• Only use abbreviations or acronyms (abbreviations pronounced as words) that your readers would immediately recognize without clarification.
  

Examples: CBC, NATO, SFU, Nabisco, radar, scuba

• For unfamiliar abbreviations, spell out the full name first, followed in brackets by the abbreviation. Use the abbreviation alone for later references.

• Avoid “alphabet soup”. Find other ways of identifying your subjects instead of repeatedly using acronyms. 

Examples: The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is a federal funding agency. NSERC supports post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows in their studies. The agency promotes discovery and fosters innovation.

• All-cap abbreviations don’t take periods unless the abbreviation is geographical, refers to a person or is a single letter.

Examples: MBA, RAM, URL, but U.S., B.C., P.E.I., W.A.C. Bennett, E. (for east)

• Lowercase and mixed abbreviations usually take periods. 

Examples: Mrs., Jr., lb., m.p.g., B.Sc., a.m., p.m.

• Mixed abbreviations beginning and ending with a capital letter do not take periods. 

Examples: PhD, U of A, PoW

• Metric symbols take periods only at the end of a sentence: 

Examples: mm, cm, m, km, km/h, g, t, ml, ha, kPa

• BA—bachelor of arts
• BA (Hons.)—bachelor of arts with honours
• B.Comm.—bachelor of commerce
• B.Ed.—bachelor of education
• BGS—bachelor of general studies
• BFA—bachelor of fine arts
• LLB—bachelor of laws
• B.Mus.—bachelor of music
• B.Sc.—bachelor of science
• B.Sc. (Hons.)—bachelor of science with honours
• B.A.Sc.—bachelor of applied science
• EMBA—executive master of business administration
• MA—master of arts; master’s
• MBA—master of business administration
• M.A.Sc.—master of applied science
• M.Ed.—master of education
• MFA—master of fine arts
• MPH—master of public health
• M.Pub.—master of publishing
• LLM—master of laws
• M.Sc.—master of science; master’s
• MD—doctor of medicine
• PhD—doctor of philosophy
• LLD—doctor of laws
• EdD—doctor of education

• In numbered addresses, abbreviate Ave., Blvd., Circ., Cres., Dr., Hwy., Pky., Rd., Rte., Sq., St., Ter.
• Spell out general (unnumbered) locations, such as University Drive, West Hastings Street.
• Abbreviate compass points in numbered addresses, such as 555 W. Hastings St.

• Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS)
• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
• Faculty, Beedie School of Business (BUS)*
• Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (FCAT)
• Faculty of Education (EDUC)
• Faculty of Environment (FENV)
• Faculty of Health Sciences (HSCI or FHS)
• Faculty of Science (SCI)

*Use Beedie for short

• Office for Aboriginal Peoples (OAP)
• Office of francophone and francophile affairs (OFFA)
• Office of Research Ethics (ORE)

• School of Communication
• School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA)
• School of Interactive Arts & Technology (SIAT)
• School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM)

*Most schools use their field of study for short, i.e., SFU Communication, SFU Contemporary Arts.

Spell out Canadian provinces and territories and American state names standing alone. Use CP style abbreviations when used with city names in text. Use postal abbreviations only in addresses, not in text.

Provinces and territories*

• Alta.    Alberta
• B.C.      British Columbia
• Man.   Manitoba
• N.B.     New Brunswick
• N.L.      Newfoundland and Labrador
• N.W.T. Northwest Territories
• N.S.     Nova Scotia
• Ont.     Ontario         
• P.E.I.    Prince Edward Island
• Que.    Quebec
• Sask.   Saskatchewan
• Y.T.      Yukon

*Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory, does not yet have an abbreviation.

American States

• U.S.     United States (federal state)
• Ala.     Alabama
• Alaska Alaska**
• Ariz.    Arizona
• Ark.     Arkansas
• Calif.   California
• Colo.   Colorado
• Conn.  Connecticut
• Del.     Delaware
• D.C.     District of Columbia (federal district)
• Fla.     Florida
• Ga.      Georgia
• Hawaii Hawaii**
• Idaho Idaho**
• Ill.       Illinois
• Ind.     Indiana
• Iowa   Iowa**
• Kan.    Kansas
• Ky.       Kentucky (commonwealth)
• La.       Louisiana
• Maine  Maine*
• Md.     Maryland
• Mass. Massachusetts (commonwealth)
• Mich.  Michigan
• Minn.  Minnesota
• Miss.  Mississippi
• Mo.     Missouri
• Mont.  Montana
• Neb.    Nebraska
• Nev.    Nevada
• N.H.     New Hampshire
• N.J.      New Jersey
• N.M.    New Mexico
• N.Y.     New York
• N.C.     North Carolina
• N.D.     North Dakota
• Ohio   Ohio**
• Okla.   Oklahoma
• Ore.     Oregon
• Pa.       Pennsylvania (commonwealth)
• R.I.      Rhode Island
• S.C.     South Carolina
• S.D.     South Dakota
• Tenn.  Tennessee
• Texas  Texas**
• Utah   Utah**
• Vt.       Vermont
• Va.      Virginia (commonwealth)
• Wash. Washington
• W.Va.  West Virginia
• Wis.    Wisconsin
• Wyo.   Wyoming

**No abbreviation