title: SearCh for humourIstic and Extravagant acroNyms and Thoroughly Inappropriate names For Important Clinical trials (SCIENTIFIC): qualitative and quantitative systematic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the development of acronym use across five major medical specialties and to evaluate the technical and aesthetic quality of the acronyms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acronyms obtained through a literature search of Pubmed.gov followed by a standardised assessment of acronym quality (BEAUTY and CHEATING criteria).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trials within psychiatry, rheumatology, pulmonary medicine, endocrinology, and cardiology published between 2000 and 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence proportion of acronyms and composite quality score for acronyms over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  14,965 publications were identified, of which 18.3% (n=2737) contained an acronym in the title. Acronym use was more common among cardiological studies than among the other four medical specialties (40% v 8-15% in 2012, P<0.001). Except for within cardiology, the prevalence of acronyms increased over time, with the average prevalence proportion among the remaining four specialties increasing from 4.0% to 12.4% from 2000 to 2012 (P<0.001). The median combined acronym quality score decreased significantly over the study period (P<0.001), from a median 9.25 in 2000 to 5.50 in 2012.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From 2000 to 2012 the prevalence of acronyms in trial reports increased, coinciding with a substantial decrease in the technical and aesthetic quality of the acronyms. Strict enforcement of current guidelines on acronym construction by journal editors is necessary to ensure the proper use of acronyms in the future.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark apottegaard@health.sdu.dk.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pottegård
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Maija Bruun
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Haastrup
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tore Bjerregaard
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Stage
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Morten Rix
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kasper Søltoft
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: Capital Region Pharmacy, Clinical pharmaceutical Services, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter Martin
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Meegaard
authors.affiliation: Capital Region Pharmacy, Clinical pharmaceutical Services, Nordsjællands Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark.
authors.forename: Line Haugaard Vrdlovec
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Meegaard
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horneberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gils
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Dorthe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dideriksen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aagaard
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark Department of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anna Birna
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Almarsdottir
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark Department of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallas
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark Department of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Damkier
mesh_terms: D000004:Abbreviations as Topic; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009275:Names; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D039781:PubMed; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D017432:Unified Medical Language System