Abbreviations

Use only abbreviations and acronyms (abbreviations pronounced as words) on their own if they are very familiar to most readers. (See the Acronyms section.)

• CBC, MPP, MP, RCMP

When in doubt, spell out. If you are using an abbreviation that is not well known, spell out the full name in the first reference with the abbreviation in parentheses. Then use the abbreviation or a short form of the full name in all subsequent references.

• York is the home base for the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre (WECT). Three volumes of WECT have already been published and the fourth volume of the series is scheduled for release in the Fall of 1998. (See the Acronyms section.)

For ease of reading or variety, a general term is often preferable to an abbreviation.

• The encyclopedia headquarters is located at York University.

No more than one or two abbreviations or acronyms should be used within the same text. Otherwise, you get a sentence that reads like this:

• AUCC voted that SCOTL should devote more time to publicizing SSHRC and NSERC awards to get CCAE’s attention.

Do not include an abbreviation in parentheses if the abbreviation is not repeated elsewhere.

When abbreviations follow indefinite articles, the way the abbreviation is pronounced determines whether “a” or “an” is used.

• a WHO spokesman
• an EKG

Abbreviations also include the shortening of items such as:

• Inc.
• Incorporated

• etc. (use a comma before it in a series, but a comma is not necessary if there is no series)
• et cetera (and so on)

• e.g. (no comma after it)
• exampli gratia (for example)

• i.e. (no comma after it)
• id est (that is to say)

Omit periods in all-capital abbreviations unless the abbreviation is geographical or refers to a person.

• AD, CST, IPO, UBC, UFO, VIP, URL; B.C., P.E.I., N.W.T., U.S., T.O., L.A.; J.R. Ewing

Omit periods from currency abbreviations

• US$500, C$800

Metric symbols are not abbreviations and take periods only at the end of a sentence.