What makes a good term candidate for your glossary?

Terminology is a very subjective asset. It exists throughout your business environment and your products, but it can be difficult to determine what should be included as a term candidate and what should not.

Not every word is a term. You can recognise your individual term candidates for your Glossary if you focus on their use:

• External: is the term used in messaging and documentation for customers and within industry?
• Internal: is the term used as part of your organisation’s branding and uniqueness?

Questions to help you identify your Terminology

To help you accurately identify your most appropriate term candidates, we have put together a list of questions to guide you through your term selection process. If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions below, then you are most likely dealing with a term candidate that we need to be made aware of:

• Does the word or expression describe a concept that is crucial to your organisation? (e.g. USP, company values, slogans, brand taglines, brand names, product names, technical concepts, etc.), or does the term have a particular meaning in your industry or your business?
• Which expressions are important for context in your organisation’s industry?
• Are there terms or expressions that are typically mixed up or used inconsistently within your organisation or your industry?
• Do you want to ensure that everyone using this word or expression has the same definition and perspective regarding its meaning?
• Can the specialised word and/or expression not be used in a full sentence?
• Straplines or full sentences are not ideal for Terminology Databases but should be communicated in a Style Guide.
• Does the word or expression have synonyms, but only this form of the word or expression is preferred within your organisation?
• Is this a word or expression that must not be used across the organisation?
• If the content has already been localised, does the word in an expression require a different translation? (i.e. “cannula”, “cannula mount” or “cannula seal”)? You may need to consider adding separate entries for each option.
• Does the word or expression have particular translations that must not be used across your organisation?
• Does the word or expression have translations that must be used in particular target countries or for particular target audiences?
• Is the word an acronym that may have a special meaning in your organisation?
• Does the word or expression have multiple translations, depending on context, but a specific version is preferred?
• Is this a non-translatable word or expression? (i.e. to be left in the original language).

If a few terms have come to mind, continue reading to find out the simple way to submit these terms to us.