4   Standard Contents

Glossary

A glossary defines special terms and acronyms used in the manual. In 3-ring binders, the glossary is placed at the front of the manual after the introduction, where it’s easy to get to.

Including a glossary can help standardize definitions of special terms. A glossary also reduces the need for explanations of special terms used in the manual, although having a glossary does not mean you don’t have to define your terms—you do.

When you’re writing glossary definitions, try to keep them to one or two sentences. A glossary is not the place for a detailed description of major concepts. If you find you need several paragraphs to explain a term, consider including it as a topic in the body of the manual. For example, here’s the definition of “glossary” from the glossary of this guidebook:

Glossary – an alphabetical list of terms the reader may not be familiar with and their definitions. May include acronyms. Often placed at the front of a modular manual behind the introduction.