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NRC Collection of Abbreviations (NUREG-0544, Rev. 4)

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Abstract
Introduction

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NUREG-0544, Rev. 4

Publication Information

Manuscipt Completed: April 1998
Date Published: July 1998

Information Management Division
Office of the Chief Information Officer
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

Abstract

This collection of abbreviations in common use in the nuclear industry and regulatory community was compiled from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and nuclear industry sources. It was published to assist agency authors, readers, and stakeholders in identifying abbreviations for the numerous organizational, scientific, and engineering terms that appear in NRC printed and electronic information. The compilation is descriptive rather than prescriptive. No one abbreviation is recommended to the exclusion of another because the same abbreviation may with equal validity apply to two or more terms.

Introduction

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) publishes this collection of abbreviations to assist agency authors and readers and members of the public in identifying the abbreviations for the numerous organizational, scientific, and engineering terms that appear in NRC printed and electronic information. This collection has been compiled from NRC and nuclear industry sources and is descriptive rather than prescriptive. No one abbreviation is recommended to the exclusion of another because the same abbreviation may with equal validity apply to two or more terms.

An abbreviation is a shortened, condensed form of a word or term. Some technical abbreviations, such as laser and scuba, have been so widely disseminated that they now communicate successfully without further definition.

Acronyms and initialisms are types of abbreviations.

An acronym is an abbreviation that forms a pronounceable term from the initial letters of a group of words: ANSI is formed from American National Standards Institute and LOCA from loss-of-coolant accident.
An initialism is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a group of words for which each letter is pronounced separately: EPZ is formed from emergency planning zone and SGTS from standby gas treatment system.

The NRC editorial staff offers the following suggestions for using abbreviations:

Spell out the term for an abbreviation the first time you use it in text and follow the spelled-out term with the abbreviation in parentheses: control rod drive (CRD). Repeat this process at the beginning of each new section or chapter for printed publications.
Restrict an abbreviation to one meaning in any one document. If you designate NDT to mean nondestructive testing, do not designate NDT to mean nil ductility temperature or any other term beginning with the letters NDT in the same document. Spell out any other term that could be abbreviated as NDT in that document.

This compilation includes major NRC program and staff offices, advisory groups, panels, and boards but not NRC divisions, branches, and sections, which can be found in the NRC Telephone Directory (NUREG/BR-0046). Some abbreviations for organizations that no longer exist are included as historical references.

This compilation does not include chemical elements, computer codes, and most units of measurement. Many of these abbreviations appear in readily accessible sources such as dictionaries, the Government Printing Office (GPO) Style Manual, and other manuals.

Identical abbreviations appear in various forms (e.g., AA or A/A); they are listed in this compilation in the following order: AA, aa, A/A, A-A, A&A.

In general, the editorial staff observes the following rules for forming plurals and for capitalizing and hyphenating abbreviations:

Plurals

To form most plurals, add a lowercase s without an apostrophe preceding it to the abbreviation.

DBAs for design-basis accidents

PWRs for pressurized-water reactors

However, some abbreviations are identical in both singular and plural constructions.

ATWS for anticipated transient or transients without scram

GDC for general design criterion or criteria

LCO for limiting condition or conditions for operation

MOU for memorandum or memoranda of understanding

Use the same abbreviation for a plural construction when a word in a term is an irregular plural (e.g., LRB for licensing review basis or bases) or when any word in a term except the last word is a regular plural, that is, formed by adding s (e.g., COLSS for core operating limit or limits support system). Only the irregular plurals, such as basis or bases, are given in this collection; plurals formed by adding s to an internal or final word of a term are not given.

Capitalization

Although most abbreviated terms are lowercase when written out, most of their abbreviations are uppercase.

Do not capitalize specific parts of a nuclear system or facility, the many job titles at a nuclear facility, and generic terms designating equipment, systems, or programs.

ACCWS for auxiliary component cooling water system

RPM for radiation protection manager

However, capitalize the names of specific facilities or reactors, companies or organizations, and committees or special interest groups.

ACNW for Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste

RRA for Radiation Research Associates, Inc.

RRR for Raleigh Research Reactor

Hyphenation

To hyphenate a term from which an abbreviation is formed, follow the general rules of hyphenation, particularly those given in the GPO Style Manual.

Hyphenate unit modifiers used as adjectives and adverbs before a noun in each term:

LOCA for loss-of-coolant accident, but not LOOP for loss of offsite power

Do not hyphenate most short prefixes, such as co, de, pre, pro, and re.

DWCS for defueling water cleanup system

PTP for preoperational test program

The NRC welcomes new entries for future revisions of this collection. Please send suggestions for new entries to the e-mail address <jfb1@NRC.GOV> or write to the Technical Publications Section, Publishing Services Branch, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

NRC Collection of Abbreviations (NUREG-0544, Rev. 4)

Publication Information

Abstract

Introduction

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