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• What is a Glossary? | Definition, Templates, & Examples

What Is a Glossary? | Definition, Templates, & Examples

Published on May 24, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation , it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader.

Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and it’s intended to enhance their understanding of your work. Glossaries are not mandatory, but if you use a lot of technical or field-specific terms, it may improve readability to add one.

If you do choose to include a glossary, it should go at the beginning of your document, just after the table of contents and (if applicable) list of tables and figures or list of abbreviations . It’s helpful to place your glossary at the beginning, so your readers can familiarize themselves with key terms relevant to your thesis or dissertation topic prior to reading your work. Remember that glossaries are always in alphabetical order.

To help you get started, download our glossary template in the format of your choice below.

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• Table of contents

Example of a glossary

Citing sources for your glossary, additional lists to include in your dissertation, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about glossaries.

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Glossaries and definitions often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited.

However, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to citing your sources , in order to avoid accidental plagiarism .

If you’d prefer to cite just in case, you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA Style for citations in your glossary. Remember that direct quotes should always be accompanied by a citation.

In addition to the glossary, you can also include a list of tables and figures and a list of abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation if you choose.

Include your lists in the following order:

• List of figures and tables
• List of abbreviations

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A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, dictionaries are more general collections of words.

A glossary or “glossary of terms” is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and is intended to enhance their understanding of your work.

Glossaries are not mandatory, but if you use a lot of technical or field-specific terms, it may improve readability to add one to your thesis or dissertation. Your educational institution may also require them, so be sure to check their specific guidelines.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, an index is a list of the contents of your work organized by page number.

Definitional terms often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited. This guidance can apply to your thesis or dissertation glossary as well.

However, if you’d prefer to cite your sources , you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA style for your glossary.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, July 18). What Is a Glossary? | Definition, Templates, & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/glossary-of-a-dissertation/

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Glossary of Paper Terms

Abrasion resistance.

The level at which paper can withstand continuous scuffing or rubbing.

The properties within paper that cause it to absorb liquids (inks, water, etc.) which come in contact with it.

Accordion Fold

A binding term describing a method of folding paper. When unfolded it looks like the folds of an accordion.

Acetate Proof

A transparent, acetate printing proof used to reproduce anticipated print colors on a transparent acetate sheet. Also called color overleaf proof.

Paper made in a neutral pH system, usually buffered with calcium carbonate. This increases the longevity of the paper.

Degree of acid found in a given paper substance measured by pH level. From 0 to 7 is classified acid as opposed to 7 to 14, which is classified alkaline.

Against the Grain

A right angle to which the fiber direction of a piece of paper lies. Folding with, not against, the grain is recommended.

Airdried Paper

Paper that is dried by circulating hot air around it with little or no tension or restraint on the paper. This gives the paper a hard cockle finish typical of bond papers.

Alcohol/Alcohol Substitutes

Liquids added to the fountain solution of a printing press to reduce the surface tension of water.

Aluminum Plate

A metal press plate used for moderate to long runs in offset lithography to carry the image.

Announcement Cards

Cards of paper with matching envelopes generally used for social stationery, announcements, weddings, greetings, etc.

Antique Finish

A paper finish, usually used in book and cover papers, that has a tactile surface. Usually used in natural white or creamwhite colors.

Extra space at the binding edge of a foldout, usually on a French fold, which allows folding and tipping without interfering with the copy

Acid free or neutral paper that includes a minimum of 2% calcium carbonate to increase the longevity of the paper.

Artificial Parchment

Paper produced with poorly formed formation.

A general term used to describe materials prepared and readied for print.

The tops of lower case letters such as: b, d, h and t.

Back Cylinder Pressure

Additional pressure applied through the impression cylinder assisting the image transfer to the press sheet.

The back of a bound book; also called the spine.

Printing the reverse side of a sheet already printed on one side.

(1) A strip of paper, printed or unprinted, that wraps around loose sheets (in lieu of binding with a cover) or assembled pieces. (2) The operation of putting a paper band around loose sheets or assembled pieces. (3) Metal straps wrapped around skids of cartons or materials wrapped in waterproof paper, to secure the contents to the skid for shipment.

Barium Sulfate

Substance used as a standard for white, in lieu of the availability of a practical 100 percent reflecting diffuser.

Baronial Envelope

An envelope generally used with announcements.

A first color used as a background on which other colors are printed.

Manufactured paper that will be further processed as laminated, Duplex Cover, Bristol Cover, or off machine embossed papers.

In typesetting, the invisible line on which letters and numbers set.

The standard sheet size of a given grade.

Basis Weight

The weight in pounds per ream of paper cut to its basic size in inches. A metric system is used outside of North America.

Blender type machine used to pulverize pulp and for mixing additives and color to the stock.

Beater Sized

Process of adding sizing material to the pulp in the beater.

A process of perforating, folding, trimming and eventually binding a printed piece.

(1) Attaching sheets into a single unit by adhesives, sewing, stitching, metal prongs, snaps, etc. The operations that comprise collating, perforating, and folding the elements of a form into the finished product. (2) That portion or edge of a book of forms which is bound.

Binding Edge

The edge where the binding will be done.

Black Printer

In fourcolor process printing, the black plate made to give definition to neutral tones and detail.

In offset lithography, the rubbercoated fabric clamped around the blanket cylinder, which transfers the image from plate to paper.

Blanket Contamination

Unwanted matter that becomes attached to the offset blanket and interferes with print quality.

Blanket Creep

Movement of the blanket surface that comes in contact with the printing plate or paper.

Blanket Cylinder

The printing press cylinder on which the blanket is mounted.

Blanket Pull

The tack between blanket and paper.

