An experimental evaluation of abbreviation schemes in limited lexicons

Abstract

Five abbreviation schemes (simple truncation, vowel drop, minimum to distinguish, phonics and user denned) were analysed for learning, encoding and decoding. Forty subjects were each tested on two schemes, using two different 20 word lexicons. Simple truncation was the easiest to learn, based upon a trials to criteria experiment. Using a modified tachistoscopic display, simple truncation was the best for encodability. Either vowel drop or phonics was the best scheme for decoding. It appears that information content is important in decoding, but not in encoding.