Add the if the abbreviation is an initialism-not an acronym-for a phrase or name that normally includes the word the (but don’t add the letter T in the abbreviation).Ĭorrect: the International Criminal Court → the ICCĬorrect: the Women’s National Basketball Association → the WNBA This rule depends on whether the abbreviation is an acronym or an initialism. In a pinch, try asking a colleague or searching for the entire phrase online to see how other writers in your industry have done it. Still not sure which article to use? Deciding whether to use a or an can be tricky. If the abbreviation starts with a consonant sound, use a. If the first sound is a vowel sound, use an. Use the article that matches the way the abbreviation is pronounced. When to use a or an before an abbreviation Incorrect: The CEOS were profiled in Forbes magazine. Incorrect: The CEO’s were profiled in Forbes magazine. No apostrophes necessary!Ĭorrect: The CEOs were profiled in Forbes magazine. To make an acronym or initialism plural, all you need to do is add a lowercase s to the end. WHO provided SAMA with a five-year grant to collect data from 25 hospitals. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently conducted a joint study with the South African Medical Association (SAMA) on water hygiene in South Africa. WHAT IS IT CALLED WHEN YOU USE ABBREVIATIONS FOR WORDS FULLYou don’t need to spell out the full phrase again. Remember, after you’ve introduced the abbreviation, use only the acronym throughout the rest of your paper. WHAT IS IT CALLED WHEN YOU USE ABBREVIATIONS FOR WORDS PROFESSIONALThe number of imprisoned journalists globally has risen in the past 10 years (Society of Professional Journalists, 2015). If the long-form phrase is already in parentheses the first time it occurs, use square brackets to set the abbreviation apart. Many UNILAG students were surveyed for this research. The study was conducted at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). Organizations often use a request for proposal (RFP) to solicit work. When you first use a phrase that can be abbreviated, spell it out in full and show the abbreviation in parentheses immediately afterwards. In that case, consider adding a List of Abbreviations to help the reader follow along. Sometimes, you may introduce an abbreviation at the beginning of your paper, but may not use it again until much later. For terms you use less frequently, it’s easier for a reader to read the full phrase rather than trying to remember an abbreviation she may have seen only once several pages earlier. Only use abbreviations for phrases that you use three or more times in a paper. This article covers the use of acronyms and initialisms, collectively referred to as ‘abbreviations’ here. Shortenings are discussed in a separate article on standard abbreviations. They are best avoided in academic writing, where it’s necessary to maintain a formal tone. FBI is the initialism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and each letter is pronounced individually: ef-bee-eye.Ĭontractions are considered informal. However, the end result cannot be pronounced as a word and instead has to be read letter by letter.
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