Chemical, usually chlorine, used to whiten pulp.

Chemical treatment to brighten, whiten, purify, refine, and balance pulp fiber.

(1) In printing, printed image that runs off the edges of a page. (2) The migration of ink into unwanted areas.

Blind Embossing

A printing technique in which a design is pushed forward without foil or ink.

The sticking of piled printed sheets caused by wet ink.

Blocking Out

Eliminating portions of negatives by opaquing the image.

Enlargement from the original size.

In printing, a type of photoprint used as a proof. It can be folded to show how the finished printed product will look.

Thicker, visually heavier type vs. thin visually light type. Darker type.

Strong, durable writing paper, consisting of wood, cotton, or both, most commonly used for letterheads, stationery, business forms, etc…

Bonding Strength

The strength of the paper fibers to resistance of picking or tearing during offset printing.

A general term used to define papers that are most suitable for book manufacture.

A printed piece bound together, containing a few pages.

A technical measurement of the light reflected back from a paper.

Bristol Board

A high quality heavy weight paper, sometimes made with cotton fiber prepared or glued together, usually with a caliper thickness of 0.006" and up.

Machine trim or undesirable paper that is returned to the beaters.

Broken Carton

An open carton of paper with some of its contents removed.

Sheet thickness. High bulk sheets have fewer sheets per inch than low bulk.

Bulking Dummy

Unprinted sheets of actual paper folded in the signature size and signature number of a given job, to determine bulk.

Bursting Strength

The point to which paper can withstand pressure without rupturing.

Butted Joint

Joining two webs of paper, placing them end-to-end and pasting a strip over and under to make a continuous sheet without overlapping.

When printing, the spots of ink pigments on printing plates or press rollers, due to the vehicle carrying the ink not being able to hold the pigment in suspension.

Calcium Carbonate, CaCO 3

Chemical used as a filler.

Calender Stacks

A vertical series of steel rolls at the end of the paper machine to increase the smoothness of the paper.

Calendering

To impart a smooth finish on paper by passing the web of paper between polished metal rolls to increase gloss and smoothness.

The thickness of a sheet paper, in thousandths of an inch (points or mils).

A book bound with a hard, cover.

For paper manufacturing, the primary component of the cell walls of wood fibers.

Cellulose fiber

The fiber remaining after bleaching and pulping of wood used in making paper.

Center spread

The facing pages in the center of a bound signature.

Chain lines

The lines on laid paper parallel with the grain; also referred to as "chain marks".

Improper drying of ink. Ink vehicle has been absorbed too rapidly into the paper leaving a dry, weak pigment layer which dusts easily.

A type fonts letter, number, symbol or a blank space in typesetting.

Character count

The number of characters in a line of text, page or group of text.

Chemical Ghosting

A light duplication of a printed image on the other side of the same sheet, created by chemical reaction by the ink during the drying stages; also referred to as "Gas ghosting".

Chemical Pulp

Wood fiber cooked using chemicals producing a pulp used to manufacture numerous printing papers and paperboard products. Papers manufactured with chemical pulp are called "free-sheet" papers.

An inexpensive thick one-ply cardboard, typically made from recycled paper stock.

Chlorine and its compounds were commonly used to bleach fibers. This has been mostly eliminated. Virgin fibers are generally ECF, meaning no elemental chlorine or TCF meaning the bleaching is done with hydrogen peroxide, oxygen or ozone. Recycled fibers are generally PCF, meaning they were put back into the paper without the use of any chlorine or its compounds.

Clear Formation

Describes paper fibers that are uniformly dispersed within a sheet of paper -a characteristic of quality paper.

Close Formation

Uniform density in a sheet of paper.

Cloudy Formation

Same as cloud effect; cloudy. Opposite of close formation. Indicates unevenness and lack of uniformity of fiber structure.

Cockle Finish

A rough, uneven, hard paper finish. Most frequently manufactured in bond papers.

A color on the bluish side.

In binding, gathering sections (signatures) in sequence for binding.

Printed bars of ink colors used to monitor a print image. These bars show the amount of ink to be applied by the press, the registration, and the densities across the press sheet.

A mockup of a proposed layout used for presentations.

Color Correction

Any method to improve color rendition.

Color Fastness

The ability of dyed paper to maintain in the presence of exposure to light, heat etc.

Color Guide

Instructions attached to artwork or disc with the location, percentage, and type of color required.

Color Process Printing

Printing done using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks, each requiring its own negative and plate. Also called process color or four-color process.

Color Proofs

Initial printed pieces pulled off the press for final approval.

Color Scanner (electronic scanner)

A scanner that makes the color separation required in full color processing printing.

Color Separation

The method used in breaking down the primary colors needed to prepare plates for printing color work.

Commercial Match

Paper manufactured to within acceptable tolerances of a sample provided to the mill.

Commodity Papers

A classification of low-quality bond and offset papers.

Composite Image

Multiple pictures images placed together to form a single, combined picture.

Comprehensive Layout

A simulation of a layout by a designer to show how the finished art work would appear.

Comprehensive Proof

Final proof presented in the format the printed piece will take.

Condensed Face or Condensed Type

A particular typeface that allows more print per line, as though the letters were squashed at their sides.

Conditioning

Allowing paper to adjust itself to the temperature and humidity of the printing plant prior to use.

Conservation

The preservation and responsible use of our natural resources to ensure they endure.

Continuous Tone

Tonal gradation without use of halftone dots.

Company that converts paper from its original form to usable products such as envelopes, label stock, announcements etc.

Correspondence Papers

Writing papers in attractive finishes, weights or colors.

Cotton Content Paper

Papers utilizing cotton linters. Today most cotton content papers are made for letterhead applications. Papers made with cotton range from 25% to 100% cotton content.

