| Do not begin a sentence with an abbreviation. The first time you use an
abbreviation that is likely to be unfamiliar to some readers, introduce it in
parentheses following the full name of the organization being referred to, e.g.,
"the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)." Thereafter, the
abbreviation may be used alone. In very long texts, the full name and
abbreviation or acronym may be repeated on first mention in each chapter. It is helpful to
include a glossary of abbreviations used.
Regular word spaces are used between the initials in personal names, e.g.,
"W. B. Yeats," whereas, in other contexts, usually no space is
inserted after internal periods. Most abbreviations end in or contain periods.
However, do not use periods in abbreviated names of certain United Nations' and
governmental agencies and corporations, broadcasting stations, and some other
organizations:
AFL-CIO, ASEAN, CBC, CDC, CDIC, CN, CP, CRTC, DEA, DND, NDP, RCMP.
Acronyms formed from only the first letter of each word are printed in
uppercase letters:
AIDS, CIDA, COLA, NASA, NATO, SALT, SEATO, UNCTAD, UNESCO.
Acronyms formed from initial and other letters are printed in upper- and
lowercase letters:
Dofasco, Norad, Stelco.
BGP Corp. preferred forms of some common abbreviations are given below. Pay
particular attention to the capitalization, the use of italics, small capital
letters, and periods, and the presence or absence of spaces:
| a.d. |
anno Domini |
| a.h. |
anno Hegirae, anno Hebraico |
| a.m. |
anno mundi, ante meridiem |
| ab init. |
ab initio, from the beginning |
| abr. |
abridged; abridgment |
| anon. |
anonymous |
| app. |
appendix |
| b.c. |
before Christ |
| b.c.e. |
before the Common Era |
| bibliog. |
bibliography |
| c. |
chapter |
| CA |
Canada |
| ca. |
circa, about, approximately |
| c.e. |
Common Era |
| cf. |
confer, compare |
| chap. |
chapter |
| comp. |
compiler; compiled by |
| cp. |
compare |
| dept. |
department |
| ed. |
editor (pl. eds.); edited by |
| e.g. |
exempli gratia, for example |
| Eqn. |
equation |
| esp. |
especially |
| et al. |
et alii, and others |
| et seq. |
et sequentes, and the following |
| etc. |
et cetera, and so forth |
| ex. |
example (pl. exx.) |
| Fig. |
figure |
| i.e. |
id est, that is |
| ibid. |
ibidem, in the same place |
| Inc. |
Incorporated |
| incl. |
inclusive; including; includes |
| inf. |
infra, below |
| km/h |
kilometres per hour |
| lit. |
literally |
| Litt.D. |
Litterarum Doctor |
| loc. cit. |
loco. citato, in the place cited |
| LL.B. |
Legum Baccalaureus |
| LL.D. |
Legum Doctor |
| Ltd. |
Limited |
| misc. |
miscellaneous |
| MS |
(pl. MSS) manuscriptum(-a), manuscript(s) |
| N.B. |
nota bene, note well |
| n.d. |
no date |
| n.p. |
no place; no publisher |
| no. |
number |
| op. cit. |
opere citato, in the work cited |
| p. |
(pl. pp.) page(s) |
| PhD |
Philosophiae Doctor |
| p.m. |
post meridiem |
| P.S. |
post scriptum, postscript |
| QC |
Queen's counsel |
| Rt. Hon. |
Right Honorable |
| s.a. |
sine anno, without year |
| sup. |
supra, above |
| UK |
United Kingdom |
| USA |
United States of America |
| viz. |
videlicet, namely |
| vs. |
versus, against |
|
Lethbridge, Alberta Canada
