Often numbers must be checked against the main source document.

Often numbers must be checked against the main source document.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Sometimes
• D. Never

Answer: (B)

Checking numbers against the original document is essential because figures can be misread, miscopied, or altered during editing, formatting, or summarizing. The main source document holds the authoritative values, so cross-checking ensures consistency across text, tables, and tables of figures, and helps catch errors like wrong digits, misplaced decimals, or incorrect units before publication. This habit prevents misstatements and preserves trust, especially with financial figures, dates, quantities, or statistics. While there can be cases where numbers come from already verified data or where exact precision isn’t critical, the standard practice in proofreading and editing is to verify against the primary source. The other options don’t fit because they imply verification isn’t needed or is never needed, which would increase the risk of numerical errors.

Checking numbers against the original document is essential because figures can be misread, miscopied, or altered during editing, formatting, or summarizing. The main source document holds the authoritative values, so cross-checking ensures consistency across text, tables, and tables of figures, and helps catch errors like wrong digits, misplaced decimals, or incorrect units before publication. This habit prevents misstatements and preserves trust, especially with financial figures, dates, quantities, or statistics. While there can be cases where numbers come from already verified data or where exact precision isn’t critical, the standard practice in proofreading and editing is to verify against the primary source. The other options don’t fit because they imply verification isn’t needed or is never needed, which would increase the risk of numerical errors.