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Abbreviations are a great way to shorten your text and save time. However, it is important that you use them correctly. This article explains abbreviations and acronyms and gives tips on how to use them in English bachelor and master theses.

What is an abbreviation?

An abbreviation is a short form of a single word or a multi-word phrase, usually made by shortening certain letters. In the following sentence, anything underlined is an abbreviation:

Example: dr Jones, who's currently undertaking research on DNA, can't attend the WHO conference being held in the US in Oct. 2016

Not all of the abbreviations used in this example are formed in the same way. at Dr. and Oct. are general abbreviations, who's and can't are contractions, and DNA, WHO and US are acronyms. Contractions and acronyms are subcategories of abbreviations. But how do they differ?

Contractions

Contractions are most often used to simplify a common combination of a pronoun and a verb. Deleted letters are replaced with an apostrophe.

contractions	Common combinations of pronouns and verbs
In the	I am
isn't	is not
let's	let us
shes	she is
you've	you have

Acronyms

Acronyms are composed of the first letter(s) of several words in a phrase. When read, some are pronounced like ordinary words (for example , OPEC); others are read as single letters (e.g. UK).

Acronyms	Words
Benelux	Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg
FAQ	Frequently Asked Questions
IT	information technology
MBA	Master of Business Administration
SWOT	Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

How and when should abbreviations be used?

Abbreviations are meant to make things easier for both you and your readers. The following tips will help you achieve this goal:

• Note that abbreviations usually end with a period, but acronyms and contractions do not.
• The plural of abbreviations is formed by adding an "s" and without an apostrophe.
  Example: Many CEOs of major MNCs attend the Davos Forum.
• Introduce each acronym before you start using it. To do this, put the acronym in brackets after the full term when you first mention it. Then you just use the acronym.
  Example: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is headquartered in Switzerland. The IOC President is elected by secret ballot.
• Note that well-known acronyms do not need to be spelled out. However, the list of these is short.

Category	Acronyms
countries	PRC, UAE, UK, USA, USSR
organizations	NASA, NATO, UNESCO, UNICEF
science and technology	AIDS, AM/FM, CD, DVD, HDMI, HIV, laser, PC, radar, TV, USB
Time	BC/AD, BCE/CE, time zones
various	AKA, eg, ie

• Avoid contractions, as these are considered too informal for academic texts.
  Example: Incorrect: Let's consider the first theory, which isn't commonly accepted.

Correct: Let us consider the first theory, which is not commonly accepted.

• A list of abbreviations makes sense if you use a lot of abbreviations for technical terms in your work.

When should abbreviations not be used?

• Avoid acronyms that are well known (at least within your field).
• Don't introduce an acronym that you don't use at least three or four times. Just use the full term instead.
• Don't start a sentence with an acronym. Either you write out the term or you restructure the sentence.
  Example: Bad: B2B applications are gaining popularity. Better: Business-to-business applications are gaining popularity. or Applications for B2B are gaining popularity.

Better: Business-to-business applications are gaining popularity. or Applications for B2B are gaining popularity.

The use of abbreviations in legal texts

Abbreviations (including acronyms) are commonly used in legal texts. The conventions must be strictly followed, but these vary between countries and universities. If you want to write about a legal topic, you should consider the style involved.

APA rules on abbreviations

If you're following APA style guidelines, consider these additional suggestions:

• Only abbreviate statistical terms (like SD and M) and units of measurement (like kg and min) if you include a number.
  Example: The first step detailed using the centimeter measurements to calculate a mean (M = 32.4 cm, SD = 3.7 cm).
• Use periods when abbreviating a Latin term (such as g., am and etc.) or when referring to something related to your references (such as ed. or p.).
• Use periods when "US" serves as an adjective, but not when referring to the country.
  Example: The US is classified as a federal republic, with the US Congress playing a key role.