The first occurrence of an abbreviation or acronym gives access to its meaning
GIS, VAT, AVT, VAT, DTC, XML… abbreviations, acronyms and abbreviations, especially in the technical and administrative fields. By explaining them, you are doing a proud service to your users!
Objectives
Allow readers to quickly access the meaning of a symbol.
Allow the exploitation of the content by a robot (for the establishment of an index of symbols).
Favor content reference.
Improve accessibility of content to readers with disabilities.
Implementation
At least when an acronym, acronym or abbreviation appears in the page first it will be a matter of making sure to use at least one of the methods below :
Explain its meaning within the text itself. e.g. : “a DTD (document type declaration)”.
Provide a link giving access to its meaning in a glossary page or via a dynamic display (JavaScript help bubble).
Tag with the HTML element abbr and enter the title attribute to indicate its meaning.
Good practice makes this requirement only for the first occurrence on page : this may or may not be done for the next one.
Control
In each page reviewed, visually identify each acronym, abbreviation or abbreviation presented in the page, then verify, for its first occurrence in the page, the presence, at least :
of its meaning immeditated in context e.g. parenthetics,
of a link on the acronym giving access to its meaning, for example in a glossary,
or abbr element with a title attribute explaining its meaning.