More effective writers tend to understand their audiences, and they leverage that understanding to produce writing that communicates their intended message more effectively.  If their audience accepts a given convention for communicating a certain idea, more effective writers can use that convention to communicate that idea successfully.  However, if the audience doesn’t accept that convention, then using it will communicate a different idea — the one that the audience accepts rather than the one the writer intends.

Abbreviations provide good examples of such conventions typical in the world of technical writing.  Different audiences can use the same abbreviation to communicate different ideas.  For example, Internet marketers see SEM as search engine marketing, but engineers and materials scientists recognize SEM as scanning electron microscopy.  That’s why more effective writers tend to understand their audiences.

The abbreviation MS (or ms, both of which abbreviate manuscript) as well as the plural MSS (or mss) provide another good example.  If your audience understands the convention (MS = manuscript), then using it will effectively communicate your message.  If not, then using it will leave your audience to decipher the meaning from context, which doesn’t always happen.  When it comes to abbreviations, when in doubt, leave it out.

So don’t mess with MS or other abbreviations if your audience does not know and accept the convention.  Approach your audience on their terms, not yours.  Doing so will help you produce more effective writing.  And that will make a more effective presentation of both you and your brands.

In the last post we used the word consensus to exemplify the need for conciseness in more effective technical writing.  Some writers take that guideline to an extreme, forgetting that without clarity they obfuscate the entire purpose of their writing.  Writing which does not communicate an idea or message clearly will result in confusion.  That’s hardly a recipe for effective writing in any context.

One area where technical writers often sacrifice clarity for the sake of conciseness involves acronyms and initialisms.  Both are different flavors of abbreviations formed by combing the first letter or letters of multiple words.  For example, writers (and speakers for that matter) will often use RAM instead of read-access memory, laser instead of light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation,  p.m. instead of its Latin equivalent post meridiem, and COD instead of cash on delivery.  The difference is in the pronunciation; we pronounce acronyms as single words (for example, RAM and laser) whereas we pronounce initialisms by individual letter (for example, p.m. and COD).

Some technical writers generously use acronyms and initialisms, thinking that such use makes their writing either more formal or more concise.  Both ideas are delusional.  Using too many abbreviations forces the audience to work harder to understand the intended message.  The practice can also produce a sense of pompous display.  Both of these effects contribute to less effective technical writing.  And more effective writers never sacrifice clarity for conciseness.

More effective technical writers always consider their audience.  Since technical writers do not always know who may be reading their writing, a good guideline is to use the full multiple-word expression when referencing it for the first time followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.

Typically, when writing for a group whose members all understand the conventions of the group, a more effective technical writer could omit the complete spelling upon the first reference and simply use the abbreviation.  For example, technical writers writing specifically for a group of welders may not need to write gas-tungsten arc welding upon a first reference of that process.  They could simply write GTAW, since every welder knows what GTAW is.  However, someone outside the group may not be familiar with the conventions of the group; in that case, a complete spelling upon the first reference will be appreciated.  In any event, more effective technical writers consider their audience.

A notable exception to the use of abbreviations is when everyone understands the convention.  For example, we all use p.m. rather than post meridiem.  In that event, more effective technical writers need not use a complete spelling with the first reference.

Generally, acronyms appear in uppercase letters without periods (as in the case of RAM) unless the abbreviation is part of popular use, in which event the acronym appears in lowercase letters without periods (as in the case of laser).  Initialisms can appear in uppercase letters (as in the case of COD) or lowercase letters (as in the case of p.m.) and with or without periods.  For instance, p.m. has traditionally appeared with periods, but this convention is evolving with changes in the English language itself.  The use of pm instead of p.m. is finding more acceptance.

When it comes to acronyms and initialisms, don’t DIY (do it yourself).  Following good guidelines as explained in this post can help you produce more effective technical writing.  And more effective technical writing will represent you and your brands more effectively to your audience.