APA also allows abbreviations that appear as words in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary to be used without explanation (IQ, HIV, RNA, CIA, UNESCO). When abbreviating a term, use the full term the first time you use it, followed immediately by the abbreviation in parentheses.Īccording to the American Psychological Association (APA), abbreviations are best used only when they allow for clear communication with the audience.Įxceptions: Standard abbreviations like units of measurement and states do not need to be written out. There are a few common trends in abbreviating that you should follow when using APA, though there are always exceptions to these rules. You should not overuse abbreviations (writing is easier to understand when words are written out) you should also not underuse abbreviations (in general, if you use an abbreviation, it should appear at least three times in your paper, because fewer uses mean it is more likely your reader will forget what the abbreviation refers to). In APA, abbreviations should be limited to instances when a) the abbreviation is standard and will not interfere with the reader’s understanding and b) if space and repetition can be greatly avoided through abbreviation. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style can be found here. The act of marking an index entry inserts hidden. In the Mark Index Entry dialog box, click on the 'Mark' button to add the term you selected.
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#How to create abbreviations for words manual
Note: This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. Press 'Shift-Alt-X,' or switch to the 'References' tab of the Microsoft Word ribbon and click on the 'Index' section's 'Mark Entry' item, to create an index entry based on your text selection.