Use and Abuse of Abbreviations in Technical Communication

Abstract

The function of technical writing as represented by the articles published in this journal is very simple-the clear communication of information and ideas. The operative word is dclear.d Above all else, technical communications must have clarity. They must be unambiguous. They must erect minimal barriers between the mind of the writer and mind of the reader. The purpose of writing a paper is to communicate, and anything impairing clarity of technical writing weakens its effectiveness, undermining the reason for doing it in the first place. At best, barriers to clear communication represent sloppy writing and are disrespectful to the reader, who is investing time and effort in the author’s words and thoughts. At worst, especially in medical writing, barriers to clear communication can be dangerous to patients and misleading to other scientists, whose own research and careers depend on understanding clearly the work of others. One significant barrier to clear technical communication is the use and abuse of abbreviations. An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase used in place of the whole word. Abbreviations are usually formed by omitting presumably unneeded letters within a word or combining the initial letters of words within a phrase. When read as words, abbreviations become acronyms. Symbols are alphanumeric characters used in place of a word. The distinction between abbreviations and symbols is not sharp, although different rules of punctuation have