Abbreviations

Defining Abbreviations
• If an abbreviation occurs at least three times, define it the first time that it is used:
– In a central receiver system (CRS), a field of solar mirrors focuses sunlight onto a central boiler or receiver. An example of a CRS is the Solar One Power Plant located near Barstow, California. Another example of a CRS is…
Common Abbreviations
• Abbreviations like SEM, TEM, XRD, and FTIR are so common that there is probably no need to define them in every paper in which they are used, but defining them when first used takes very little space and may help some readers. Common abbreviations such as DNA or AIDS may be defined somewhere in the document for completeness’ sake, but treat the abbreviation as the familiar term in titles, abstracts (summaries), and the main text.
Abbreviations
• Use abbreviations sparingly. A page full of abbreviations might save space, but is very difficult to read.
– ACs produced by the FBM (AC-1B, AC-3B, AC-5B, AC-7B) were examined by using XRD, TEM, TPD, and ESCA and found to have an Lc of 40 Å and –OH, –CO–OH, and =O SFGs.
– The carbon nanotubes were treated with HNO3.
Abbreviations
• In English, the plural noun is usually not used in an adjectival role:
– carbon fiber composite, but composite filled with carbon fibers – CNT composites, but composites filled with CNTs
Acronyms
• Made from the first letters or parts of a compound term and read or spoken as a single word, not letter by letter
– radar = radio detection and ranging – laser = light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
Initialisms
• Made from the first letters or parts of a compound term and sounded letter by letter
– r.p.m. = revolutions per minute – TEM = transmission electron microscope
Abbreviations
• The following definition of an abbreviation is redundant:
– In a central receiver system (CRS), a field of solar mirrors focuses sunlight onto a central boiler or receiver. An example of a central receiver system is the Solar One Power Plant located near Barstow, California. Another example of a central receiver system is…
Abbreviations
• The following definition of an abbreviation is stupid:
– In a central receiver system (CRS), a field of solar mirrors focuses sunlight onto a central boiler or receiver. An example of a central receiver system (CRS) is the Solar One Power Plant located near Barstow, California. Another example of a central receiver system (CRS) is…
Abbreviations
3. Never use abbreviations in the Abstract without defining them, and define them only if they are used later in the abstract. 4. Define an abbreviation the first time it is used in the main text, even though it may have been defined in the Abstract. 5. Define an abbreviation only if you are going to use it later.
Abbreviations
1. To define an abbreviation, first write the term in full followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, not the other way round:
– “X-ray diffraction (XRD) examination showed that the samples were not crystalline” is correct. – “XRD (X-ray diffraction) examination showed that the samples were not crystalline” is wrong.
• Most abbreviations for polymers should be defined because these abbreviations depend on the chemical name, which changes with the language.
– styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) – poly(di-isoamyl itaconate-co-isoprene) (PDII) – poly(dimethyl/methylvinylsiloxane) (VMQ)
Abbreviations
• The following sentences were found in the same abstract:
– A multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) reinforced silicone rubber (SiR) nanocomposite (MWCNT/SiR) was prepared by a high-shear mechanical mixing technique… The dispersion of CNTs in silicone rubber was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)… The hardness of the nanocomposite (MWCNT/SiR) increased with the increase of MWCNT content…
Defining Abbreviations
• If an abbreviation appears only once or twice at the beginning of a long document, but several times in a later section, use the full expression in the earlier references and define the abbreviation in the later section.
Abbreviations
2. Never define an abbreviation in the Title:
– Structure, morphology, and mechanical properties of poly(dimethyl/methylvinylsiloxane) (VMQ) reinforced by in situ polymerization of zinc dimethacrylate (ZDMA)
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AbБайду номын сангаасreviations
• Chemical formulas, which are standard abbreviations based on internationally recognized symbols for the elements, usually need not be defined: