General principles - Types of abbreviations - Abbreviations - Part III. Style 20 spelling

A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 7th edition - Kate L. Turabian 2007

General principles - Types of abbreviations
Abbreviations
Part III. Style 20 spelling

This chapter offers general guidelines for using abbreviations. Abbreviations in formal writing were once limited to a few special circumstances, but they are now widely used in writing of all kinds. Even so, their use must reflect the conventions of specific disciplines. The guidelines presented here are appropriate for most humanities and social science disciplines. If you are writing a paper in the natural or physical sciences, mathematics, or any other technical field, follow the conventions of the discipline.

In some disciplines, you may need to use abbreviations not covered here. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives many abbreviations from many fields. Another resource is chapter 15 of the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition (2003). For style guides in various disciplines, see the bibliography.

If you are writing a thesis or dissertation, your department or university may have specific requirements for using abbreviations, which are usually available from the office of theses and dissertations. If you are writing a class paper, your instructor may also ask you to follow certain principles for using abbreviations. Review these requirements before you prepare your paper. They take precedence over the guidelines suggested here.

24.1 General principles

24.1.1 Types of abbreviations

Terms can be shortened, or abbreviated, in several ways. When a term is shortened to only the first letters of each word and pronounced as a single word (NATO, AIDS), it is called an acronym; if the letters are pronounced as a series of letters (EU, PBS), it is called an initialism. Other terms are shortened through contraction: just the first and last letters of the term are retained (Mr., Dr.), or the last letters are dropped (ed., Tues.). This chapter treats all of these forms under the general term abbreviations, with distinctions between types noted as relevant.