{"id":135,"date":"2017-07-20T16:29:47","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T16:29:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/chapter\/abbreviations-and-acronyms\/"},"modified":"2017-07-20T16:29:47","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T16:29:47","slug":"abbreviations-and-acronyms","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/chapter\/abbreviations-and-acronyms\/","title":{"raw":"Abbreviations and Acronyms","rendered":"Abbreviations and Acronyms"},"content":{"raw":"<div id=\"node-1824\" class=\"node\">\n<div class=\"content clear-block\">\n\nAbbreviations (the shortened form of a word or phrase) and acronyms (words formed from the initial letters of a phrase) are commonly used in technical writing. In some fields, including chemistry, medicine, computer science, and geographic information systems, acronyms are used so frequently that the reader can feel lost in an alphabet soup. However, the proper use of these devices enhances the reading process, fostering fluid readability and efficient comprehension.\n\nSome style manuals devote entire chapters to the subject of abbreviations and acronyms, and your college library no doubt contains volumes that you can consult when needed. Here, we\u00a0provide just a few principles you can apply in using abbreviations and acronyms.\n<h2>Abbreviations<\/h2>\n<ul><li>Typically, we abbreviate social titles (like <em>Ms.<\/em> and <em>Mr.<\/em>) and professional titles (like <em>Dr.<\/em>, <em>Rev.<\/em>).<\/li>\n \t<li>Titles of degrees should be abbreviated when following someone's name.\u00a0However, in\u00a0resumes and cover letters, you should avoid abbreviations\n<ul><li>Gloria Morales-Myers, PhD<\/li>\n \t<li>I received a\u00a0<em>Bachelor of Arts<\/em>\u00a0in 2014.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t<li>Most abbreviations should be followed with a period (<em>Mar.<\/em> for March), except those representing units of measure (<em>mm<\/em> for millimeter).<\/li>\n \t<li>Typically, do not abbreviate geographic names and countries in text (i.e., write <em>Saint Cloud<\/em> rather than <em>St. Cloud<\/em>). However, these names are usually abbreviated when presented in \u201ctight text\u201d where space can be at a premium, as in tables and figures.<\/li>\n \t<li>Use the ampersand symbol (&amp;) in company names if the companies themselves do so in their literature, but avoid using the symbol as a narrative substitute for the word <em>and<\/em> in your text.<\/li>\n \t<li>In text, spell out addresses (Third Avenue; the Chrysler Building) but abbreviate city addresses that are part of street names (Central Street SW).<\/li>\n \t<li>Try to avoid opening a sentence with an abbreviation; instead, write the word out.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2>Acronyms<\/h2>\n<ul><li>With few exceptions, present acronyms in full capital letters (FORTRAN; NIOSH). Some acronyms, such as <em>scuba<\/em> and <em>radar<\/em>, are so commonly used that they are not capitalized.<\/li>\n \t<li>Unless they appear at the end of a sentence, do not follow acronyms with a period.\n<ul><li>NOAA is a really great organization.<\/li>\n \t<li>I want to work for the USGS.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t<li>Acronyms can be pluralized with the addition of a lowercase <em>s<\/em>\n<ul><li>Please choose between these\u00a0three URLs.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t<li>Acronyms can be made possessive with an apostrophe followed by a lowercase <em>s:<\/em>\n<ul><li>The DOD\u2019s mandate will be published today.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t<li>As subjects, acronyms should be treated as singulars, even when they stand for plurals; therefore, they require a singular verb\n<ul><li>NASA is committed to . . .<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t<li>Always write out the first in-text reference to an acronym, followed by the acronym itself written in capital letters and enclosed by parentheses. Subsequent references to the acronym can be made just by the capital letters alone. For example:\n<ul><li>Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a rapidly expanding field. GIS technology . . .<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t<li>The acronym\u00a0<em>US\u00a0<\/em>can be used as an adjective (US citizen), but\u00a0<em>United States<\/em> should be used when you are using it as a noun.<\/li>\n<\/ul><div id=\"ctdef\" class=\"clicktip\">\n<h2>Spelling, Capitalization, and Punctuation<\/h2>\nDifferent abbreviations and acronyms are treated differently. You can review\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/textimgs\/Developmental+Reading+and+Writing\/Commonly+used+Abbreviations+and+Acronyms.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">this PDF\u00a0to check the proper treatment\u00a0of some commonly used abbreviations and acronyms<\/a>. For a much more detailed listing of abbreviations and acronyms, you can check in the back pages of many dictionaries, or consult\u00a0the free online version of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gpoaccess.gov\/stylemanual\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\"><em>United States Government Printing Office Style Manual<\/em><em>.<\/em><\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div id=\"node-1824\" class=\"node\">\n<div class=\"content clear-block\">\n<p>Abbreviations (the shortened form of a word or phrase) and acronyms (words formed from the initial letters of a phrase) are commonly used in technical writing. In some fields, including chemistry, medicine, computer science, and geographic information systems, acronyms are used so frequently that the reader can feel lost in an alphabet soup. However, the proper use of these devices enhances the reading process, fostering fluid readability and efficient comprehension.