Abbreviations in Research and Publishing
The acronyms a protocol, a reviewer's comment or a regulatory guideline uses without expanding, each defined on its own page with the body that owns the term and a short note on how it is actually used. Growing steadily: each item below is published and free to read, with its source stated on the item itself.
Each item names the body that defines the term and the date that definition was read.
The library
Scope of the abbreviations library
Each page defines a single acronym by reference to the body that issued it, rather than in a glossary paragraph within a longer article. Readers may request terms that are not yet included, and requested terms are prioritised.
Filters
CRF — Case Report Form
What a Case Report Form (CRF) is, precisely, per ICH Good Clinical Practice guidance, why its design should follow the protocol directly, and what an eCRF changes versus what it does not.
Posted 10 October 2026Reading time 4 minBy Pubrica AcademyCRFcase report formeCRFclinical data managementICH E6AbbreviationResearch WritingFDA PRO Guidance for IndustryAvailablePRO — Patient-Reported Outcome
What specifically defines a Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) per FDA guidance, why a validated PRO instrument cannot be informally modified, and what missing PRO data does to a trial's interpretability if not planned for.
Posted 10 October 2026Reading time 4 minBy Pubrica AcademyPROpatient-reported outcomeFDA guidanceoutcome measure validationAbbreviationResearch Data Analytics & AIICH E9AvailableSAP — Statistical Analysis Plan
What a Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) covers beyond the protocol per ICH E9, why finalisation before unblinding is the specific point of an SAP, and what a deviation from it requires to remain credible.
Posted 10 October 2026Reading time 4 minBy Pubrica AcademySAPstatistical analysis planICH E9analysis populationunblindingHow these are built
Attribution of each definition to a source and date
The definition of an abbreviation belongs to the body that issued the guideline or standard in which it was coined. Each entry names that source and the date on which it was consulted, so that readers can assess whether the definition still reflects current usage.
The rules
The other libraries
Categories of abbreviations
The same material is classified in two ways: by resource type and by subject.
Elsewhere in Academy
Requests for additional abbreviation definitions
The order in which terms are added reflects reader requests, and suggested terms are prioritised accordingly.