DATA SIMPLIFICATION: Abbreviations and Acronyms

Over the next few weeks, I will be writing on topics related to my latest book, Data Simplification: Taming Information With Open Source Tools (release date March 17, 2016). I hope I can convince you that this is a book worth reading. Blog readers can use the discount code: COMP315 for a 30% discount, at checkout."A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one." -Baltasar GracianPeople confuse shortening with simplifying; a terrible mistake. In point of fact, next to reifying pronouns, abbreviations are the most vexing cause of complex and meaningless language. Before we tackle the complexities of abbreviations, let's define our terms. An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or term. An acronym is a an abbreviation composed of letters extracted from the words composing a multi-word term. There are two major types of abbreviations: universal/permanent and local/ephemeral. The universal/permanent abbreviations are recognized everywhere and have been used for decades (e.g., USA, DNA, UK). Some of the universal/permanent abbreviations, ascend to the status of words whose long-forms have been abandoned. For example, we use laser as a word. Few who use the term know that "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". Local/ephemeral abbreviations are created for terms that are repeated within a particular document or a particular class of documents. Synonyms and plesionyms (i.e., near-synonyms) allow authors to r...
Source: Specified Life - Category: Information Technology Tags: abbreviations acronyms complexity computer science data analysis data repurposing data simplification simplifying data Source Type: blogs