Using abbreviations after in-text citations
I am writing an academic paper, specifically a Position Paper, using APA. According to the Purdue OWL webpage, to cite an organisation:
"First citation: (Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD], 2000)
Second citation: (MADD, 2000)"
Am I allowed to use the abbreviation of the agency/organisation in other sentences in the paper but not as a citation? Or do I have to use the entire name again?
First citation: ... (Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD], 2000)
Second citation where Brown talks about the organisation MADD:
"MADD also notes that .... (as cited in Brown, 2010)." or
"Mothers Against Drunk Driving also notes that .... (as cited in Brown, 2010)."?
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1 answer
Knowing nothing about this particular style, my impulse would be to define it on first reference in each kind of copy, and use the abbreviation after that.
So the first time you use it in running copy, spell it out and put the abbreviation after it in parens, and then use the abbreviation thereafter. But additionally, the first time you use it in a citation, spell it out again, and then use the abbreviation in subsequent citations.
So:
First citation: ... (Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD], 2000)
Second citation: (MADD, 2000)
Running copy:
First reference: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) also notes that .... (as cited in Brown, 2010).
Second reference: Later, a spokesperson from MADD commented... (as cited in Brown, 2010).
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