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The use of acronyms in the text

A frequent question in newsrooms is about the correct use of acronyms. There are many variables to consider in this regard: the space you have to write, if the reader will understand what the acronym means, if it is an acronym in common use, what is the purpose of the text and, even, it is necessary to evaluate the fluidity in reading the essay. Considering these situations, the ideal is always to quote the full name the first time and use the acronym in parentheses, which will be taken up at another point in the text:

The National Register of Individuals (CPF) will be inserted in the birth certificate, as the Federal Revenue will require the CPF of all dependents for the purpose of income tax (IR) declaration.

If you quote the name in full at all times, the text will be tedious and use unnecessary space (especially in handwritten essays). Imagine what this title would look like if all the acronyms were spelled out:

Representatives from Funai, Ibama and Incra meet with the MST.

However, in the text, it is interesting to present to the reader the full name of each organ, do not consider that he knows the meaning of each acronym, give him this information.

But how do I know if I should only use uppercase or lowercase letters in acronyms?

It is conventional to use the abbreviations in the following ways:

1) all letters are capitalized if each letter corresponds to a word, or when the letters are spelled:
ABL - Academia Brasileira de Letras
CPF - Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas
INSS - Instituto Nacional de Seguro Social
BNDES - Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento

*Note that when registering in full each word has its initial capital.

2) only the initial letter is capitalized if each letter does not necessarily correspond to a word, or if it is pronounced as a common word:
Funai - Fundação Nacional do Índio
Sabesp - Basic Sanitation Company of the State of São Paulo
Sudene - Superintendence for the Development of the Northeast
Masp – Art Museum of São Paulo
Detran – Traffic Department

3) capitals and lowercase are used when it is necessary to differentiate acronyms or mark a plural, or if it has been agreed in this way:
UFSC – Federal University of Santa Catarina X UFSCar – Federal University of São Carlos
CPIs – Parliamentary Inquiry Commissions
UnB – University of Brasília
ICMBio – Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.

The use of acronyms can be a great ally for a good writing, in addition to making it objective, it saves a good amount of space whenever it is limited, indicates a greater domain on the subject and allows you to vary the vocabulary, avoiding unnecessary repetitions.