Be sure to define new terms in their specific context. Include abbreviations and acronyms if you plan to use the term again in the same chapter or section of a help file. For each new chapter or section in a help file, redefine the acronym. Be careful not to introduce or use unfamiliar terms without defining them first.

You do not have to define terms that your audience is likely to know before reading the document, such as invoice or general ledger. However, when in doubt, include the definition.

If you introduce an unfamiliar term, define the term clearly and use that same term throughout the manual. If the term has a synonym, you can mention the synonym when you define the term, but only if you think it will help the user to understand the unfamiliar term. As a rule, do not use more than one term to mean the same thing. The user is trying to learn a new system and may think the terms mean different things.