Cotton Linters

The cotton fibers that adhere to the cottonseed used to produce pulp for cotton fiber papers. As a byproduct of the cotton industry, EPA recognizes it as recovered fiber.

On a paper making machine the equipment that helps remove excess water from the moving web of paper prior to the wet press section of a paper machine.

Cover Paper

Durable, heavier weight papers, available in a variety of finishes and colors, used for the cover of pamphlets, annual reports, business cards, etc…

Specifically placed marks attached to artwork that show the area to be printed.

Resizing original photographs or illustrations to a different size.

Cross Direction

The opposite direction of the grain of the paper.

Cross Grain Fold

A fold at a right angle to the direction of the grain in the paper.

Cross Machine Direction

A line perpendicular to the direction the paper travels through the papermaking machine. Also referred to as Cross direction or Cross grain.

Undesirable distortion or waviness occurring to the paper due to the presence of excess moisture or humidity.

Papers cut 8 ½ x 11, 8 ½ x 14, or any other size 11 x 17 or smaller.

Cut to Register

Term used for watermarked letterhead papers to indicate the watermark will be cut to appear in a predetermined position on the finished sheet. Also referred to as a localized watermark.

Cutter Dust

Paper dust resulting from cutting or trimming the paper which can transfer to printing blankets causing problems during a press run.

Cyan (process blue)

One of the four-process colors.

Double-thick" describes a sheet of paper made by bonding two thicknesses of paper together resulting in an extra-stiff sheet.

Damp Streaks

Streaks caused by uneven pressing of drying during paper manufacturing.

In lithography, cloth covered, parchment paper or rubber rollers that distribute the dampening to the press plate.

Water, gum buffered acid, and various types of etches used to keep the non-image areas of the plate moist, and preventing them from accepting ink, in the lithographic printing process; also called fountain solution.

(1) A plain roll situated above the wet web of the paper to provide a smoothing action to the top surface of the paper as it passes under the roll. (2) A watermarking dandy roll is a roll of skeletal structure, sheathed in a wire cloth that has designs, letters or figures affixed to it. As the wet paper web passes under the turning watermark dandy the designs are impressed into the paper and a permanent watermark is left in the sheet.

Trade name for inks and papers containing fluorescent pigments.

The process in which the image is recessed into the paper.

On the wet end of the paper machine the straps or deckle rulers that prevent the fiber from overflowing the sides of the machine. The deckle determines how wide the paper on a particular machine will be.

Deckle Edge

Refers to the feathered edge on paper produced when fibers flow against the deckle or edge of the web. Deliberately produced for aesthetic purposes, a deckle edge is found especially on formal stationery and announcements. A deckle edge can be created by an air jet, or also by a stream of water.

A device on a web press or sheeter used to remove paper curl.

A paper decurling station on a sheeter or web press, used to remove paper curl.

A process which removes ink, toner, coatings and most fillers from recovered paper. The environmental priority is to make this process TCF, totally chlorine free.

The average amount of dirt in a specific size of paper area. Both virgin and recycled sheets have "dirt," although recycled paper has significantly higher dirt counts. The dirt should always be small enough not to interfere with the quality of the finished printed piece.

Delamination

A separation of the paper's surface.

Area of the originating press where the freshly printed sheets are piled as they leave the impression section.

Densitometer

Reflection instrument measuring the density of colored ink to determine its consistency throughout a press run.

Identifies the weight of paper compared to the volume; it is directly related to the paper's absorbency, stiffness, and opacity.

The parts of lower case letters that extend below the baseline.

A design, letters, or pattern cut in metal for stamping, embossing or for diecutting.

Die-Cutting

Male and female dies are used to cut out paper or board in desired shapes.

Pressure vessel in which wood chips are cooked to separate fibers from each other and to remove detrimental particles.

Dimensional Stability

Characteristic of paper to retain its dimensions in all directions under the stress of production and adverse changes in humidity.

Dirt in paper consists of any imbedded foreign matter or specks, which contrast in color to the remainder of the sheet.

Concave rather than flat pile of paper. Also refers to roll ends of paper that are not flat.

Distributor

Company which purchases paper from mill for resale to printers and end-users. Usually a distributor has protected or franchised product lines and territories. Inventory, warehousing, distribution and transportation of product are among the many services offered to paper buyers. Also called a merchant.

Tabbed sheets of index or other heavy stock, used to identify and separate specific sections of a book; used in loose-leaf and bound books.

Individual element of a halftone printing plate.

Dot Etching

Handwork on engravings and lithographic screened (halftone) negatives for correcting tonal values in either black-and-white or color work.

Dot Slurring

Smearing or elongation at the trailing edges of halftone dots.

When halftone dots print larger than they were supposed to print.

Dots, Halftone

The individual subdivisions of a printed surface created with a halftone screen.

Double Burning

Combining the images on two or more films onto a single film to create a single image.

Double Varnish

Two applications of press varnish.

Double-Black Halftone Printing

A means of extending the range of density available with printing ink by printing twice with black ink, using two specially prepared halftone negatives. Also called double-black duotone.

Double-Deckle Paper

A paper having parallel deckle edges.

Double-Dot Halftone

Two halftone negatives combined onto one printing plate, having greater tonal range than a conventional halftone negatives. One negative reproduces highlight and shadows, the other middle tones. This is not to be confused with duotone or double-black printing.

Double-Thick Cover Stock

A cover stock composed of two sheets of cover stock laminated together.

