Overuse of Acronyms in Professional Writing Research Paper

Overuse of Acronyms in Professional Writing - Research Paper Example cronyms which may be seen in scientific literature include ACE for Angiostensin Coverting Enzyme, BUN for Blood Urea Nitrogen, and CAT for Computerized Axial Tomography. On the other hand, intialisms like ACTH for Adreno-CorticoTrophic Hormone, PTST for Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and RT-CR for Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction are also frequently used in the same field. Acronyms are used in the highly technical world for the following purposes: However, acronyms may be overused in scientific writing to the point that the advantages are overshadowed by confusion (Ibrahim 27). This paper will examine the extent by which acronyms are being used in the scientific field with recommendations to prevent the overuse of acronyms in scientific writing Two studies were conducted to investigate the extent to which acronyms are overused in scientific literature: one by researchers Hong Yu, George Hripcsack, and Carol Friedman at Columbia University, and another by Dr. Everett Shocket, from the University of South Florida and the Bay Pines VA Medical Center. Using a computer program they developed, Yu, Hripcsack, and Friedman mapped acronyms in scientific journals to their respective long forms. Results revealed that only 25% of acronyms were defined in scientific articles. The remaining 75% of undefined acronyms were mapped to one of four online acronym databases. The study found that the acronyms had different meanings in each database (Yu, Hripesack, and Friedman 262). An acronym which stands for various meanings in the same field of expertise is a clear indication of irresponsible use and overuse of acronyms even in scholarly works. Findings of the study suggest that concerns about the prevalence of the overuse of acronyms are founded. The fact that an automated intervention to help readers match an acronym in a scientific journal to its correct long form had not been very successful implies the gravity of the problem on the overuse of