Abbreviations
A good rule of thumb for abbreviations is this: use them sparingly. Clarity of expression is hampered by an excessive use of abbreviations or terms that might be unfamiliar to your readers.

• When you do use abbreviations, always give the full name the first time you use it: The Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA) -- unless it is commonly used as a word (AIDs, IQ, URL). Write out the complete name, and then give the abbreviation you will use (as illustrated above), unless the abbreviation is widely recognized (CIA).
• Do not begin a sentence with a lower case abbreviation (e.g., hr)
• To be clear, always spell out these units of time: day, week, month, year
• Use the standard two letter state and province abbreviations.
• Do not abbreviate publisher names. Instead of Norton, write W. W. Norton.
• Abbreviate second as s, meter as m
• To indicate a plural of an abbreviation, add an s, without an apostrophe (PhDs, lbs, URLs).
• Do not create plurals for measurements; 100 meters should be abbreviated as 100 m, 10 seconds as 10 s.
• Use the following abbreviations ONLY in parenthical comments. In the body of your paper, replace them:

  Abbreviation	Use the full word
  cf.	compare
  e.g.	for example
  i.e.	that is
  vs.	versus

• Do not use periods for degree titles (PhD, MFA)
• Do not use periods for measurements (lb) except inches (in.)

General Grammar Guidelines

Generally:

• Proofread your paper to make certain that the verb tenses used in your discussion are appropriate. For literature reviews, for instance, the past tense is appropriate. The past tense may also be appropriate for presenting results (e.g., weight of the participants increased slightly); but you may want to use the present tense to discuss your findings (e. g., the study suggests).
• In most cases, use the active voice. Instead of "The study was conducted" say "We conducted the study."
• Avoid imprecise word choices (don't use "feel" when you mean "think.")
• Avoid vernacular expressions (use "police officer" rather than "cop").

Capitalization

• Capitalize formal names of tests (Winthrop Virtual Response Test).
• Capitalize names of conditions, groups, effects, and variables only when definite and specific. (Group B was the control group; an Age x Weight interaction showed lower weight with age.)
• Capitalize the first word after a comma or colon if, and only if, it begins a complete sentence. For example, "As you can see, this is a complete sentence, hence, the first letter is capitalized." But notice here that "we haven't capitalized the first word."
• Capitalize specific course names and departments (LSU Department of Psychology, Psych 150).
• Do not capitalize generic names of tests (Mendelson coordination test). "Yellowstone" is a name, so it remains capitalized.
• Capitalize specific laws and ordinances (The Taylor County Leash Law), but not general laws, theories, hypotheses, and effects (the law of supply and demand).

• Commas
  • Use commas in precise dates, for example, September 11, 2001 (but not in September 2002).
  • A comma should precede the word "and" in lists: our participants spoke several languages: Xenish, Lettion, and Boslivian.
  • Use commas for seriation within a paragraph: there are three basic aspects under consideration: (a) honesty, (b) felicity of expression, and (c) expertise.
  • Do not use commas to separate parts of measurement (6 ft 2 in.). The metric system of measurement is preferred, and should be used when circumstances allow.
• Hyphens
  • Do not hyphenate common prefixes (prewar, multilingual, nontoxic) unless needed for clarity (pre-existing).
  • Hyphenate adjectival phrases (role-playing exercises, low-energy group, high-anxiety analysis).
  • Hyphenate if the words could be misunderstood without a hyphen (re-creation is not the same as recreation).
  • When in doubt, use a dictionary! Usage rules evolve.
  • Do not hyphenate if a noun comes first (our study was client centered).

Avoid perjorative, denigrating and biased language
A good general rule to follow, in describing any group, is to avoid using language that could cause offense. Here are some basic guidelines to help you make clear references to populations, groups, and conditions:

• Use "older persons" (not "elderly")
• Do not use general labels (Asian) when you can use a geographically based reference: (Chinese Americans).
• Use currently accepted and non-biased references to populations of differing race and ethnicity: "Black" or "African Americans", "Native Americans", "Asian Americans".
• When referring to any population, be as specific as possible.
• Capitalize all references to ethnic and racially based populations.
• Use "lesbians" and "gay men" (not "homosexuals"), "sexual orientation" (not "sexual preference")
• Use 'people diagnosed with schizophrenia' and 'people with AIDS' (not 'schizophrenics' or 'AIDS victims' or sufferers). In general, it is both wise and kind to avoid language that would equate a person with their condition.
• Avoid gender stereotyping. Do not use "men" to refer to adult humans; do not make references to "standard male reactions."
• "Gender" refers to culturally based behavior, and should be used in discussions of men and women in social groups. "Sex" is a biological distinction, and should be used in discussions emphasizing biological factors, such as "sexual hormones."

Avoid Jargon and Vernacular (Slang)
The purpose of writing an essay is to communicate your ideas and findings with your readers. The use of obscure technical terms -- sometimes called jargon -- that may be unfamiliar to your readers is in direct opposition to your primary goal in writing the paper. The same is true of slang or vernacular terms that may be quite familiar to your group, but are not appropriate in formal writings that require wording with precise definitions. Slang terms often have "affective" connotations that are unacceptable in research writing.

Find terms that are explicit -- but that will be understood by your readers. If there are technical terms that you must use, you can provide notes with definitions.