ATT3_TechEditChecklist.doc

Technical Editor’s Checklist

Title, Author Affiliation, Abstract, Other

· The manuscript’s title is appropriate in length and wording.

· The manuscript includes title, affiliation, and duty location (city and State) of all authors.

· The abstract is concise (about 200 words); it adequately reports results and contains five to seven keywords.

· Copyright and trademarks are included, where appropriate, and releases obtained.

· All necessary information is included in the acknowledgements section for grant, cost-share, and cooperative agreements (samples available on request).

· A note goes to the file identifying any necessary disclaimers, such as for pesticides or brand names, and any internal references, such a page numbers, that will need to be changed during layout.

General

· Peer, biometrics, and potential-audience reviews are adequate.

· Text is free of unanswered questions.

· Paragraph numbering (1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.3.1) is replaced by a more user-friendly navigation.

· Results and conclusions follow from hypotheses/methods; assertions not supported by data are followed by literature citations.

· Throughout the manuscript, the level of detail is consistent, length of sections is balanced, and headings and other organizational elements are consistent and marked appropriately to show ascendancy.

· Superfluous material is eliminated or put into an appendix.

· Language flows logically and is clear, understandable, and appropriate for the audience.

· Text is free of sexist language, identifiable spelling errors, and errors in grammar, punctuation, and syntax.

· Sentence lengths average 30 words or less; when practical, active voice replaces passive.

· Items in a bulleted or numbered list are parallel and consistent.

· Scientific names follow common names of species; the use or nonuse of authorities is consistent throughout.

· Explanations of acronyms/abbreviations appear after first mention, listed in long manuscripts.

· English and metric units are correct and consistent within the manuscript (familiar to the intended audience).

· Author names and dates in text agree with Literature Cited section.

· Mathematical calculations are free of errors.

· All terms in math equations are adequately defined.

References

· All citations in text are listed in Literature Cited and all citations have text references; when alphas are used to indicate same author(s)/year, the order of citations and text references is correct.

· Author names and dates in text agree with Literature Cited section.

· All Web references are “live.”

· All required information is included for personal communications, personal correspondences, and unpublished references (Authors Guide).

Tables, Figures, and Photos

· Information in text agrees with tables and figures.

· Figures and tables are accurate, uncluttered, and clearly needed to support hypotheses and conclusions; each tells a logical and understandable “story.”

· Tables and figures are sequentially referenced and independent of text.

· Table titles and figure captions accurately reflect the content of the tables and figures.

· Abbreviations in tables and figures are written out in titles or footnotes.

· Tables have logical row and column orientations and understandable labels; all cells contain information, with N/A and em dash explained in a note below the table; zero never means “no data.”

· Every photo has a caption and a photo credit. Photos are not figures unless the author has enhanced them with symbols, numbers, or letters.

Finally

· File name contains author name and reflects status of editing: McNabbTechEdit for initial edit, McNabbStyling for final.

· A signed hard copy of this Checklist has been placed in manuscript file.

Attachment 3