Getting the Numbers Right

Getting the Numbers Right

A guide to spotting common problems with numbers

by Adrienne Montgomerie

Copyright © 2020 Adrienne Montgomerie

Right Angels and Polo Bears • Kingston, ON, Canada

ISBN 978-1-7750457-4-8

Preface

This is not a book about how to do math. What it aims to do is help editors spot trouble areas, and teach the secret handshake that will let them talk about math with their writers and subject-matter experts. (Hint: Use your digits.)

I wrote this book because numbers are in nearly every manuscript, even if they’re just dates on a flyer. I wrote this book because it’s common for everyone to gloss over the numbers when checking a document. We assume phone numbers are right, that dates line up, and that totals make sense. But experience should remind us that the numbers are a weak point in any file. They’re as weak a link as any heading or other large text. They are where the errors like to lurk.

Rather than becoming uber-numerate by learning to math, editors need a quick reference guide to common errors, a guide to how to check numbers using tools that are easy to find and use, and a level of understanding that will help them query the numbers intelligently. This book fills the gaps between wordsmiths, math textbooks, and technical style guides.

Editors find numbers as intimidating as most people. That is to say, some of us like numbers a lot, some of us can deal with numbers, and some of us go into a panic just glancing at a character that looks like it might be a number. This is a book for all those editors.

For those who panic at the sight of a number, this book aims to orient you to the kinds of math or uses of numbers that editors find in mainstream texts, so that you can sense when something is off or might make the reader judge the writer poorly. This book will not make you understand the math or why the numbers might be in error, it simply trains your eye to spot problem areas and gives you the tools to check for possible errors even if you don’t understand what went wrong or can’t suggest a correction. Accuracy is, after all, primarily the writer’s responsibility.

For those who can deal with numbers, this book can serve as a quick reference and reminder of the most common types of errors and how to check them and query the author. It may help you understand what’s going on a little more, so you can query with confidence.

For those who get a rush of happy hormones when they see a number — who are truly comfortable with most forms of math — this book may be sorely superficial in its explanations. What it will do for you is serve as a quick reference to confirm those number concepts that you are still learning to master and a guide to some of the tools and related formatting.

You do not need a higher ed degree to understand the math in this book. Nor will you find sports data in here — which would take a whole book of its own. This book covers the language we use to talk about mathematical concepts (like percent increases and odds, and shapes too) and some conventions and pitfalls editors come across in presenting common types of data and their related conclusions or explanations. It also will help the editor check that geometric shapes are discussed accurately.

This book does not advocate a particular style, either. The actual treatment of numbers, their associated units, and equations are specified in industry-standard guides such as CMOS and in-house style guides.

This book is arranged by concept and uses real-life examples for illustration. Errors have been added to the examples for demonstration purposes, but they do reflect actual common errors.

What you will need:

• Internet access, or a calculator if you’re old-school.

• Something calming (music, tea, a pet), because if you can stop telling yourself this is hard and you can’t do it, you’ll break down the biggest hurdle.

1         Foundations of Numeracy

No calculating necessary! This section explains concepts that form the foundation of all other math; the understanding that leads to numeracy, or to the more trendy mathematical literacy. This knowledge helps you identify when something seems off with the math, then