Implementing EPA's Web Glossary Standard

What is the Web Glossary Standard? 

This Standard, from EPA’s Web Guide, requires that all web glossaries be displayed via a link to that glossary in Terminology Services, the authoritative source for EPA glossaries. The Web Glossary Standard allows you to efficiently create, maintain, and house your glossary in one location only, then link to it from wherever you’d like! 

How does it benefit me? 

Updating web pages can be burdensome, and content quickly becomes outdated. Terminology Services provides an easy-to-use tool for updating and displaying your terms and definitions. By linking directly to your glossary in Terminology Services, you eliminate the need to update your glossary in more than one place. You might even save money by eliminating the web page that currently hosts your glossary! 

How do I link to my glossary in Terminology Services? 

It’s easy! First, make sure that your glossary is loaded into Terminology Services using the Data Registries Contact us request form to contact the Terminology Services Coordinator. We will take your glossary in whatever form it is in and can work with you to load it into Terminology Services. Then, you or your technical support can insert the URL and some very simple html code into your web page (see instructions below). Don’t forget to delete your static glossary web pages after you are through!    

Step-by-Step Instructions

To get the correct html code for your glossary, follow these steps:

1. Locate your glossary in Terminology Services by going to https://www.epa.gov/ts, click Vocabulary Catalog, then either search or browse for your glossary.
2. Begin the code with: <a href=‘ 
3. Copy the URL for your glossary from the URL bar in your browser window. 
4. Paste it to the above code to get, for example, <a href=‘https://sor.epa.gov/sor_internet/registry/termreg/ searchandretrieve/glossariesandkeywordlists/search.do?details=&vocabName=Acid%20Rain%20Glossary 
5. Add: ’> 
6. Now, add the text you want to appear on your web page as the link.  Perhaps for the Acid Rain Glossary it is: Acid Rain Glossary
7. Finally, add: </a>

For the Acid Rain Glossary, the final product would look like this: <a href=‘https://sor.epa.gov/sor_internet/registry/termreg/searchandretrieve/glossariesandkeywordlists/ search.do?details=&vocabName=Acid%20Rain%20Glossary’>Acid Rain Glossary</a> 

How do I link definitions to words in my web page? 

Term Lookup gives you the ability to have words on your web pages display their definition via a simple click or hover using the terms and definitions in Terminology Services. Tag the terms you would like defined using the Term Lookup Editor tool in EPA’s WebCMS.