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In the Definition of Terms section of an academic paper, should one list abbreviations after the term, regardless of whether or not the abbreviation is used elsewhere in the paper?
The paper in my example is a dissertation.
Example: Neoadjuvant Hormonal Therapy (NHT). vs. Neoadjuvant Hormonal Therapy.
No, I can think of no style guide that tells one to parenthetically list an abbreviation or acronym after a term if that abbreviation or acronym is not later used. In various style guides, what calls upon one to parenthetically list an abbreviation or acronym after a term is using that abbreviation or acronym later on. It's the later use that gives rise to needing to define it parenthetically next to the original term. If there's no later use, then there's no cause to list it. It's not "against the rules" to parenthetically list an abbreviation or acronym after a term; it's not in the rules at all. What's in the rules is needing to define a term (the acronym or abbreviation) that you later use.
The only scenario that I can think of where someone might want to include an acronym or abbreviation for a term not later used would be if the acronym or abbreviation were more known than the term itself. For example, people may readily recognize the term "HIV" but not "human immunodeficiency virus." However, this neither seems likely nor appropriate for a scientific paper, a paper which you are writing to an audience who either is or should be in the know.
