Numbers

Numbers

Punctuation and spacing

Merops can automatically standardize the punctuation and spacing of:

• large numbers (e.g. 1,234,567)
• ratios
• number grouping after decimal point (0.000 01)

Characters

Merops can automatically standardize characters such as:

• decimal point character
• en rule/hyphen in ranges
• minus sign in negative numbers
• the prime character

Words vs figures

Merops can convert between words and figures, based on context and size, for example:

• 3 → three
• 3 (in a French sentence) → trois
• twenty → 20
• 3rd → third
• 20 (at sentence start) → Twenty
• 20 million ↔ 20,000,000
• tenfold ↔ 10-fold
• less than ↔ <

Context

Many of these rules are context-specific. For example, the number 1000 in general text, but 1 000 in tables. Also, Merops is clever enough to avoid making changes to numbers that are not counts or ranges (e.g. telephone numbers).

Mathematics

In technical documents it is critical that mathematical terms are presented consistently. Merops contains rules to correct author discrepancies, and converts between alternative math formats.

Algebra and arithmetic

Merops standardizes symbols such as Greek letters and operators, e.g.:

• 20 +/- 12 → 20 ± 12
• 2 X 4 → 2 × 4

Merops standardizes the formatting of functions, variables and operators:

• ln(sin x_max²) → ln(sin χ_max²)
• a+b =c → a + b = c

Formulae

Citations

Citation preferences are context specific, so Merops can apply one standard in general text, and other preferences in parentheses, tables, footnotes, or references.

• See eqn (IV.a) → See Equation 4a

Merops can also apply an abbreviated standard to citations in general text, while ensuring they are spelled out in full at the start of a sentence.

Formulae

Merops can standardize and correct the presentation of formula labels:

• Eqn 1: a + b = c → a + b = c [1]

Merops can convert:

• simple MathType equations to normal text
• MathType equations to Microsoft Word equations
• displayed text equations to Microsoft Word equations

These equations can be encoded as MathML in your XML file.

Statistics

Merops can standardize the presentation of statistical variables. For example:

• Student t test → Student’s t-test
• F(1, 24) = 2.36 → F_1,24 = 2.36
• Anova → ANOVA
• p >0.01 → P > .01

Time & date

Merops can standardize the presentation of times and dates, e.g.:

Times

• 4pm ↔ 16.00 hours
• 4pm ↔ 4 p.m.

Dates

• Sept. 24, 1978 ↔ 24th September 1978
• BC ↔ B.C.
• nineteenth century ↔ 19th century
• 11/11/2014 ↔ 11/11/14

Units

Merops identifies and standardizes the case, formatting, and spelling of SI and Imperial units of measurement.

General rules

Merops can automate conversions between unit standards, e.g.:

• 40–100ug/ml → 40–100 µg mL^–1
• 5kg–10kg ↔ 5–10kg

Conversions

Merops can automatically convert units from Imperial to metric, or Fahrenheit to Celsius, or vice versa.

Currency

Merops can standardize the presentation of currency.

For example:

• standardization of words/figures (ten pounds sterling ↔ £10)
• standardization of ranges ($4–6 ↔ $4–$6)
• alerts on the potentially ambiguous use of $ or 'dollar'

Specific preferences

Merops has over 50 preferences for individual units and contexts. For example:

• 99.5% ↔ 99.5 percent
• 10 seconds ↔ 10 s
• 2 hours ↔ 2 hrs

Merops can standardize certain units in different contexts, i.e. general text, tables, parentheses, compound units, table captions / legends, and footnotes.