Abbreviations and symbols provide a short reference for a longer word or a series of words. In general terms, abbreviations fall into two groups: those which are frequently used to refer to specific words or terms (Thurs., e.g., Dr) and those which accompany their longer form at least once to show us there is a shorter alternative (EHEA for European Higher Education Area, or LERU for League of European Research Universities). In this second group there are short forms for proper nouns, like EHEA or LERU above, but there are also abbreviations for common nouns (such as CPD for continuing professional development or IT for information technology), which we use when we want those common nouns to describe a generalized group, practice or field. Abbreviations are particularly important in our university context, where a large number of texts record the names of institutions and systems of different kinds; and the correct use of certain symbols in institutional texts such as informative web pages and annual reports makes those texts easier to read.