Acronyms

Certain keywords can be shortened into a set of capital letters, also referred to as an acronym. For example, the Unified Modelling Language is often shortened to UML, while the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is better known as NATO.

In designing a search strategy, you must be aware of any acronyms that may represent your keywords. Acronyms are generally standardised within a given field.

An acronym can be connected with its counterpart using the OR operator:

• UML OR "Unified Modelling Language"
• DNA OR "Deoxyribonucleic acid"
• URL OR "Uniform Resource Locators"

However, you must be careful as the same acronym may be used in different subject areas with different meanings and connotations, so it is important to ensure that your results are relevant.