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Abbreviations are shortened forms that consist of the first letter of a word, usually some other letters, but not the last letter, for example Mon, Tues, Jan, Feb.
For clarity, avoid abbreviations apart from:

  • i.e.
  • e.g.
  • etc.
  • Australian states and territories Qld, NSW, Vic., Tas., SA, WA, NT, ACT.

Both i.e. and e.g. are abbreviations of Latin phrases. E.g. (exempli gratia) means 'for the sake of example' and i.e. means 'that is'. Use e.g. to provide an example and i.e. when you need to reword something already said for clarification.
Examples:

  • When this occurs on a non-working day (e.g. Sunday)
  • When this occurs on a non-working day (i.e. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays).

The term etc. indicates that the 'other things' have already been mentioned and need not be repeated. Do not use etc. unless the list has already been given in full. Do not use with 'for example' or 'such as'.
Add an 's' without an apostrophe to pluralise shortened forms, for example MPs, NCOs, VCRs, vols, nos, FAQs.
Whether to add 'an' or 'a' in front of an abbreviation can cause difficulty sometimes. Write it how it sounds. The general rule is to use 'an' in front of a vowel sound and 'a' in front of a consonant. Treat the abbreviation and the full term as separate items and use whichever is appropriate.
Examples:

  • He received a Masters of Business Administration from Queensland University.
  • He received an MBA from Queensland University.

Generally the ampersand (&), the abbreviation for 'and', should only be used in certain circumstances, such as in: organisational titles if the ampersand is part of the registered name a parenthetical reference to joint authors and between the names of joint authors in bibliographies system terms as they appear in the software, for example Spelling & Grammar in Microsoft Word.
Examples include:

  • P&O
  • Wiley & Sons
  • The study on lasers (Smith & Jones 1994)
  • Smith, GL & Jones, SL 1994.

To save space, however, you can use the ampersand in menu (navigation) items.

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