Accepted abbreviations
Updates to Article Attributes
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There are a number of accepted abbreviations that we use on Radiopaedia.org. We would like the site to be as standardised as possible and we have therefore chosen our accepted abbreviations and would ask that where possible these are used:
- a.k.a. not aka (short for "also known as")
- cf. not c.f. (short for "confer", meaning "compare")
- e.g. not eg./e.g/eg (short for "exempli gratia", meaning "for example")
- et al.not et al or et. al. (short for "et alii", meaning "and others")
-
etc. not etc, &c. (short for
"etcetera"et cetera", meaning "and so on")- if etc. appears at the end of a sentence only a single full-stop is needed, i.e. etc., not etc..
- fl. for years known to be alive/active (short for "floruit", meaning "flourished")
- i.e. not ie./i.e/ie (short for "id est", meaning "that is")
- NB not n.b. (short for "nota bene", meaning "note well")
- vs not vs. (meaning "versus")
-
x-ray not X-ray or xray or XRAY or any other wacky combination
- X-ray is allowable when it forms the first word in a sentence or a title or is within the title of a referenced article
Convenience acronyms
As a general note on abbreviations, please do not use abbreviations that are not widely known and used (convenience acronyms), e.g. UE for "uraemic encephalopathy". There is no need to do this, as we don't need to worry about word length or count (as in journal articles). Read more about this: How to use acronyms.
See also
-<strong>etc.</strong> not etc (short for "etcetera", meaning "and so on")<ul><li>if etc. appears at the end of a sentence only a single full-stop is needed, i.e. etc., not etc..</li></ul>- +<strong>etc.</strong> not etc, &c. (short for "et cetera", meaning "and so on")<ul><li>if etc. appears at the end of a sentence only a single full-stop is needed, i.e. etc., not etc..</li></ul>
-<strong>fl.</strong> for years known to be alive/active (short for "floruit", meaning "flourished")<ul><li>see <a title="Biographical article structure" href="/articles/biographical-article-structure">biographical articles</a>- +<strong>fl.</strong> for years known to be alive/active (short for "floruit", meaning "flourished")<ul><li>see <a href="/articles/biographical-article-structure">biographical articles</a>
-<strong>x-ray</strong> not X-ray or xray or XRAY or any other wacky combination<ul><li>X-ray is allowable when it forms the first word in a sentence or a title</li></ul>- +<strong>x-ray</strong> not X-ray or xray or XRAY or any other wacky combination<ul><li>X-ray is allowable when it forms the first word in a sentence or a title or is within the title of a <a title="References" href="/articles/references-1">referenced article</a>
- +</li></ul>