APA Abbreviations

Abbreviations

Abbreviations are generally useful for long, technical terms in scientific writing and their use is justified if they add to the clarity of the text. The rule of thumb is that expressions should be spelled out the first time they are mentioned in the text followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, and then abbreviated on all other occasions. However, when deciding whether to abbreviate or not a certain term, keep in mind that abbreviations that are introduced on a first mention in the text and appear less than 3 times thereafter are not advised. This is especially true for longer texts, when spelling out the term each time can be less confusing to the reader.

• Some abbreviations don’t need an explanation if they appear as word entries in the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary:

  • For example: REM, ESP, AIDS, HIV, NADP, ACTH.

• Others appear often in journals, and although they are probably familiar to many readers, they nonetheless should be explained at first use:

  • e.g., reaction time (RT), conditional stimulus (CS), short-term memory (STM).

• To form the plural of abbreviations, just add s at the end:

  • For example: IQs, RTs, Eds.