When creating online help systems, it is important to include a glossary as well as the traditional table of contents and search sections. Why a glossary? Because sometimes people get tired of surfing the help explanation for something, and go right to the explicit definition of a term to find out what it means. It is that simple – people want to cut right to the chase and get what they need, immediately. I agree

Here are five tips to creating a nice glossary for your online or print documents:

One. Take a broad inventory of terms. This is a bit time consuming, but it is well worth it, to physically write down all the terms you feel that you need to include in the glossary.

Two. Start to build your glossary and don’t worry about the definitions yet. When you start building a glossary, just enter the terms first. This way, you get them all listed first and foremost.

Three. Add definitions next. Once suggestion two is complete, you can actually add your definitions of the terms you are including in your glossary. Go slowly and try to ensure that each term is adequately defined for the reader.

Four. Create hyperlinks from the terms used in your document to the glossary. This is really cool. Depending upon the software you are using, sometimes the definition from the glossary can actually display over the word as the reader is working through the document. Otherwise, if you do not have this capability, a simply hyperlink will do the trick – then the reader can have instant access to the term and its definition, from within the glossary.

Five. Proofread both your document and its glossary. Also, it is a good idea to have someone else proof your work. This way you ensure that your hyperlinks work, and that the overall presentation of the document – both from the content standpoint as well as the layout are both sound and acceptable for the reader.