General technique for 3.1.3: Providing definitions in context for words used in unusual or restricted way

Here is a draft general technique.

This one would be for the *first* occurrence of a word used in an
unusual or restricted way.

I tried to put it into the WIKI but did something wrong when I tried to
add it to the list in the How to meet 3.1.3 doc, so here it is. If we
want to use it I'll add it after the call.

<newTechnique>
==Status==
New technique. Discussed by Team B 21 February.
Suggested title"Providing definitions in context for the first
occurrence of words used in an unusual or restricted way" 

May want to use the "definitions in context" phrase in title of the
technique for all occurrences, to address Christophe's suggestion about
that technique (Inline definitions).
m programming jargon and has no counterpart in style guides for writing.
==Description==
The objective of this technique is to provide a definition in context
for any word used in an unusual or restricted way. The definition is
provided in the text, either just before or just after the word is used
for the first time. The definition may be included in the same sentence
as the word that is being defined, or in a separate sentence. 

In addition to the definition itself, markup can be used to designate
the first occurrence of the word as the defining instance, if the
technology being used supports such markup.


A word is used in an unusual or restricted way when:
* dictionaries give several definitions of the word but one specific
definition must be used in order to understand the content; 
*a specific definition must be used in order to understand the content
and dictionaries list that definition as rare, archaic, obsolete, etc.
*the author creates a new definition that must be used in order to
understand the content.

This technique can also be used to provide definitions for jargon-that
is, the specialized vocabulary used in a particular profession or
technical field and understood by people in that field but not by people
outside the field.  The technique can also be used to define idiomatic
expressions.  For example, speakers of a language who live in a
particular region may use idiomatic expressions that are accepted by
everyone in the region but not by people from other regions where the
same language is spoken. 

This technique is appropriate when both the word being defined and the
definition itself are part of a larger discussion and a change of
context (such as following a link to a glossary page or searching an
online dictionary) would be distracting.


==Examples==
===Example 1. A term used in a restricted way and defined in context===
The word "technology" is widely used to cover everything from the stone
tools used by early humans to contemporary digital devices such as cell
phones. But in WCAG 2.0, the word technology is used in a more
restricted way: it means markup languages, programming languages, data
formats, style sheets, and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
used in producing and delivering Web content.

===Example 2. A word used according to an obsolete  definition, which is
provided in context==
He believed that sound traveled through the ether, which was thought to
be a substance that filled interplanetary space.

===Example 3.Jargon with the definition in context===
It may be necessary to update the driver for your printer (the driver is
software that contains specific instructions for for your printer).

===Example 4. An idiomatic expression defined in context===
In parts of Texas, people say, "I'm fixin' to do something" when they
mean, "I'm going to do that soon."

===Resources==
===Related techniques===
*[[Linking to definitions]]

==Tests==
===Procedure===
For each word used in an unusual or restricted way that is not linked to
a definition:
#Check that the word is defined in text either before or after the first
occurrence of the word.
===Expected result===
#Step (1) is true.
</newTechnique>


"Good design is accessible design." 
John Slatin, Ph.D.
Director, Accessibility Institute
University of Texas at Austin
FAC 248C
1 University Station G9600
Austin, TX 78712
ph 512-495-4288, f 512-495-4524
email jslatin@mail.utexas.edu
web http://www.utexas.edu/research/accessibility/

Received on Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:47:23 UTC