Typography – Should There Be a Space Between Name Initials?

initialismsnamesperiodspacingtypography

In writing authors' initials in research papers (either in the author by-line or the bibliography), should there be a space between intials?

  • R.P. Feynman
  • R. P. Feynman

What's the preferred way of writing it?

Best Answer

The periods in the initials stand for truncations, so you would put a space after each one. I don't think British English uses the initials, but I have seen various ways of doing it based on different style guides that govern different domains.

Check out the APA style guide, where they do use spaces:

Van Vugt, M., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2008). Leadership, followership, and evolution: Some lessons from the past. American Psychologist, 63(3), 182-196. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.63.3.182

The MLA style guide concurs:

Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. Print.

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