smpark7 / masters-thesis Goto Github PK

This issue can be closed after @katyhuff reviews chapters 1-4 of this thesis.

main.pdf

This issue can be closed when @smpark7 has made edits based on Katy's review in #1.

This is the github issue for @katyhuff 's final draft review.

Here is the final draft (main.pdf). Here is the latexdiff pdf between the previous draft and the final draft (diff.pdf).

I had compile errors with the latexdiff file so I had to comment out some of the latexdiff contents. These contents include:

• The boundary condition tables in pages 28 and 31.
• Equation 3.14 in page 32.
• The temperature reactivity coefficient table in page 37.
• Equation 6.1 and 6.2 in page 60.
• Equation 6.5 in page 64.
• All changes in the bibliography

The page numbers refer to those in the final draft, not the latexdiff pdf.

Please apply the writing checklist again. Many items weren't checked:

• Run a spell checker.
• The Oxford comma must appears in lists ("lions, tigers, and bears.")
• Do not use the word "where" unless referring to a location (try "such that" or "in which").
• Do not use the word "when" unless referring to a time (try "if" instead).
• Only use "large" when referring to size.
• Use of "very" suggests that a cooler word exists.
• Other misused/overused words include: code, input, output, different, value, amount, model.
• Articles such as "a" "the" "some" "any" and "each" must appear where necessary.
• All subjects match the plurality of their verbs ( no: "Apples is tasty" yes: "Apples are tasty")
• Avoid run-on sentences.
• clunky nouns -> spunky verbs (progression, expression --> progress, express)
• reduce vague words (important, methodologic)
• reduce acronyms / jargon
• expand all acronyms on first use (rely on the acros.tex file and glossaries package to automate this)
• get rid of unnecessary prepositional phrases -- author clearing throat (It can be shown that)
• get rid of extraneous adverbs (very, really, quite, basically, generally)
• get rid of there are / there is
• turn negatives to positives (she was not often right -> she was usually wrong)
• get rid of extraneous prepositions (the meeting happened on monday -> the meeting happened monday) (they agreed that it was true -> they agreed it was true)
• get rid of passive voice (is/was/are/were/be/been/am + past tense verb), replace with active voice
• use strong verbs (use sparingly: is, are, was, were, be, been, am)
• avoid turning verbs into nouns ("obtain estimates of" -> "estimates"; "provides a description of" -> "describes")
• don't bury the verb (keep the predicate close to the subject at the beginning of the sentence)
• data is plural (the data are critical)
• compare to (point out similarities between different things) vs. compared with (point out differences between similar things)
• punctuation helps you to vary your sentence structure
• Power to separate in increasing power: comma, colon, dash, parentheses, semicolon, period
• In increasing order of formality: dash, parentheses, all of the others. Don't overdo it with the dash and parentheses
• semicolon: connects two independent clauses. OR used to separate when the items in the list contain internal punctuation.
• use a colon to introduce a list, quote, explanation, conclusion, or amplification
• if there's a list in a sentence, it shouldn't come before the colon
• use a dash to insert something in the middle of the sentence. Don't overuse it.
• Always use isotopic notation like $^{239}Pu$. Never $Pu-239$ or plutonium-239.
• Elemental symbols (Ni, Li, Na, Pu) are capitalized, but their names are not (nickel, lithium, sodium, plutonium).
• A phrase of the form ion of is probably clearer as ion. (For example, convert "calculation of velocity" to "velocity calculation".)
• Cite all software. Review the principles and try CiteAs if necessary.
• Refer to software consistently by name.

Additional Table and Figure Checklist:

• The text should refer to all tables and figures.
• When referring to figures by their number, use Figure 1 and Table 1. They should be capitalized and not abbreviated (not fig. 1 or figure 1.)
• In tables, align all columns of numbers such that the decimals line up.
• In a single column, all values should probably have the same number of significant digits.
• Give units for each numerical column.
• A table should have only 3 horizontal lines (no vertical lines and no more than 3.)

Additional Math Comments:

• define all variables, with units. If unitless, indicate that this is the case $[-]$.
• subscripts should be brief and can be avoided with common notation. For example, $\dot{m}$ is better than $m_f$ which is superior to $m_{flow}$.
• variable names should be symbols rather than words m is better than mass and \ksi is better than one_time_use_variable.
• The notation $3.0\times10^12$ is preferred over $3e12$.
• Equations should be part of a sentence.
• Equations should be in the align environment. Align them at the = sign.
• Variables should be defined in the align environment as well, not buried in paragraphs.
  Here’s an example of an equation:

The line is defined as
\begin{align}
y&=mx + b
\intertext{where}
y&= \mbox{ height of the line, also known as rise [m]}\nonumber\\
m&= \mbox{ slope [-]}\nonumber\\
x&=\mbox{ independent parameter, known as run [m]}\nonumber\\
b&= \mbox{ y intercept [m].}
\end{align}

Also: please review and/or improve the how-to-write-an-ms-thesis guide: http://arfc.github.io/manual/guides/writing/ms-thesis

This issue can be closed after @katyhuff reviews the 2nd draft of this thesis.

main.pdf