(1) In printing, a press problem that generally occurs when sheets make contact with the blanket twice, once just before the impression point and the second time at the impression point, resulting in a double image. At times, with certain papers, the feeder will feed two sheets instead of one, and when pressures are extreme or out of balance, the blanket may slip at the pressure point, resulting in a slur or double image. (2) In stamping, a double impression in which the second impression or "hit" does not register perfectly over the first one.

Doughnut Hickey

A printing defect consisting of a solid printed area surrounded by an unprinted area.

Duration of an unscheduled stoppage of machines or equipment (printing presses, papermaking machines, typesetting equipment, etc.), usually caused by malfunction.

Register trouble when the dot is enlarged toward the back (nongripper edge) of the sheet. See Slur.

A term used to describe an ink chemist's method of roughly determining coating or ink. The application (by a blade or a bar) of a thin film of coating or ink to a piece of paper.

Any substance used to hasten drying of ink on paper.

Wet paper passes through these large cylindrical steam heated rolls that dry paper webs. The dry-end of the paper machine.

Piercing of stacks of papers in a precision manner with round hollow drills at high speeds. Loose-leaf notebook paper is an example of drilled paper.

In printing, halftone with no screen dots in the highlights or background. Also, color not sensed by optical reading devices. Also, ink colors which will not image a photographic plate.

The color change which occurs when ink dries.

On the paper machine, it is the section where the dryers, cutters, slitters and reels are located.

Dryer (drying oven)

Oven on web offset press through which the web of printed paper passes after it leaves the final printing unit. The drying process, standard when heat-set inks are used, heats the web to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Either gas or electricity dries the vehicles and air blasts drive off the volatile gases.

Drying Time

The time it takes for an ink to become rub- or tack-free.

Page or set of pages assembled in the exact position, form and style desired for the finished piece of printed work. Used as a model or sample for the printer.

Two-color halftone reproduction from black-and-white original.

Laminated paper having a different color or finish on each side.

The accumulation of loose particles from the paper on the nonimage areas of the blanket. Particles are of very small size.

An ink colorant that is soluble in vehicle or solvent.

Dye Transfer

Similar in appearance to a color photograph but different in the important respect that it is produced from a transparency by printing continuous tones of color dyes.

A stable print specially sensitized on two-sided papers for proofing.

ECF Elemental Chlorine Free

Pulp bleached without the use of elemental chlorine. Generally this is virgin fiber bleached with chlorine dioxide.

E.C.H. Will Sheeter

Continuous automatic cut-size sheeter, ream wrapper, ream labeler, ream accumulator, case packer, lidder, bander and palletizer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which publishes guidelines for minimum recycled product content for use by federal agencies for purchasing standards. Many state and local governments and businesses have voluntarily adopted these. The EPA is charged with most of the environmental responsibility for guidance, direction, monitoring and enforcement in the United States.

Electronic Color Scanner

High speed computer, which instantly calculates the necessary color correction by measuring the original copy.

Electronic Printing

In digital printing, any technology that reproduces pages without the use of traditional ink, water or chemistry.

Electrostatic Copying

Process using an intermediary plate or drum (like Xerography) or coated take-off sheet (like Electrofax ™ ) which is electrically charged to attract powder or liquid developer only to the image area.

Elliptical Dot

In halftone photography, elongated dots, which give improved gradation of tones particularly in middle tomes and vignettes - also called chain dots.

In composition, a unit of measurement exactly as wide and high as the point sizes being set. So named because the letter "M" in early fonts was usually cast on a square body.

Embossed Finish

A finish imparted to a web of paper through an embossing machine. The paper will take on a raised or depressed surface resembling wood, cloth, leather, or other pattern.

Impressing an image in relief to achieve a raised surface; either over printing or on a blank paper (called blind embossing).

In composition, one-half the width of an em.

Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)

In digital prepress, a file format used to transfer graphic images within compatible applications. A file containing structured PostScript code, comments and a screen display image.

End-Leaf Paper

Strong, fine quality papers, either plain or coated and sometimes colored or marbled used at both ends of a book. Also called sheets.

Printing by the intaglio process. Ink is applied to the paper under extreme pressure resulting in a printed surface being raised. Used for fine letterheads, wedding invitations, etc.

Fadeout Halftone

A general reduction in the overall contrast of a halftone, to allow type to be easily readable when printed over it.

Fake Duotone

A two-color reproduction, using single halftone negative, usually blank, and a halftone screen tint for the background, usually in color.

Continuous multiple ply form manufactured from a single wide web which is folded longitudinally.

In printing, distortion of paper on the press due to waviness in the paper caused by absorption of moisture at the edges of the paper, particularly across the grain.

Fast-Drying Ink

An ink that dries soon after printing.

Tendency of an ink image to spread with a fuzzy, "feather like" edge.

Feed Rollers

On a printing press, the rubber wheels that move the sheets of paper from the feed pile to the grippers.

The section of a printing press that separates the sheets and feeds them into position for printing.

Term expressing an individual’s impression of a paper’s finish and stiffness or suppleness.

Feet-Per-Minute

Abbreviated FPM, this term refers usually to the speed of a papermaking machine in terms of how many feet per minute the forming web of paper traverses the length of the machine.

Felt Finish

A finish applied to the paper at the wet end of the paper machine by using felts of a distinctive weave rather than standard or regular wove felts.

Top side of the paper, opposite from the wire side or underneath. The "right side of the paper".

Woven, endless belt made of wool, cotton or synthetic materials used to transport the paper web on the paper machine, during manufacture. Felts act as a conveyor while at the same time removing water from paper as it progresses through the paper machine.

Fiber Orientation

Refers to the alignment of the fibers in the sheet. The degree of alignment can be controlled in the paper making process.

The small strands of wood, cotton or other cellulose product that is used to make the paper. In the premium paper market all of the fiber is lignin free. Fiber before it is made into the finished product us referred to as pulp.

