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Nylenna's study showed that errors in scientific manuscripts submitted for publication often escape reviewer's notice results that were not _______: when Godlee conducted a study of the same phenomenon, her findings were similar.

A. credible
B. unwelcome
C. anomalous
D. quantifiable
E. consequential

I know the answer is C. anomalous, but cannot understand why. To make my question clearer, let's extract a complete sentence from it:

Nylenna's study showed that errors in scientific manuscripts submitted for publication often escape reviewer's notice results that were not anomalous.

My question is: what is anomalous?

From the context, it seems "Nylenna's study" is anomalous, since the same result is reproduced by Godlee. However, it should be "that was not anomalous" in this case.

Also, what is "notice results"? Is it a phrase or just two separate words?

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    There should be a comma after notice: results that were not anomalous is a supplemental comment on the main clause. The results reported in Nylenna's study (and summarized in the main clause) were not anomalous with the results reported in other studies, such as Godlee's.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Aug 25, 2017 at 13:00
  • @StoneyB wow that makes perfect sense! This tiny typo is really confusing. Since this comment has solved my question, I think you should make it answer, so that I can upvote and accept it.
    – nalzok
    Aug 25, 2017 at 13:08

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I had to parse that monster of a sentence a few times before I understood it.

Presumably there should have been a comma after “notice”. The results of Nylenna’s study were not anomalous because they are similar to Godlee’s findings.

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