Acronyms are a useful way to succinctly express a concept.

Technically, in Australia, acronyms pertain to abbreviations, contractions, initials, and symbols as “short forms.” Although there are clear differences between the forms in their presentation and punctuation, for this article, they will all be referred to as acronyms.

Acronyms are often specific to an industry sector or an organization. The terms (and the concepts they represent) are well understood and used correctly by group members and simplify ‘internal’ communication.

However, confusion can arise when acronyms are used outside the group. The term ‘OCD’ to a scientist means something completely different than what a report writer understands when he uses the term. How many times has he nodded his head sagely while the computer salesman prattles on about the use of acronyms he’s vaguely familiar with but not entirely sure of the meaning? It’s often easier to nod than to ask for simple, jargon-free explanations because we don’t want to appear silly or uneducated.

We are ‘outsiders’.

Business writers must avoid excluding their readers. You have a message and a call to action to communicate with them, and you need to do it as clearly as possible. Readers who cannot understand your message will not respond to your call to action.

So it’s time to look at some of the problems associated with using acronyms in business and technical writing, and how to avoid them.

1. Lack of clarity arises when writers assume that readers understand acronyms. Your readers won’t necessarily be familiar with the specialized terms and acronyms you use every day; for them, it is jargon. Therefore, you need to decide which terms need to be explained so that your readers get a basic understanding of what you are telling them. It can be helpful to test whether or not to include a term by asking a few people outside the group.
2. Consistency in the use of acronyms is extremely important. Once you’ve decided which acronyms to use, make sure you use them exactly the same way every time. Readers will be confused by the inconsistencies. If you have chosen to abbreviate ‘Clínica Veterinaria Central’ as ‘CVC’, and then refer to it as ‘Central’, it may be difficult to keep your readers focused. Your task is to make it as easy as possible for your readers to understand your message.
3. how to present acronyms can cause concerns to writers.
   • In documents where only a few acronyms need to be explained, the easiest way is to give the full term, followed by the abbreviated form in parentheses. This must happen the first time the term is used; in longer documents it may be useful to repeat the explanation at the beginning of each section or chapter. When it is necessary to rewrite the term, the acronym alone can be used. Thus: ‘…report to Southern Minerals Exploration (SME)’. followed by ‘SME continues…’
   • However, when the short form is more familiar than the longer, use the acronym first, as in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
   • In documents that contain many acronyms, consider using a table or list of abbreviations. These are usually presented in alphabetical order, usually at the beginning of the document. However, if the list is particularly long, it may be better to include it at the end so that readers are not overwhelmed by the apparent need to understand so many terms. Be careful how you present the list: keep the space between the term and its explanation relatively narrow, so it’s easy for readers’ eyes to follow from one column to the next.
   • A footnote can also be used to explain an acronym used in the text. If there is only one pair, use symbols (, ^); in other cases, use superscript numbers in the text.

Use acronyms wisely and always prioritize your readers’ need for clarity.