<\/p>\n<p>Some style manuals devote entire chapters to the subject of abbreviations and acronyms, and your college library no doubt contains volumes that you can consult when needed. Here, we\u00a0provide just a few principles you can apply in using abbreviations and acronyms.<\/p>\n<h2>Abbreviations<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Typically, we abbreviate social titles (like <em>Ms.<\/em> and <em>Mr.<\/em>) and professional titles (like <em>Dr.<\/em>, <em>Rev.<\/em>).<\/li>\n<li>Titles of degrees should be abbreviated when following someone&#8217;s name.\u00a0However, in\u00a0resumes and cover letters, you should avoid abbreviations\n<ul>\n<li>Gloria Morales-Myers, PhD<\/li>\n<li>I received a\u00a0<em>Bachelor of Arts<\/em>\u00a0in 2014.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Most abbreviations should be followed with a period (<em>Mar.<\/em> for March), except those representing units of measure (<em>mm<\/em> for millimeter).<\/li>\n<li>Typically, do not abbreviate geographic names and countries in text (i.e., write <em>Saint Cloud<\/em> rather than <em>St. Cloud<\/em>). However, these names are usually abbreviated when presented in \u201ctight text\u201d where space can be at a premium, as in tables and figures.<\/li>\n<li>Use the ampersand symbol (&amp;) in company names if the companies themselves do so in their literature, but avoid using the symbol as a narrative substitute for the word <em>and<\/em> in your text.<\/li>\n<li>In text, spell out addresses (Third Avenue; the Chrysler Building) but abbreviate city addresses that are part of street names (Central Street SW).<\/li>\n<li>Try to avoid opening a sentence with an abbreviation; instead, write the word out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Acronyms<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>With few exceptions, present acronyms in full capital letters (FORTRAN; NIOSH). Some acronyms, such as <em>scuba<\/em> and <em>radar<\/em>, are so commonly used that they are not capitalized.<\/li>\n<li>Unless they appear at the end of a sentence, do not follow acronyms with a period.\n<ul>\n<li>NOAA is a really great organization.<\/li>\n<li>I want to work for the USGS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Acronyms can be pluralized with the addition of a lowercase <em>s<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>Please choose between these\u00a0three URLs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Acronyms can be made possessive with an apostrophe followed by a lowercase <em>s:<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>The DOD\u2019s mandate will be published today.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>As subjects, acronyms should be treated as singulars, even when they stand for plurals; therefore, they require a singular verb\n<ul>\n<li>NASA is committed to . . .<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Always write out the first in-text reference to an acronym, followed by the acronym itself written in capital letters and enclosed by parentheses. Subsequent references to the acronym can be made just by the capital letters alone. For example:\n<ul>\n<li>Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a rapidly expanding field. GIS technology . . .<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The acronym\u00a0<em>US\u00a0<\/em>can be used as an adjective (US citizen), but\u00a0<em>United States<\/em> should be used when you are using it as a noun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"ctdef\" class=\"clicktip\">\n<h2>Spelling, Capitalization, and Punctuation<\/h2>\n<p>Different abbreviations and acronyms are treated differently. You can review\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/textimgs\/Developmental+Reading+and+Writing\/Commonly+used+Abbreviations+and+Acronyms.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">this PDF\u00a0to check the proper treatment\u00a0of some commonly used abbreviations and acronyms<\/a>. For a much more detailed listing of abbreviations and acronyms, you can check in the back pages of many dictionaries, or consult\u00a0the free online version of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gpoaccess.gov\/stylemanual\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\"><em>United States Government Printing Office Style Manual<\/em><em>.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-135\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Style For Students Online. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Joe Schall. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: The Pennsylvania State University. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.e-education.psu.edu\/styleforstudents\/\">https:\/\/www.e-education.psu.edu\/styleforstudents\/<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Penn State&#039;s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences&#039; OER Initiative. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":19,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Style For Students Online\",\"author\":\"Joe Schall\",\"organization\":\"The Pennsylvania State University\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.e-education.psu.edu\/styleforstudents\/\",\"project\":\"Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences' OER Initiative\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-135","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":132,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/135\/revisions"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/132"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/135\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=135"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=135"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}