String-like elements that are loosened from the paper fibers during the beating process. They aid in the bonding processes when paper is being manufactured.

Fibrillation

Act of loosening the fibrillae during the mechanical process of beating the fibers in preparation for papermaking.

Minerals, such as clay and other white pigments, added to pulp to improve the opacity, smoothness, brightness, and printing capabilities of paper.

A condition in offset lithography where ink fills the area between the halftone dots or plugs up the type; also known as plugging or filling up.

Maximum width of paper that can be made on any given paper machine.

Fine Papers

Types of premium papers used for writing, printing, and cultural purposes.

The physical look and feel of the paper’s surface. These include smooth, felt, laid, linen and others.

Finishing Broke

Discarded paper resulting from any finishing operation.

First Color Down

The first color printed as the sheet passes through the press.

A strip of paper protruding from a roll or skid of paper. May be used to mark a splice in a roll of paper or used to mark off reams in a skid.

Flash Exposure

In halftone photography, the supplementary exposure given to strengthen the dots in the shadow areas of negatives.

Printing two or more colors without overlaying color dots (i.e. without color trap); individual color matching. This differs from process color, which is a blending of four colors to produce a broad range of colors.

Flatbed Press

A press on which plates are positioned along a flat metal bed against which the paper is pressed by the impression cylinder, as compared to a rotary press which prints from curved plates.

Flatbed Scanner

A device that scans images in a manner similar to a photocopy machine; the original art is positioned face down on a glass plate.

Flexography

Letterpress printing using a form of relief printing ; formally called aniline printing. Synthetic or rubber relief plates, special inks, presses procedures.

To reverse a negative or positive, to bring the underside out on top. A negative that must be flopped has emulsion on the wrong side.

The property of ink which causes it to level out when still a liquid; "short" inks have poor flow, and "long" inks have good flow.

Fluorescent Inks

Extremely brilliant inks containing fluorescent pigments.

Flush Cover

Cover of a book that has been trimmed to the same dimensions as the text papers.

Unprinted page that is part of a printed signature. It also can be a synonym for end-leaf.

An undesirable neutral density in the clear areas of a photographic film or paper, in which the image is either locally or entirely veiled by a deposit of silver. Fog may be due to flare, unsafe darkroom illumination, age, or processing conditions.

A tissue-like material in sheet or roll form covered on one side with a metallic coloring used for stamping.

Folding Endurance

A paper test which measures the number of double (back and forth) folds that can be made on a sheet of paper under tension, before it breaks.

A page that exceeds the dimensions of a single page. It is folded to page size and included in the book, sometimes bound in and sometimes tipped in (pasted).

Refers to sheet size 17x22 or larger. Also, page numbers.

The bottom of a page of printed information.

Refers to the uniformity or lack of it in the distribution of the fibers when manufacturing paper; can be observed by looking through the sheet; a good formation is uniform or "Close", while a poor formation is not.

Fountain Solution

In lithography, a solution of water, a natural or synthetic gum and other chemicals used to dampen the plate and keep non-printing areas from accepting ink.

The unit on a press that contains ink to be fed to the distributing system, and the part that feeds the fountain solution to the dampening system.

Four-Color Process

The four basic colors of ink (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black), which reproduce full-color photographs or art.

Fourdrinier

A paper machine developed by Louis Robert and financed by Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier that produces a continuous web of paper; also the term for the section of the paper machine, which is a continuous "wire" or belt screen, through which the first removal of water occurs. The point of formation.

Four-Sided Trim (trim 4)

After the job is printed and folded, a trim will be taken off all four sides to remove any reference or registration marks and give a clean edge to the pile of sheets.

For Position Only (FPO)

In digital imaging, typically a low-resolution image positioned in a document to be replaced later with a higher resolution version of the same image.

Paper made with pulp created in a kraft process that has removed the lignin. Freesheet paper has more longevity than groundwood which contains lignin.(Newspaper is made with groundwood)

French Fold

A sheet printed on one side and folded first vertically and then horizontally to produce a four-page folder.

The mixture of fiber and other materials that is blended in the water suspension, or slurry, from which paper or board is made; usually about 1% solid material with 99% or the balance being water.

FSC - Forest Stewardship Council

An independent, international, environmentally and socially oriented forest certification organization. It trains, accredits and monitors third-party certifiers around the world and works to establish international forest management standards.

Fuzz (fluff)

Loose fibers projecting from a paper's surface.

Gang Printing

Grouping related jobs using same paper and inks. Grouping more than one job on a single plate.

A four-page insert, having foldouts on either side of the center spread.

Graphic Arts Technical Foundation

Collating folded signatures in consecutive order.

Gray Component Replacement

Gear Streaks

In printing, parallel streaks appearing across the printed sheet at same interval as gear teeth on the cylinder.

Each succeeding stage in reproduction from original copy.

Genuine Watermark

Watermark made with a dandy roll.

Ghost Halftone

A light halftone that may be overprinted with solid copy.

Ghost images are unwanted images that reduce print value. Mechanical ghosting develops during the delivery of the printed sheet and is traceable to on-press conditions, ink starvation, form layout, and even to the blanket itself. Chemical ghosting, which occurs during the drying process of ink on paper, is especially bothersome because the condition cannot be detected until the job has been completed.

To cover the trimmed edges of a book with gold or other metallic leaf.

Brief or magnifying glass.

An ink containing an extra quantity of varnish, which gives a glossy appearance when dry.

Glued-On Cover

A cover fastened to the text with glue.

The process of applying glue to the spine of a book to be casebound, after sewing and smashing, and before trimming.

