Apologetic Quotation Marks.
Cheryl Iverson
in AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.)
Quotation marks are sometimes used around words for special effect or to indicate irony. In most instances, however, they are unnecessary and should be avoided in scientific writing. Avoid: Funding for “big data” projects is increasing. Previous | Next A word or phrase following ...Avoidance of Ellipses in Tables.
Cheryl Iverson
in AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.)
In tables, to avoid ambiguity, ellipses should not be used to indicate that no data were available or that a specific category of data is not applicable. Indicators such as NA (not available) or NR (not reported) should be used instead. Blank cells in a table also should be avoided unless the column heading does not apply to the entry or unless the entire section of the table does not contain data (...Block Quotations.
Cheryl Iverson
in AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.)
Editorial judgment must be exercised to determine whether material quoted from texts or speeches is long enough to warrant setting it off in a block, ie, indented and without the quotation marks. Different modes of display (eg, print, online, optimized for mobile) should be considered when thinking about length. Paragraph indents are generally not used unless the quoted material is known to begin a paragraph. Space is often added both above and below quoted material that is indented. Block quotations are often preceded by a colon....Brackets.
Cheryl Iverson
in AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.)
Brackets are used to indicate editorial interpolation within a quotation and to enclose corrections, explanations, or comments in material that is quoted (see 8.6.1, Quotations; 8.8.6, Ellipses, Change in Capitalization; and 8.8.7, Ellipses, Omission of Ellipses). “The following year [1947] was a turning point.”...Change in Capitalization.
Cheryl Iverson
in AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.)
The first word after the end punctuation mark and the ellipses should use the original capitalization, particularly in legal and scholarly documents. This facilitates finding the material in the original source and avoids any change of meaning. If a change in the original capitalization is made, brackets should be used around the letter in question (...Coined Words, Slang, or Unfamiliar Terms.
Cheryl Iverson
in AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.)
Coined words, slang, unfamiliar terms, nicknames, and words or phrases used ironically or facetiously may be enclosed in quotation marks at first mention. Thereafter, omit quotation marks (see 21.9, Editing, Proofreading, Tagging, and Display). Diagnoses based on traditional Chinese medicine, such as “yin deficiency,” may not jeopardize patients who have received a medical diagnosis before entering the study....Colon.
Cheryl Iverson
in AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.)
The colon is the strongest of the 3 marks used to indicate a decided pause or break in thought. It separates 2 main clauses in which the second clause amplifies or explains the first. This dictum is often believed to be in the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm....
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Comma, Semicolon, Colon.
Cheryl Iverson
in AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.)
Commas, semicolons, and colons can be used to indicate a break or pause in thought, to set off material, or to introduce a new but connected thought. Each of these punctuation marks has specific uses, and the strength of the break in thought determines which mark is appropriate....
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