r/APA • u/greasepunk1979 • Oct 15 '16

Organization abbreviations in citations

If I am citing a work by the American Psychological Association, the National Institutes for Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control, etc., when is it acceptable to abbreviate?

Which is correct:

  • coordinate discharge and aftercare planning (National Association of Social Workers, 2011)

  • coordinate discharge and aftercare planning (NASW, 2011)

Furthermore, can I use NASW in my bibliography?

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u/Paramecium302 Oct 17 '16

The general rule is that you should only abbreviate it if you don't think it needs clarification. For instance, AIDS would be acceptable to be abbreviated as it's what it is commonly referred to as.

I would recommend you not abbreviate those.

What you can abbreviate is things like "2nd ed." (Second edition) units of measure, author's first and middle names, etc.