The classification given to paper due to its unique characteristics, which includes brightness, opacity, cotton content, etc…

Grain Direction

The direction of the fibers in paper.

Term used to designate that the grain of the paper is parallel to the longest measurement of a sheet of paper. The fibers are aligned parallel to the length of the sheet.

Grain Short

Opposite of grain long. Grain of the paper runs at the right angles to the longest dimension of the sheet. Fiber alignment in grain short paper parallels the sheet’s shortest dimension.

Grainy Printing

Printing characterized by unevenness, particularly of halftones.

The basis weight of paper stated in metric terms of grams per square meter and expressed as g/m 2 . Thus a sheet of paper 17 x 22 with a basis weight of 20 lbs. For 500 sheets would be expressed metrically as 75 g/m 2 . To convert from basis weight to grams per square meter (g/m 2 ), multiply basis weight by 1406.5 (a constant factor) and divide by the number of square inches in base sheet.

Graphic Designer

A person in the graphic arts who puts together art, text, and other visuals to produce professional printed results.

An intaglio printing process in which the image area is etched below the surface of the printing plate and is transferred directly to the paper by means of pressure.

Gray Balance

The dot values or densities of cyan, magenta, and yellow that produce a neutral gray.

The number of gray values that can be distinguished by a color separation filter-usually 2 8 or 256.

A strip of standard gray tones, ranging from white to black, placed at the side of original copy during photography to measure tonal range and contrast (gamma) obtained.

A row of clips that holds a sheet of paper as it speeds through the press.

Gripper Edge

Leading edge of a sheet of paper as it passes through the printing press.

Gripper Margin

Unprintable back edge of a sheet of paper on which grippers bear, usually ½ inch or less.

Paper made from pulp created in one of several processes that use virtually the whole tree. Sometimes chemical and heating process are used in the pulping. Groundwood paper retains the lignin from the trees, which causes the paper to yellow and deteriorate relatively quickly.

Gross Weight

The total weight of merchandise and shipping container.

The edge of a printed sheet at right angles to the gripper edge, which travels along a guide on the press or folder. This edge, like the gripper edge, should never be altered or mutilated between the printing and folding operations. It is the shorter edge of the sheet.

Guide Marks

A method of using crossline marks on the offset press plate to indicate trim, centering of the sheet, centering of the plate, etc.; these are sometimes called register marks .

Guide Roller

Sometimes called a cocking roller. Located on the roll stand between the roll of paper and the dancer roll . Can be cocked to compensate for certain paper roll conditions.

The side the press uses to guide the sheet to the exact side toward the operator; also known as operator or control side.

Device that is used to cut or trim stacks of paper to the desired size.

Gum Streaks

Streaks, particularly in halftones, produced by uneven gumming of plates which partially desensitizes the image.

In platemaking, the process of applying a thin coating of gum to the non-printing areas of a lithographic plate.

The blank space or inner margin on a press sheet from printing area to binding.

Hairline Register

Register within ± ½ row of dots.

In photography, a blurred effect, resembling a halo, usually occurring in the highlight areas or around bright objects.

Half Binding

A style of binding wherein the shelf-back and the corners are bound in a different material from that used on the sides.

Halftone Negative Artwork (screened negative)

The negative film produced when continuous-tone artwork is shot through a halftone screen.

Halftone Positive Artwork (screened positive)

A photographic positive containing a halftone image.

Halftone Screen

An engraved glass through which continuous tone copy is photographed and reduced to a series of dots for halftone printing.

The reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of dots, varying either in size or in spacing, thus generating a gradient-like effect. "Halftone" can also be used to refer specifically to the image that is produced by this process.

Handmade Finish

Paper with a rough finish resembling handmade paper.

A halftone dot characterized by a sharp, clean cut edge.

Another term for casebound.

Hardcover (casebound, edition binding)

Nonflexible book binding made of thick, glazed board.

Paper that has been treated with a large amount of size to increase its resistance to moisture. Slack-sized is the opposite.

Wood from deciduous trees having short fibers.

The amount allowed for the top trim.

A small strip of silk or cotton used for decoration at the top of a book between the sheets and the cover. In hand binding, a real tape to which the signatures are sewn.

On a paper machine, the box that dispenses the appropriate amount of furnish (pulp) into the papermaking process.

The top of a page of text which can be a chapter heading, title line, etc…

Head-to-Head Imposition

An imposition which requires that pages be laid out with the top of a page (head) positioned across the top of the page (head) opposite it on the form.

Head-to-Tail Imposition

An imposition which requires that pages be laid out with the top of a page (head) positioned across the from the bottom (tail) of the page opposite on the form.

Heat-Set Inks

Inks used in high-speed web offset. They set rapidly under heat and are quickly chilled.

In offset, spots or imperfections in the printed image traceable to such things as dirt on the press, dried ink skin, paper particles, dust, etc…

A paper (normally book paper) specifically manufactured to retain a thickness not found in papers of the same basis weight. Frequently used to give thickness to a book with minimal amount of pages.

High Contrast

In photography, describes a reproduction in which the difference in darkness between neighboring areas is greater than in the original.

High Finish

A term referring to a paper that has a smooth, hard finish applied through calendering or other processes.

High Key Picture

A continuous tone photo made up of predominantly highlight (white) areas.

Highlight Halftone

The lightest or whitest parts in a photograph represented in a halftone reproduction by the smallest dots or the absence of all dots.

High-Speed Printer

Computer which prints in excess of 300 lines per minute.

The flexible joint where the covers of a hardbound book meet the spine, permitting the covers to open without breaking the spine of the book or breaking the signatures apart.

An impression from a stamping die.

A term referring to papers that retain much of the resinous ink components on the surface of the sheet rather than absorbing them into a fiber network. Papers with too much holdout cause problems with setoff.

