Use and Abuse of Abbreviations in Technical Communication

The function of technical writing as represented by the articles published in this journal is very simple-the clear communication of information and ideas. The oper-ative word is clear. Above all else, technical communi-cations must have clarity. They must be unambiguous. They must erect minimal barriers between the mind of the writer and mind of the reader. The purpose of writing a paper is to communicate, and anything impairing clarity of technical writing weakens its effectiveness, undermin-ing the reason for doing it in the first place. At best, barriers to clear communication represent sloppy writing and are disrespectful to the reader, who is investing time and effort in the author’s words and thoughts. At worst, especially in medical writing, barriers to clear communication can be dangerous to patients and mis-