It depends on the type of abbreviation.
In technology and science, many abbreviations are essential. These include the abbreviations for units of measurement (cm, °C, Hz, ms, and many more), statistical abbreviations (ANOVA, OLS, RMS, N, sd or SD, and so on), and symbols for chemical elements.
In general, you may use these and other common abbreviations without spelling them out on their first occurrence. Well-known abbreviations include common acronyms (such as IT or DVD) and abbreviations of Latin expressions (et al., i.e., etc.).
In contrast, you need to define a new or less-known abbreviation on first mention of a term; then you use the abbreviation instead of the spelled-out term.
By using abbreviations in scientific papers, you write faster, the reader reads faster, and you save space.
When are abbreviations unnecessary?
Abbreviations are unnecessary when they defeat their purpose: instead of improving readability, they slow down reading speed, introduce confusion, or both—when they waste the reader’s time.
As a rule of thumb, if a term unfamiliar to the reader appears only a few times in your paper (about five times, according to the Chicago Manual of Style; about three times per APA Style), do not abbreviate it. Spell it out each time, unless it’s not practical to do so.
As a freelance editor, I tell my clients to ask themselves these questions when trying to decide whether to use an abbreviation (or an acronym or initialism):
Is it necessary?
Am I saving the reader time if I use it?
If the answer to both questions is yes, use the abbreviation. If the answer to at least one question is no, consider using only the unabbreviated term.
Finally, if a long document has a large number of abbreviations, creating a list of abbreviations is a good idea.
Do you need a freelance editor or proofreader for a research paper or thesis? Send me a message at editor@languageediting.com.
Related posts:
- Is it acceptable to use “we” in scientific papers?
- Should I edit my own research paper?
- Write your research paper outline: A concise guide
Last revised on 15 July 2022
