Common Mistakes in Preparing Manuscripts: Review of 21 Original Contributions

Park, Seong Ho

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To analyze orthographic and regulatory mistakes in manuscripts contributed to the Journal of Korean Neurological Association (KNA), and thus to improve the quality of the articles.
METHODS
Twenty-one original contributions written in Korean were reviewed and analyzed. They reached me from January to July in 2002 and were at the final editing stage just before being publicated. I analyzed their mistakes according to the Hangul orthographic guidelines and the contribution regulations of KNA.
RESULTS
Among the total of 4,586 errors, 3,268 (71.3%) were ortho-graphic and 1,318 (28.7%) regulatory. Orthographic mistakes were mainly in the use of parentheses, selection of terms, and misspelling in the decreasing order. Violations of the contribution regulations were found mainly in tables, references, and figures rather than the body of the articles.
CONCLUSIONS
Editorial Committee should make more efforts in the education of Hangul orthography for KNA members. And KNA members should pay particular attention to the mistakes in the orthographic and regulatory aspects to enhance the completeness of the articles.