units of Measure. (See also , Numbers and Percentages, Forms of Numbers, Reporting Proportions and Percentages.)The hemoglobin level was 14 g/dL. The CD4+ cell count was 200/μL. Blood volume was 80 mL/kg of body weight. ...Less