How to create a great glossary article

Glossary terms are an important part of the ICANNWiki site; as those involved with ICANN depend on a myriad of specialized terminology and acronyms to discuss their already complex issues. These terms and acronyms make life easier for the ICANN insider, but can really confuse those not as familiar with the unique lingo. This is a guide to writing a successful article for an ICANN related glossary term.

Very brief descriptions for these terms can be found by typing the acronym into the Acronym Database - When creating pages for these on the site please supplement them with different references, and examples whenever possible. When doing large articles for larger entities (Like the FCC or Depatment of Commerce) focus on their relation to ICANN.

Getting Started

If you are new to the site, take a moment to read Getting Started, keeping the NPOV policy in mind. To create a new page, simply add the name to the URL. For example, to create a new page for DNSSEC, we will simply use "DNSSEC" in "http://icannwiki.com/index.php" to change it to "http://icannwiki.com/index.php/DNSSEC" and go to that address. Initially, the page will not exist but you can use the "edit this page" link to edit, add information, and save the page.

Example

The key to a good glossary article is that the term is defined and that the definition is supported by examples.

To help us illustrate how to create a glossary article, let's look at the article for TLD.

• The introduction to this article breaks down the acronym, gives a definition, and gives examples. This is the bare minimum to be expected from any glossary page. If the article were to stop at just the introduction we would technically be defining the term, but we'd be a long way from creating a valuable article for the term.
  • Given that Google will help us define the term we can use that as the starting point. Searching for "TLD" will give us plenty of results that all define the term in a similar manner, read a few of these definitions, compose an original definition (Do not simply copy and paste), and cite one of the sources you used as a reference.
  • Now, we have a definition of TLD, but so does every other website.. so let's aim for something more substantial.

• A greater body will fill out the article. This will provide more examples, further clarification, or general background for the term.
  • For TLD we can add sections about the various types of TLDs. This is important. By adding similar or related terms as internal links we are improving the site by building content and creating inter-linked pages.
  • The background of TLD is an important aside, and once you have defined the term you will probably realize that a history section is important for this term. Source material can be found by clarifying your original source further, like searching for "TLD History".
  • You may find recent developments within ICANN regarding the term. In this instance there are new expansions being made to ccTLDs, and while much of the information may be more appropriate on the actual ccTLD page, including a brief mention here will further build the interconnectivity of the site and also provide context for current conversations taking place in ICANN regarding the TLD term.

References

Don't forget that each article needs references, preferably from a variety of reputable sources! Be sure to cite often,using the ref tags (look at finished articles to see how this works, or ask an admin like Ray or Andrew). Do not use ICANNWiki.org as a source, as the articles will eventually be removed.