Q. Hello, I’m in desperate need of help with my MA dissertation. The proper abbreviation for the International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command South is RC(S). How do I put RC(S) into parentheses after the first usage of “Regional Command South” to indicate that I will henceforth be using the abbreviated form? Right now I have “The primary allies of Regional Command South (RC(S)) . . .” This, however, does not seem correct. Can you please help?
A. You’re almost there—Chicago uses square brackets for parentheses within parentheses: (RC[S]). If you don’t like the looks of that, rephrase to avoid the second parenthesis: The International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command South, abbreviated RC(S), . . .