Do acronyms make you cringe too? Not everyone is an expert at decoding a string of letters that leave most readers mystified. The number of acronyms you master is not an indication of your expertise. Quite the opposite!
Chances are, an overuse of LOL, ROFLOL, ROTFLMAOWPIMP and LSHMBH will put your readers to sleep; they won’t make it past the first three lines.
Honestly, I think it borders on arrogance to assume your readers have given up on communication with real words and sentences. They shouldn’t need an acronym dictionary to decipher your gobbledygook.
WHEN IS IT OK TO USE ACRONYMS?
Acronyms aren’t always bad. In technical or academic writing, you often need to refer to long terms repeatedly. That’s why most publishers have clear rules: the first time a term appears, spell it out in full, followed by the acronym in brackets—like this: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). After that, just use the acronym.
Personal writing isn’t bound by these rules, but before you bombard your readers with a secret code, pause and think. No matter how familiar you are with your subject, your goal is to engage your audience. A sentence like “The advantage of the LH was clear from the RT data, which reflected high FP and FN rates for the RH,” won’t cut the mustard.
So, next time you write a blog, article, report or thesis, keep these rules in mind if you want to keep your readers hooked:
- Less is more
- Abuse leads to confusion
- Know your audience
- Put the reader first
- In formal writing, follow the rules.
And last but not least, remember: PCMCIA—People Can’t Master Computer Industry Acronyms.
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What are the best practices for using acronyms in technical and academic writing, and how can proper usage enhance clarity and comprehension for readers?
Dear Perpustakaan Online,
Thank you for your question.
I wrote this post many years ago when I first started out as a freelance editor. I had just left a position at a company where the staff routinely used acronyms that initially made no sense to me. I thought it was quite annoying, so when I began freelancing, I decided to write this post. It was meant to be a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek piece primarily aimed at the general public.
In academic and technical writing, however, acronyms and abbreviations serve a purpose. Abbreviating long, technical terms enhances clarity, readability, and conciseness. In an article about breast cancer, it makes sense to write HER2 instead of “human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.”
However, clarity can only be achieved when specific conventions are followed. The rules to follow depend on the style guide you follow or the in-house rules of the publisher to which you’re submitting your article.
Most style guides recommend using abbreviations sparingly. However, if you choose to abbreviate a term, the widely accepted rule is that it should be defined the first time it appears in the text. If an abbreviation appears in both the abstract and the main text, define it upon first use in both locations. After you define an abbreviation, use only the abbreviation from that point onward. If a term appears only once or twice, there is no need to introduce an abbreviation. Just spell it out.
There are exceptions to these rules, particularly in figure captions, article or paper titles, and headings and subheadings.
Abbreviated forms of chemical compounds and elements (e.g., Ag, H2O), units of measurement (e.g., km/h) and common acronyms and abbreviations that are widely known in their short form (e.g., UNESCO, NATO) also don’t need to be defined.
Thanks again for your question. I hope I have answered your question, but if you need further clarification, please feel free to get back to me.
I now know what my next post will be about: the correct use of abbreviations in academic writing.
Kind regards,
Katrien