Acronyms--How often do you spell them out?

[Melissa Nelson]

   I work for a DoD contractor now and the standard is to spell them out the
   first time they are used and to include an acronym glossary at the end of
   the document. If I pull out sections to make them into their own document,
   then I will define the acronyms again, other than that I just define them on
   the first use. The tricky part is sometimes I get the same acronym for two
   different definitions, in that case I will define them both again if they
   are close together in the document.

   GLGA- Gotta Love Government Acronyms!

   Melissa
       ______________________________________________________________

     From:  "Diana Ost" <Diana.Ost at msmcorp.com>
     To:  "Darges, Katherine"
     <katherine.darges at defensegp.com>,<techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
     Subject:  RE: Acronyms--How often do you spell them out?
     Date:  Mon, 31 Jul 2006 15:26:47 -0400
     >When I worked for a Veterans Affairs project a couple of years ago, I
     >only spelled them out on first use, because like you, I had a glossary
     >at the end.
     >
     >The users thought that was fine :-)
     >
     >
     >Diana Ost
     >Technical Writer/Reporting Analyst
     >Production Administration
     >Market Street Mortgage Corporation
     >diana.ost at msmcorp.com
     >Phone (727) 431-7209
     >Fax     (727) 724-9096
     >2650 McCormick Drive, Suite 200
     >Clearwater, Florida  33759
     >
     >
     >
     >
     >
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     >-----Original Message-----
     >From: techwr-l-bounces+diana.ost=msmcorp.com at lists.techwr-l.com
     >[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+diana.ost=msmcorp.com at lists.techwr-l.com] On
     >Behalf Of Darges, Katherine
     >Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 3:23 PM
     >To: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
     >Subject: Acronyms--How often do you spell them out?
     >
     >All,
     >
     >
     >
     >I am editing a multi-section document, with each section 50 to 75 pages.
     >The document was written by the Government for the Government.  Phrases
     >that get turned into acronyms are spelled out when they are first used,
     >followed by their acronyms in parentheses - most in the first section.
     >Appendix A is a complete acronym list - about 300 all together (this IS
     >the Government, after all).
     >
     >
     >
     >Would you re-identify the acronyms in each subsequent section as well as
     >adding the new ones?  Or, is once really enough, based on the fact that
     >the readers of the document have all been involved in the project of
     >which the document is a record?
     >
     >
     >
     >Thanks!
     >
     >
     >
     >V/r (that's "Very respectfully" in Government shorthand),
     >
     >
     >
     >Katherine
     >
     >
     >
     >Katherine Darges
     >
     >Sr. Management Analyst
     >
     >National Security Programs Group
     >
     >
     >
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