Abbreviations, Contractions and Acronyms

Rule: Always spell out abbreviations or acronyms the first time you mention it. Then use the short version. If the abbreviation isn’t clearly related to the full version, use parentheses.

Example:

• First use: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC); Second use: UTC

• First use: Escherichia coli; Second use: E. coli

Rule: Use abbreviations or acronyms if they are well known. When referring to a file type, use all uppercase without a period. Add a lowercase s to make plural.

Example: GIF, PDF, HTML, JPGs

Rule: Terms that form a capitalized abbreviation are written non-capitalized if not abbreviated.

Example:

• • low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)