Corporate document
Abbreviations and acronyms
Avoid abbreviations and acronyms whenever possible. Do not use an abbreviation or acronym if it only appears once, unless it's more commonly used than the full term (see below for examples).
Define an abbreviation or acronym the first time you use it in a section. For example, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Define immunoglobulins such as IgA, IgD on first mention as well because screenreaders read the abbreviation out as a word.
Do not use full stops in abbreviations or acronyms (NHS, AIDS), contractions (Ms, Dr) or initials (Dr HJ Baker).
Many common abbreviations and acronyms are better known than what they stand for, so they do not need to be defined (in fact, to define them may make them less clear).
Do not define
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UK
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US
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NICE
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NHS
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GP
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BNF
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DNA
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MRI
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CT
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LGBTQ+
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AIDS
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HIV
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USB
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UV
This list is not exhaustive. Use common sense and think about what the user is likely to be familiar with.
Use the US to refer to the country, not America or the USA.
Do not use NICE-specific abbreviations or acronyms (use technology appraisal, guideline committee, draft guidance; not TA, GC, DG).
Do not use e.g., i.e. or etc. Use for example, such as, that is and so on.