05 November 2012

Define acronyms before using

Do not use an acronym without defining it beforehand. Define acronyms by saying the word, then putting the acronym in brackets. 

Use the acronym throughout. 


For example:

Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are widely used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The WWTP monitored in this study treats water from almost 4000 households.


Possible exceptions:

Some style guides say that the first word of a new sentence should not be an acronym or abbreviation. Some journals also recommend redefining acronyms in the results or discussion section of a paper if they were first mentioned in materials and methods, because not everyone ready materials and methods.

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