Using acronyms in in-text citations

When citing a a document authored by a corporate body, it is common practice to use an acronym in the in-text citation. The Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) recommends that a citation such as (North East Catchment Management Authority, 1998) could be abbreviated in an in-text citation as (NECMA, 1998).

If you use acronyms in in-text citations most referencing styles require the item in the reference list to show the full name of the author, with a corresponding cross-reference for the acronym.
ie.
NECMA see: North East Catchment Management Authority
North East Catchment Management Authority (1998). Annual report. Wodonga, Vic.: North East Catchment Management Authority.

In-text citations added using EndNote can be edited as follows, to exclude the authors name and add the required acronym as a prefix:

1. insert the reference in your document
2. click on the in-text citation
3. select the Edit Citation(s) option in the EndNote toolbar
4. check the Exclude author box
5. add the acronym at the Prefix prompt, including a space after the acronym. If you are using a referencing style such as APA which requires a comma after the author's name, type a comma after the acronym, e.g. NECMA, including a space after the comma.
6. click on OK to close the Edit Citation(s) dialog window, and the in-text citation should appear in the form (NECMA, 1998)

The cross-reference can be added to to your reference list after you have finished the document and converted it to plain text (removed the field codes).

Alternatively, you can add a dummy (author only) record to your EndNote library, insert it as an in-text reference, and use the Edit Citation(s) options to exclude the author and the year. The dummy reference, with the cross-reference entered in the author field will then only appear in the reference list.

1. add a new reference to your EndNote library, with the cross-reference entered in the Author field, eg. 'NECMA see: North East Catchment Management Authority,'. This must be entered in the form of a corporate author, finishing with a comma.
2. at any point in your document insert this new reference
3. click on the in-text citation and select the Edit Citation(s) option in the EndNote toolbar
4. check the Exclude author and the Exclude year boxes
5. click on OK to close the Edit Citation(s) dialog window. The cross-reference will no longer appear as an in-text citation, but should appear in the reference list

eg.
Macaulay, S., & Edwards, D. (2008). Mapping catchment evolution - groundwater pathways: the invisible history of rivers and how they still influence the landscape. Australian Landcare (Mar 2008), 34-37.
NECMA see: North East Catchment Management Authority.
North East Catchment Management Authority (1998). Annual report. Wodonga, Vic.: North East Catchment Management Authority.