In color, the main attribute of a color which distinguishes it from other colors. See Chroma.

Moisture condition of the air. Relative humidity is the percent of moisture relative to the actual amount which air at any given temperature can retain without precipitation.

Hydra Pulper

Vat with a special type of agitator used to hydrate and prepare pulp for papermaking.

A papermaking process that involves beating the pulp so as to increase its ability to hold water and produce a paper with the proper moisture content.

Hydrophilic

Describes paper with an affinity for water.

Hydrophobic

Describes paper that tends to be water repellent.

Hygroscopic

Describes paper that readily absorbs moisture.

Imitation Parchment

Paper made with irregular distribution of fibers.

In digital imaging, an imagesetter capable of outputting a film flat with 4, 8 or more pages in imposed position.

Impression Cylinder

In printing, the cylinder on a printing press against which the paper picks up the impression from the inked plate in direct printing, or the blanket in offset printing.

Pressure of type of blanket as it comes in contact with paper.

To print other information on a previously printed piece by running it through a press again.

An auxiliary printing unit, usually employing rubber letterpress plates; imprints copy on top side of web and permits imprint copy to be changed while press is running at full speed.

Mailing permit imprints that are preprinted on envelopes, mailing cartons, etc.

Ink Absorption

Extent of ink penetration into paper.

The degree with which paper will absorb ink.

Ink Dot Scum

On aluminum plates, a type of oxidation scum characterized by scattered pits that print sharp, dense dots.

A metal drum, either solid or cored; a part of an inking mechanism; used to break down the ink and transfer it to the form rollers.

Ink Fountain

In printing presses, the device which stores and supplies ink to the inking rollers.

Ink Holdout

An important printing paper quality - the ability to keep ink on top of the paper's surface. An inked image printed on paper with a high degree of ink holdout will dry by oxidation rather than absorption.

Ink Jet Printing

In digital printing, a plateless printing system that produces images directly on paper from digital data using streams of very fine drops of dyes which are controlled by digital signals to produce images on paper.

Ink Receptive

Having the property of being wet by greasy ink, in preference to water.

Ink Resistance

Resistance to the penetration of the ink vehicle; also called ink hold-out.

Inking Mechanism

On a printing press, the ink fountain and all the parts used to meter, transfer, break down, distribute, cool or heat, and supply the ink to the printing members. Also called inking system.

Denotes a production line of machinery, as required for the more or less complete manufacturing of a given product.

A printed piece prepared for insertion into a publication or another printed piece.

Type or design etched into a metal plate as opposed to raised letters as in letterpress.

The extreme strength, degree or amount of ink.

Interleaves (slip sheets)

Paper inserted between sheets as they come off the printing press to prevent transfer of wet ink from one to the other. Also, accessory sheets between parts in a form.

To align sheets of paper into a compact pile.

The flexible hinge where the cover of a casebound book meets the spine, permitting the cover to open without breaking the spine of the book or breaking apart the signatures; also called a hinge.

Proper name for the beater on the paper machine. In the Jordan, the pulp is pulverized, causing the pulp and water to mix in a uniform manner.

Junior Carton

A package of reamed sealed, cut size paper packed 8 to 10 reams per carton.

Fitting a line of type to both margins.

A method in composition of changing the spacing between type; brings the type closer together.

In color printing, the plate used as a guide for the register of other colors. It normally contains the most detail.

In artwork, an outline drawing of finished art to indicate the exact shape, position and size for such elements as halftones, line sketches, etc…

Kiss Impression

Printing performed with only slight pressure. The normal procedure for quality printing.

Kiss Pressure

The minimum pressure at which proper ink transfer is possible.

Partial cut through.

Kraft Process

A chemical pulping process that cooks down the tree to remove lignin, retaining the fibers for paper making. Free sheet papers are made in the kraft process.

Label Paper

Paper used for labeling applications. It may or may not have pressure sensitive adhesive backing added to the sheet.

Laid Dandy Roll

A dandy roll made for the purpose of imparting a laid finish to paper. It is composed of wires running parallel to the roll’s axis and attached to the frame by evenly spaced chain wires that encircle the circumference of the roll. The laid wires are affixed on top of the transverse chain wires, rather than being wove over and under them.

Term describes the finish imparted by a dandy roll which features wires parallel to its axis that impress the paper during manufacture to produce a permanent watermark. The wires which produce the laid effect are situated parallel on the dandy roll and are not interwoven with the traverse chain wires which encircle the dandy roll’s circumference, meaning the cross direction.

Paper that is developed by fusing one or more layers of paper together to the desired thickness and quality.

The slightly extended areas of printing surfaces in color plates, which make for easier registration of color.

Lap Register

A register achieved by overlaying a narrow strip of the second color over the first color, at the points of joining.

Last Color Down

The last color printed.

The drawing or sketch of a proposed printed piece. In platemaking, a sheet indicating the settings for a step-and-repeat machine.

Layout Sheet

The imposition form; it indicates the sequence and positioning of negatives on the flat, which corresponds to printed pages on the press sheet. Once the sheet is folded, pages will be in consecutive order.

In composition, rows of dashes or dots to guide the eye across the page. Used in tabular work, programs, tables of contents, etc…

The ability of an ink to flow.

Letterpress Printing

Also known as relief typographic printing, letterpress printing employs the use of type or designs cast or engraved in relief (raised) on a variety of surfaces which can include metal, rubber, and wood. Opposite of intaglio printing, in letterpress printing the ink is applied to the raised printing surface. Non-printing areas or spaces are recessed. Impressions are made in various ways. On a platen press the impressions are made by pressure against a flat area of type or plate. Flat-bed cylinder press printing uses the pressure of a cylinder rolling across a flat area of type or plate to create the impression. A rotary web press uses a plate that has been stereotyped (molded into a curved form) which presses against another cylinder carrying the paper.

