Abbreviations
Abbreviations often used in references
There are quite a few abbreviations used in reference lists and citations. Below are the most common ones. Remember that the abbreviated form of a word is always followed by a period.
- anon. Anonymous
- app. Appendix
- bk. / bks. Book / Books
- ca. / c. Circa, meaning "around, approximately"
- ch. / chs. Chapter / Chapters
- col. / cols. Column / Columns
- comp. Compiler
- DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier, and is a unique number used to identify electronic documents. When you cite an electronic article, you should use the DOI if one is available. The DOI is more stable than a URL and will point to the correct document even if its location on the web changes. Most often, you can find the DOI number at the top or bottom of the article’s first page, or in the results list in the database. Example of a DOI number: 10.1177/1090198109343895. When you write a reference that has a DOI number, you must add https://doi.org/ in front of the number.
- ed. / eds. Editor(s) or Edition(s)
- et al. Et alii, meaning "and others", used when citing multiple authors to shorten author lists
- fig. figure
- fwd. foreword
- no. / nos. Number / Numbers (e.g. journal issue)
- p. / pp. Page / Pages
- par. / pars. Paragraph / Paragraphs (when page numbers are unavailable)
- pt. / pts. Part / Parts
- rev. Revised, revision, or revised by
- Rev. ed. Revised edition
- qtd. in Quoted in
- sec. / secs. Section / Sections
- ser. Series
- supp. Supplement
- trans. Translator or translated by
- vers. version
- var. variant
- vol. / vols. Volume / Volumes
Abbreviations that are discouraged by most modern academic style guides
- ibid. ibidem, meaning "in the same place"
- op.cit. opere citato, meaning "in the work cited"
- loc.cit. loco citato, meaning "in the place cited"
- n.d. No date
- n.p. No publisher or place of publication
Abbreviations used in text
- cf. confer, meaning "compare"
- e.g. exempli grati, meaning "for example"
- etc. et cetera, meaning "and other things" and is used for "and so forth"
- i.e. id est, meaning "that is" or "in other words"
- viz. videlicet, meaning "namely" or "that is to say"
- vs. versus or against
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