- The excessive use of abbreviations is an annoyance and hindrance—not a help–to the reader.
- Journals often discourage the use of abbreviations.
- “Abbreviations should be used sparingly and only where they ease the reader’s task by reducing repetition of long technical terms. Initially use the word in full, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter use the abbreviation.” Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Wiley.
- “Except for units of measurement, abbreviations are strongly discouraged.” The New England Journal of Medicine.
- Some other policies and advice:
- Most abbreviations are not allowed in article titles.
- Abbreviations in abstracts are discouraged.
- Words or phrases used fewer than about four times in a paper should be spelled out, not abbreviated.
- Once a term has been abbreviated, the abbreviated form should be used throughout the paper.
- Consult the journal’s instructions for authors for guidelines in the use of abbreviations, including a list of standard abbreviations that need not be spelled out, even at first mention, e.g., ATP, RNA, DNA
- Provide a list of non-standard abbreviations used in the paper, usually after the abstract.
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