Inserting equations

Here are some tips on formatting equations:

• Number equations for future referencing
• Use an equation editor where necessary to produce clear equations 
• If there is more than one equation, equations should be listed and described separately. 
• They should be indented or centered from the rest of the text
• There should be a space separating them from text both above and below  the equation
• All variables should be defined directly after or directly before the equation

Example:

The annual probability p of a single season without a hurricane landfall was calculated for a 160 year period by   calculating the number of years n without a landfall event over the total number of years N in the dataset:

p = n/N     (1)

The annual probability was used in tandem with the binomial distribution to determine the likelihood P(X) of  X years free of a hurricane landfall occurring over a finite period of N years:

                                                  (2)

Calculations were performed for values of N=11 and X=5. 

Based off

The expression "based off" or worse "based off of"  (used when a writer really means "based on") should be banned from your scientific lexicon. It is not only non-existent in the English language, it makes no sense.

Take this example: "Good scientific writing is based on sound knowledge of the English language". The science student is secure in the knowledge that scientific writing is fixed on the rock-solid foundation of his/her knowledge of the English language.

However, as the image below shows, when "Scientific writing is based off of knowledge of the English language", there is nothing there to hold up good scientific writing.  It's up in the air. The science student and Whiskers the kitten live in a very precarious state. What follows is not pretty for the science student or for Whiskers..

So keep in mind that the expression   "based off" is no substitute for "based on", and actually means the opposite.

More importantly, remember that every time you use the expression "based off", a kitten dies. If only for the sake of kittens, please "use based on" instead of "based off".