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Abbreviations
It is very common that in a work we want to use abbreviations so as not to tire the reader by repeating a very long term. In this article we will address the use of abbreviations in a document written under the APA Standards.
How to abbreviate under the APA Standards?
As a general rule, we should not use abbreviations in the reference list, but it is allowed in citations and in the text in general. And when a term you want to abbreviate is used for the first time in the text, present the full version of the term and then the abbreviation. But let's look in more detail below.
What should not be abbreviated?
- do not define abbreviations that appear in the dictionary (for example: HIV).
- also do not define measurement abbreviations (mm, cm), time abbreviations (hr, min), Latin abbreviations (et al.), or many statistical abbreviations.
- do not use abbreviations in the summary of your work.
What can be abbreviated?
- define all other abbreviations, even those that may be familiar to your readers.
- after defining an abbreviation, use only the abbreviation; do not alternate between spelling the term and abbreviating it.
- When the full version of a term first appears in a title or subtitle, do not define the abbreviation; instead, define the abbreviation when it first appears in the text.
- If the abbreviation has already been previously defined in the text or if they are listed as terms in the dictionary, you can use it in a title or subtitle.
When to use an abbreviation?
Use abbreviations sparingly and only when they help readers understand your work. Ask yourself the following questions whenever you consider using a particular abbreviation:
Is the reader familiar with the abbreviation?
Use an existing and accepted abbreviation if one exists, because
familiarity aids understanding. If there is no standard abbreviation,
you can create your own.
Will you use the abbreviation at least three times in the
document?
Use an abbreviation at least three times in a document if you are going
to use it. If you don't use it three times, write the full term each
time. The reader might have a hard time remembering what the
abbreviation means if you use it infrequently.
Would spelling the term every time be overly repetitive and
cumbersome?
Use abbreviations to avoid cumbersome repetition and improve
comprehension, not just as a typing shortcut. For example, it is
generally easier to read a two-word phrase than it is to remember the
meaning of a two-letter abbreviation. Longer phrases are better
candidates for the abbreviation.
How many abbreviations can my job have?
There is no clear definition of how many abbreviations are too many or
too few, but writing is generally easier to understand when there is not
an excess of abbreviations. Therefore, in this case, it is better to sin
by lack than by excess.
Examples
When the full version of a term first appears in a sentence in the text, place the abbreviation in parentheses after it.
attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
When the full version of a term first appears in parenthetical text, place the abbreviation in square brackets after it. Don't use nested parentheses
(i.e. attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD])
If a citation follows an abbreviation, include the citation after the abbreviation, separated by a semicolon. Do not use nested or consecutive parentheses.
Narrative quote
Beck Depression Inventory - II (BDI-II; Beck et al., 1996)
Quote in parentheses
(Beck Depression Inventory - II [BDI-II]; Beck et al., 1996)
Definition in tables and figures. Define the abbreviations used in tables and figures within each table and figure, even if the abbreviations have already been defined in the text. The abbreviation may appear in parentheses after the first use of the term within the table or figure, including in the table or figure title, or the definition may appear in a general table or figure note or figure legend. If an abbreviation is used in multiple tables and figures, define it in each table or figure. Do not define abbreviations that do not appear in a table or figure. Do not define or write standard abbreviations for units of measurement and statistics in a table or figure (see Sections 6.44 and 7.15).
Corporate Author Abbreviations
If your reference has a corporate author, the name of the organization can be abbreviated in citations. For example, the Inter-American Development Bank can be abbreviated as IDB. As with other abbreviations, write the full name at the first mention in the text and then provide the abbreviation.
If the group name appears for the first time in a narrative citation, place the abbreviation, a comma, and the year for the citation in parentheses after it.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB, 2020) suggests that families that dominate their finances…
If the group name appears for the first time in a parenthetical citation, place the abbreviation in brackets, followed by a comma and the year for the citation.
All families must master their finances (Inter-American Development Bank [IDB], 2020).
Abbreviation and translation
This situation creates two slightly contradictory conditions, because the translation of a term or phrase requires a bracket and then the acronym rule requires another bracket, so we would have two brackets in a row, which is probably not the intent of the APA Standards.
In this case, we have two options. One option is to write the text in such a way that we can insert the translation into the narrative.
The worker should have access to land as a right (Movimento Sem Terra [MST], 2020). The MST, which in Spanish means Movement Without Land, is focused…
Another option is to add the translation in the same parentheses as the citation.
The worker should have access to land as a right (Movimento Sem Terra [MST], 2020; the name can be translated as “Landless Movement”).
In the reference you must use the name of the corporation in the original language and without abbreviation.
Landless Movement. (2020). Book Title. ABC Editorial.
Abbreviations in tables and figures
If you use abbreviations in figures or tables, use the Table Note or Figure Note space to define them. If you use the same abbreviation in several figures or tables, you must add the definition in each figure.
