If you want someone to read your document and to make comments then you should make it double spaced.

It is my belief that white space (blank lines) make documents much easier to read. Modify the definition of your paragraphs so that they include at least 0.2 cm (more is often better) below each paragraph. Also indent each paragraph.

Try to avoid pages full of crowded text.

After a document is "finished " it can always be improved by shortening it by about 20%.

Spaces after a period.

In modern type-setting one only uses one space after a period at the end of a sentence. Two periods were only used to accommodate type-writer text.

Why? Click on!

Do not use

possesives

contractions ( can’t, don’t, won’t)

Important vs importantly

General Grammar Guide.

In formal writing do not begin a sentence with “And”.

Latin words are always italicized

Atkinson et al., 2000 NOT Atkinson et al., 2000

et al. has a period.

Genus & species are italicized if they appear together.
Drosophila melanogaster NOT Drosophila melanogaster
D. melanogaster NOT D. melanogaster
C. elegans NOT C. elegans
Also note that the “C” is followed by a period.

Also
in vivo
in vitro
in situ

Names of Drosophila genes are italicized

slo refers to the gene
slowpoke refers to the gene

slo NOT slo
slowpoke not slowpoke

Alleles

In gene names, the letters representing the gene are italicized and the allele numbers are superscripted but not italicized. For instance: w1118 and slo4.

slo4

the “slo” is italicized the “4” is superscript

slo1

the “slo” is italicized the “1” is supercript

Name of Drosophila proteins are not italicized

Slo refers to the protein
Slowpoke refers to the protein
Slo NOT Slo
Slowpoke NOT Slowpoke

voltage-gated potassium channel
calcium-gated potassium channe

Ca2+-activated K+ channel
all-or-none NOT all or none
tailor-made NOT tailor made
co-assembles NOT coassembles

Currents & channels

IK         the "I" is regular case. The "K" is a capital subscript. This means potassium current.

IA         the "I" is regular case. The "A" is a capital subscript. This means A-type current.

Increases in current. It is often best to refer to "increaed channel activity". This covers increased current caused by increased channel protein expression and post-translational changes that cause the same number of channels to 1) be open more of the time or 2) to be open the same amount of the time but to conduct more current (very, very unlikely).

Headers

I think that it helps if you provide bold topic headers to help guide the reader.

Word use

Working definition of a promoter.
In my lab, promoter refers to the sequences recognized by the pre-initiation complex. Assume that this includes about -40 to +40. Do not use promoter as a term to include all of the enhancers, silencers, etc. that regulate the activity of the promoter.

In my lab, by definition a promoter fixes the position where transcription begins and determines the direction that transcription proceeds. I consider the instances in which a promoter also directs that a certain amount of expression should occur to be acceptions to the rule.

Others use it to mean many other things. However, in house, we will avoid confusion by using the more restrictive definition.

In the literature, you will see that people commonly use the phrase "core promoter" to mean this.

 

Language is in a constant state of flux. Grammar changes more rapidly than Language. Eventually everything that you have learned about language and grammar will be wrong. Nevertheless, rules help one avoid needless rewrites. Use them.

Tidbits to avoid common problems in documents.

©2010. Nigel S. Atkinson. All Rights Reserved