Plurals vs. Possessives

A common writing error is incorrectly using apostrophes for plurals and possessives. Let's review the rules.

• The cat took a nap (singular)
   
• The cat’s bed was a book (singular possessive)

 

• Two cats sat together (plural)
   
• The cats’ toes were touching (plural, possessive) 

An Interview with Editor Dr. Debra Rose Wilson

Dr. Wilson is the editor of the journal: International Journal of Childbirth Education 

1. Please briefly describe your journal for which you are the editor. 

This journal is a practice based journal disseminating evidence based research and literature reviews with an eye to implications to practice. Our members/readers are not scholars, so the journal must be able to be understood by nurses, doulas (lay people who help women in labor), and those who teach prenatal classes.  

2 How did you come to be an editor for this journal? 

I was a member of this organization for more than 20 years and the journal quality was deteriorating and becoming less and less useful to practice. When the position came up, I offered to step up into the position and was accepted. It was important to them that the new editor have published in journals before, have international contacts for new articles, research, and ideas.  

3. What do like best about being an editor? 

I like proof reading the final product. I like contacting colleagues and asking them for an article specific to their area of expertise.  

4. What do you dislike the most about being an editor? 

This work takes about 30 hours a month, and it is an unpaid position.

I don’t like having to outright reject articles, writers are usually quite insulted… but those are usually non-evidenced based articles and the writer thinks we are a newsletter or a magazine.  

5. Advice for new researchers who would like to be published?  

Contact the editor directly. Ask what they are looking for, are there any upcoming themes that you can write an article for…  

If you are looking to publish your research, find a journal that specifically deals with that subject matter, then contact the editor and ask if your research will fit….  

Follow the writer’s guidelines exactly, don’t just think you know what they might want. Keep it below the maximum number of pages (the delete key is your friend).

Personal Pronouns

English (as with many languages) has three levels of personal pronouns:

	Singular	Plural
First Person	I, me, mine	we, us, our
Second Person	you, your	you, your(s)
Third Person	he, she, it, him, her, it, his, her(s), its	they, them, their, theirs

APA does not allow the use of first person plural "we" or "our" (the exception is if there are multiple authors). The broader use of the word "we" (often referred to as the "editorial we" or "royal we") leaves the reader wondering to whom you are referring. Instead, substitute an appropriate noun or clarify to whom you are referring. Here are some examples for a dissertation.


Incorrect: We know the elderly …
Correct: Researchers have found the elderly ...


Incorrect: Drug use is common in our country
Correct: Drug use is common in the United States.


Incorrect: We will contact possible participants by …
Correct: I will contact possible participants by… 


Ever wonder how people get to be a journal editor and what they do? Next week I will interview Dr. Debra Wilson, the editor of the International Journal of Childbirth Education.