95 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
95 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
# Style Guardrails
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Use this file for mechanical and stylistic checks after the main rewrite. This file should refine prose and correctness, not override the main writing strategy in `SKILL.md`.
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## Academic style
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- prefer cautious, precise prose over conversational confidence
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- avoid contractions
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- avoid rhetorical questions in polished manuscript prose
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- define abbreviations on first use
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- use British spelling by default if the target is Nature-style prose
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- keep figure legends concise; if aiming for Nature style, `<= 300` words is a good upper bound
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- if aiming for Nature style, keep titles at `<= 75` characters including spaces
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## Articles
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Common checks:
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- first mention of a singular count noun: `a` or `an`
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- later mention of the same item: `the`
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- generic plural: usually no article
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- unique entity: often `the`
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- abstract nouns used generally: often no article
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Typical repair:
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- bad: `The hypoxia induces ...`
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- better: `Hypoxia induces ...`
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## Numbers and units
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- use numerals for measurements
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- leave a space between the value and the unit: `25 cm`, `3.2 s`
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- keep statistical symbols and mathematical notation consistent
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- use en dashes for ranges where appropriate
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Do not rewrite numbers into words unless the surrounding house style demands it.
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## Academic register
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- avoid spoken fillers and weak evaluative language
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- use `we` only when it suits the discipline and document type
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- keep nominalisation useful, not excessive
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- keep the prose impersonal where appropriate, but do not force lifelessness
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## Sentence and paragraph checks
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- each sentence should express one main proposition
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- dependent clauses must stay attached to a main clause
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- do not join two independent clauses with only a comma
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- each paragraph needs a controlling idea and supporting material
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- avoid common structure errors such as sentence fragments introduced by `although` or `whereas`
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## Overclaim checklist
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Flag and soften:
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- `prove`
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- `conclusively`
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- `unprecedented`
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- `best`
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- `superior`
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- `first`
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Safer replacements:
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- `show`
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- `suggest`
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- `to our knowledge`
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- `among the strongest`
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- `in this cohort`
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## Integrity rules
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- do not invent references
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- do not alter quantitative values unless correcting an obvious typo requested by the user
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- do not upgrade association to causation
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- do not imply broader generalisability than the study supports
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## AI boundary
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Use AI for language control, not for scientific fabrication.
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Allowed:
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- grammar and clarity
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- restructuring and hedging
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- translation with terminology checking
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Not allowed:
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- fabricated citations or datasets
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- invented mechanisms presented as fact
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- unsupported claims of novelty
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