Should I use abbreviations in technical writing?
You get invited to a meeting called “HCC & YNBR Q1 targets.”
Are those abbreviations or code language for some secret business cult?
We love to use abbreviations because they make communicating faster and they save space. But we don’t stop to think about how it makes people feel when we use abbreviations they don’t understand:
- Inadequate
- Uneducated
- Like an outsider
Not the impact you want to make on your readers.
How to use abbreviations so that everyone feels included
Abbreviations are shortened forms of a word or phrase. You can use them in place of long or cumbersome phrases to make your sentences easier to read.
1. Shortenings
Omit the beginning or the end of the word or phrase.
Example:
rehabilitation centers > rehab centers
2. Acronyms
The first letters of a group of words.
Example:
anti-lock braking system > ABS
The first time you use an abbreviation, spell out the full word or phrase, and then put its abbreviation in parentheses.
Example:
An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti-skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles.
Going forward, use only the abbreviation:
Most cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses have ABS.
When not to use abbreviations
If an abbreviation is new to someone, they will mentally expand it to understand it every time. For example, I would expand “OSHA” to “Occupational Safety and Health Administration” in my head every time I read it because I don’t know anything about occupational safety. So the shorter abbreviation actually takes me longer to process and understand than the full industry term. Considering this, only use abbreviations for industry terms that are a few words long and are frequently mentioned in your writing.
Over to you…
- Review your writing for long phrases and industry terms that are mentioned more than 3 times
- Replace them with abbreviations
