Chapter 1 Abbreviations

1. Academic Degrees

When using the word "degree," spell out and use lower case: bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctor’s degree or doctorate.

When not using the word "degree," capitalize its title: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Science.

Capitalize abbreviated degrees, and use periods after the letters: B.A., M.S., Ph.D., M.S.I.A., B.F.A. (MBA is an exception.

You can receive a doctorate or your doctor’s degree, but to say or write "doctoral degree" is errant usage.

Right	He received a master’s degree in biology.
Right	She got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas.
Right	She received her master of science degree in engineering.
Right	We awarded 90 doctor’s, 170 master’s and 800 bachelor’s degrees.
Right	He earned a bachelor of science degree.
Wrong	He earned a bachelor’s of science degree.
Right	She has a M.S. degree in botany.

It is wrong to precede names with titles of academic degrees followed with abbreviations.

Right	Larry R. Faulkner, Ph.D., is president of The University of Texas at Austin.
Right	Dr. Larry R. Faulkner is president of The University of Texas at Austin.
Wrong	Dr. Larry R. Faulkner, Ph.D., is president of The University of Texas at Austin.

Use "Dr." in first references as a formal title before names of those who hold a doctor’s degree. It's improper to use "Dr." in secondary references, unless a person holds a doctor of medicine degree.

Avoid using "Dr." before names of those who only hold honorary degrees. References to honorary degrees must specify that the degrees were honorary.

Last names can be used without titles, which is often preferable to maintain consistency.

2. Acronyms

It’s fine to use acronyms if you feel they’re commonly recognized or if it helps avoid repetition. Be sure to spell out full names, titles or phrases the first time references are made, immediately followed by the respective acronyms in parentheses. Use acronyms for subsequent uses, but remember to limit acronyms to as few as possible. A document full of acronyms can become difficult to read which is contrary to the purpose of acronyms

Once referenced by acronyms in a paragraph, you may spell out full names again or use generic terms or pronouns (corporation, company, organization, firm, we, our, us, their, them, it) when faced with too many acronyms in that paragraph. Refer to this guide's introduction for examples. It is unnecessary to note acronyms in parentheses after reference has been made or if there is only one reference.

Right	The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the grant to the research group. The NIH funded only three such centers. It intends to fund four centers next year.
Wrong	The six-year research project is funded by the National Institute on Aging of the NIH.
Right	Researchers received a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate outcomes of computerized and individual therapies with school-age children throughout the United States. With this NIH-funded project, researchers will test the theory that language impairments and learning disabilities are caused by inadequate brain mechanisms.

3. Addresses

These rules apply to addresses within text, rather than addresses on envelopes.

Use street abbreviations (Ave, Blvd, Rd, Dr and St) only when a numbered address is included. For content reduction purposes, exclude periods at the end of abbreviations.

Right	Send mail to 407 W. 26th St.
Right	Our office is on 24th Street.

Spell out street names and use lower case when you’re referring to more than one in a phrase.

Right	The drive-thru is on San Antonio and Nueces streets.
Wrong	The drive-thru is on San Antonio and Nueces Sts.

4. Company Names

Follow their lead. Use Co. or Cos. or Inc. or Ltd. if it appears that way in the organization's formal title.

When you refer to companies without formal titles, use “company,” rather than “co.”

Spell out “company” in names of theatrical organizations.

For possessives, write: Ford Motor Co.’s profits.

Use commas before Inc. and Ltd. unless the acronyms are part of company logos and name recognition. Follow a company’s lead about other punctuation and  use of “&” or “and.”

5. Contractions

In most non-academic writing, contractions make text easier to read, conveying a more conversational tone. Unless more formal constructions help emphasize meaning, use contractions.

You’ll notice we use contractions in our publications, except for points of emphasis, as in “do not” instead of “don’t.”

Negative contractions are frequently misused and present argumentative tones when used in questions. Do not begin questions with negative contractions. In fact, it's wise to avoid beginning any sentence with a negative contraction. To test a negative contraction in a question, convert it back and see if the wording sounds right. Refer to Writing Techniques to learn when to use negations.

6. Ph.D.

The preferred form for Ph.D. is to say a person holds a doctorate in (name their field of specialty). Second best is to say doctor’s degree.

7. Rev.

When used before an individual’s name, precede it with “the.”

Right	The Rev. Miller will speak at the assembly.
Right	The Reverend Miller will speak.
Wrong	Rev. Miller will be there.
Wrong	The Rev. will be there.

8. Postal Abbreviations

For content reduction purposes, use postal abbreviations. See States and Regions for preferred abbreviations of states. However, for formal presentations, use Associated Press rules and include periods.

Right	He traveled to Austin, TX and deposited his funds.
Wrong	He traveled to Austin, Tx. and deposited his funds.

9. States and Regions

Spell out state names when they stand alone in text.

Abbreviate using postal, rather than Associated Press, rules when citing cities and states together. Once again, abbreviation periods can be excluded. Abbreviate for envelopes, tables, lists and letters, but do not use abbreviations in formal manuscripts and within paragraphs.

The following table lists the official United States Postal Service (USPS) full names and approved abbreviations for the states, territories, and military addresses in the United States.  It also lists the official abbreviations for the provinces and territories of Canada.  Note that the table is alphabetized by the full name.

Use Washington, D.C. Avoid abbreviation to D.C. or, worse, DC.

Right	The University of Texas at Austin is in Austin, Texas.
Wrong	The University of Texas at Austin is in Austin, T.X.

Spell out state names if part of titles or names: The Texas Education Agency.

10. U.S./United States

Use “United States” on first reference, rather than “U.S.,” “USA” or “America,” and be consistent with references thereafter. The key is to choose one option and consistently use it. It can be confusing to jump from one usage to another.