Use regular brackets (parentheses) to indicate a separate thought or expression within a sentence.

• She taught the statistics course (one of the toughest in the curriculum) for 15 years.

Regular brackets can be used to offer an explanation or definition of a term or an acronym that is to be repeated within the text.

• The Rothermere Scholarship (Memorial’s most prestigious scholarship) was won by a student from Gander, Newfoundland.

Use brace or square brackets within a direct quote to indicate words of explanation that are not actually part of the original quotation.

• "Those enrolling in it [the master’s program] should know that the requirement is six full credits and a thesis," said Professor Jones.

Avoid nested parentheses ([ ]) or square brackets inside round brackets, whenever possible.