As a language editor who works primarily with scientists, I commonly encounter problems with symbols in documents. Some authors use placeholders or similar, but incorrect, symbols in their scientific articles. Luckily, this problem is typically easy to fix.
Why does it matter?
A similar, but incorrect, symbol can sometimes convey the intended meaning, but scientists should strive to be as precise as possible in their writing.
Example: We incubated the cells at 370C for 4 hours.
A reader is likely to interpret ’370C’ as ’37°C’. In this case, the reader would probably understand the correct, intended meaning.
However, in the worst-case scenario, an incorrect symbol will cause confusion or mislead the reader. Documents may undergo reformatting during the publication process. Imagine if the original example was subjected to formatting changes without careful editing.
Example: We incubated the cells at 370C for 4 hours.
The reader may still guess the correct meaning based on the context. However, you do not want the reader to guess about your article. You want to provide clear, accurate information for the audience to understand your question, experimental procedure, results, and conclusions.
Incorrect symbols can also be distracting for editors and reviewers. They draw attention to the preparation of the article, rather than the results of the study. When you submit an abstract or article, you want the editor or reviewer to consider the scientific merit of your research. If your writing contains errors, including incorrect symbols, you may receive more feedback regarding your writing than your science.
Examples of commonly misused symbols
- Superscript number 0 or letter O for the degree symbol °
- Lowercase letter x for the multiplication symbol ×
- Tilde symbol ~ for the en dash –, to indicate a range
- An apostrophe ‘ for the prime symbol ′
How to apply this tip
I recommend looking in the instructions for the word processing software you use to prepare your work. You can find simple guides for inserting symbols in most programs, including Microsoft® Word, LibreOffice, and OpenOffice™.
Once you have found the symbols that you commonly use in your work, you can save a document that contains the symbols for easy reference in the future.
Do you frequently use symbols when writing about your research? Are there any that cause particular confusion? Ask a question or share your experience below!
Holland-Mountford Editing | Scientific editing 