Advanced question about 'modus operandi'

[piangel]

Hi! All,

Thanks for your answering. I guess I should post the entire sentence.

"The suggestion of XXX effectively is an admission by the authors of a fundamental change in the modus operandi." (XXX means some kind of method)

Above sentence is extracted from the reviewer's comment about my paper. I don't really know what that does mean.

If 'modus operandi' is usually used in criminal activity, does that imply that the reviewer thought I have done something bad?

with best regards,
Jeff

[mykwyner]

In this case, "modus operandi" probably means your habits (good or bad), and your natural methods of doing things. It is not, by any means, necessarily a negative connotation. "Piangle's modus operandi is to take every one of his school assignments seriously, as he should."