GLOSSARY

In an age of specialization, communication can prove difficult among people working on a project or within an organization. Some people use similar terms which have different meanings, and other people use esoteric terms that even experts in the field don’t understand! If you’re in charge of an organization or a project, you might consider developing a glossary.

The glossary need not be exhaustive. It might contain definitions of terms and acronyms that few people know or understand or are only particular to your environment. You can include the glossary as part of an administrative or technical manual or as a stand-alone in hard copy or electronic media form. If you don’t want to develop a glossary, then you might consider purchasing and distributing a technical dictionary that everyone can reference.

A glossary offers two advantages. It helps to reduce miscommunication and misunderstanding, and it provides a convenient way for people to find definitions rather than wasting time developing or seeking one.

for Developing a Glossary

• Identify terms that are used in a text (e.g., user manual).
• Develop new definitions, or use existing definitions, keeping in mind not to use the term in the definition itself.
• Arrange the terms in some order (e.g., alphabetical).
• Highlight the term (e.g., boldface or italics) for ease in locating it.
• Limit the definition of the term to no more than two sentences.