Past or present perfect tense for writing in science or social science

Writers in the sciences and the social sciences generally use the past or present perfect tense.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: E. Wilson (1994) reports that positive reinforcement alone is a less effective teaching technique than a mixture of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. Revised sentence: E. Wilson (1994) reported that positive reinforcement alone was a less effective teaching technique than a mixture of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. Explanation: The present-tense verbs 'reports' and 'is' have been replaced by the past-tense 'reported' and 'was.'

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: All five mice maintain normal blood pressure readings throughout the trail. Revised sentence: All five mice maintained normal blood pressure readings throughout the trail. Explanation: The present-tense verb 'maintain' has been replaced by the past-tense maintained.'