Towards a procedure model in terminology management

Purpose – There is a lack of efficiency when dealing with information and searching for the right content. Aims to present a procedural model which in essence is a generalized approach to terminology management, with which to build and maintain glossaries and taxonomies. Design/methodology/approach – In addition to an extensive literature review, analysis of three action research cases with several corporate partners is presented. The first case focuses on the introduction of a glossary for a Swiss insurance company. The second illustrates the results from setting up a corporate taxonomy at an international professional services firm. The third case combines glossary and taxonomy for document classification and retrieval. Findings – Glossary and taxonomy are suitable for solving a wide range of terminological defects. Usage and maintenance processes play a central role in the management of terms and should be well defined. Only a well‐suited trade‐off between centralized and decentralized terminology management will be sustainable. Research limitations/implications – Other means besides clearly defined processes have to be defined to clearly eliminate certain issues. Furthermore, there is the question of whether the implementation of terminology management could benefit certain types of companies in certain industry branches more than others. Practical implications – Concrete actions that have to be taken into consideration when introducing glossary and taxonomy systems. Originality/value – Proposes a procedural model for the introduction of glossary and taxonomy as well as the cultivation of a corporate terminology.