Q: Is a list of acceptable abbreviations required?
A: No. The standards requires that you standardize those abbreviations, acronyms and symbols that will be used AND there is a list of abbreviations, acronyms and symbols not to be used. Standardizing the abbreviations to be used generally includes:
- a process to identify abbreviations to be used (acceptable), and
- communicating the information to all applicable staff and other individuals.
Any approach, in addition to the explicit requirement for a "do not use" list, that can reasonably achieve this objective will be acceptable. This includes but is not limited to:
- an organization-specific "approved list" with definitions that are acceptable
- reference to a published dictionary of terms with the caveat that if multiple definitions are provided, the organization will determine that the intended definition is context-specific or will specify the definition that is applicable throughout the organization, to ensure that it will be unambiguous to any and all users of the documentation.
- a policy that abbreviations that are not on the list of unacceptable abbreviation list can be utilized with the caveat that if multiple definitions are provided, the organization will determine that the intended definition is context-specific or will specify the definition that is applicable throughout the organization, to ensure that it will be unambiguous to any and all users of the documentation.
- any combination of the above.