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The first time you use an abbreviation in the text, present both the spelled-out version and the short form. When the spelled-out version first appears in the narrative of the sentence, put the abbreviation in parentheses after it: Example: We studied attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Summing up: An abbreviation is a shortening of a word or a phrase. An acronym is an abbreviation that forms a word. An initialism is an abbreviation that uses the first letter of each word in the phrase (thus, some but not all initialisms are acronyms).

The abbreviation must be introduced the first time it is used in the paper. This means you should spell out the word or phrase within the text of the paper and put the abbreviation in parentheses afterward. All subsequent uses of word or phrase should use the abbreviation only.

Sometimes, you may introduce an abbreviation at the beginning of your paper, but may not use it again until much later. In that case, consider adding a List of Abbreviations to help the reader follow along.

Abbreviations/Acronyms Spell out the full term at its first mention, indicate its abbreviation in parenthesis and use the abbreviation from then on, with the exception of acronyms that would be familiar to most readers, such as MCC and USAID.

The first time you use the term, put the acronym in parentheses after the full term. Thereafter, you can stick to using the acronym. Note that when introducing an acronym, the full term should only be capitalized if it is a proper noun (e.g. the name of an organization).

When you use acronyms in your MLA format paper, write them out in full first. Then, you can put the acronym in parentheses. You may then use the acronym throughout the rest of your paper. However, if it's a commonly known acronym, like FBI, CIA or IRS, you do not need to spell it out first.

Avoid using an acronym for the first time in a title or heading, unless it's a keyword that you need to place in the title or heading for SEO. If the first use of the acronym is in a title or heading, introduce the acronym (in parentheses, following the spelled-out term) in the following body text.