The evenness of a paper determined by the fiber distribution.

Library Binding

A book bound in accordance with the standards of the American Library Association, having strong endpapers , muslin-reinforced end signatures, sewing with four-cord thread, cotton flannel backlining, and covers of Caxton buckram cloth, with round corners.

Maximum number of sheets handled by operator of guillotine cutting machine or by paper handler loading paper for printing.

Lightfastness

The degree to which a paper or printed piece will resist a change in color when exposed to light.

The "glue" that binds the cells of the tree and creates its structure. This product is removed in the kraft process. Approximately one third of the tree is lignin.

Likesidedness

Noticeably similar side-to-side color and finish of a sheet of paper.

Any copy suitable for reproduction without using a halftone screen.

Line Drawing

A drawing containing no grays or middle tones. In general, any drawing that can be reproduced without the use of halftone techniques.

Line Negative

A negative made from line copy.

Linear Paper

A watermarked sheet with lines to guide the user.

Linen Finish Paper

A paper embossed to have a surface resembling linen cloth.

The material which is pasted down on the backbone (spine) of a book to be casebound, after it has been sewn, glued off, and then rounded. It reinforces the glue and helps hold signatures together.

Small fuzzy particles in paper.

The allowance for overlap of one-half of the open side edge of a folded section, needed for sewn and saddlestitch binding, for feeding the sections; also called lap.

Lithographic Image

An ink-receptive image on the lithographic press plate; the design or drawing on stone or a metal plate.

Lithographic Papers

See offset papers

Lithography

A generic term for any printing process in which the image area and the nonimage area exist on the same plane (plate) and are separated by chemical repulsion.

Localized Watermark

Achieved by arranging the design on the dandy roll to leave a watermark at a predetermined place on the sheet.

A mark or symbol created for an individual, company, or product that translates the impression of the body it is representing into a graphic image.

Paper made with the machine direction in the longest sheet dimension.

An ink that has good flow on ink rollers of a press. If the ink is too long, it breaks up into filaments on the press, and causes flying as on a newspaper press.

Degree of permanence.

To fold a sheet lengthwise in the direction of the grain.

A popular style of binding, in which the spine binding material is not glued to the binding edge of the sheets.

Loose Register

Color that fits "loosely"; positioning (register) is not critical.

Refers to papers somewhat thinner than the usual papers of the same weight, having a smooth surface, and which is a "thin" sheet.

Low-Key Picture

A continuous tone photo made up of predominantly shadow areas of the same tone.

Symbol in the paper industry designating 1,000. Usually used to designate 1,000 sheets or two reams of fine paper.

Machine Direction

Establishes the grain direction, which is always parallel with the travel of the paper over the wire.

Machine Dried

Process of drying paper on the paper machine as opposed to air drying the paper after removal from the machine.

Machine Finish

Finish that is obtained while the paper is on the paper machine. Expressed as M.F. Different finishes are obtained by the number of times paper is passed through the rollers, either dry or wet.

Hue of a subtractive primary and a 4-color process ink. It reflects or transmits blue and red light and absorbs green light.

Magenta Screen

A dyed contact screen, used for making halftones.

In printing presses, all work done prior to running; adjusting the feeder, grippers, side guide, putting ink in the fountain, etc. Also, in letterpress, the building up of the press form, so that the heavy and light areas print with the correct impression.

Making Order

A paper that is not available off the supplier’s shelf, but they will produce it when ordered. Making orders for special sizes, colors and weights of paper are subject to small minimums.

The unprinted area around the edges of a page. The margins as designated in book specifications refer to the remaining margins after the book has been trimmed.

In color separation photography, an intermediate photographic negative or positive used in color correction. In offset lithography, opaque material used to protect open or selected areas of a printing plate during exposure.

Mechanical Pulp

In papermaking, groundwood pulp produced by mechanically grinding logs or wood chips. It is used mainly for newsprint and as an ingredient of base stock for lower grade publication papers.

Metallic Inks

Ink containing metal substances, used to produce special printed output.

The tonal range between highlights and shadows of a photograph or reproduction.

Paper which is brand-named by the manufacturer as opposed to the merchant house, which is known as a "private brand".

Mixed Office Waste

Wastepaper generated from offices, such as letters, memos, invoices, etc. which are collected and sorted for paper qualities. This is the major source of post consumer fiber used in recycled papers.

Geometric pattern caused when two screened images are superimposed at certain angles. Occurs when making a halftone from a halftone image.

Moisture Content

Refers to the amount of moisture found in a sheet of paper. Average amount ranges from 5 to 8%. This figure varies from sheet to sheet since paper will emit or absorb moisture according to the condition of the surrounding atmosphere. Moisture loss is realized in the form of shrinkage, which begins at the edges of the paper and moves across the grain causing the sheet to tighten and curl.

Printed in one color only.

In Artwork, several photographs combined to form a composite illustration.

Mottled Finish

Finish, which exhibits high and low spots, or glossy and dull areas on the printed sheet.

Mullen Tester

Device that measures the bursting strength of paper. Sometimes referred to as the pop test or pop tester.

In photography, film containing an image in which the values of the original are reversed so that the dark areas in the subject appear light on the film and vice versa.

Offset papers manufactured with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0 on a scale of .0 to 14.0. Neutral pH factors are built into paper as a minimum value, to increase stability and improve permanence for use in printing of archival records.

Nominal Weight

Refers to the basis weight of the paper. Unless otherwise stipulated by the mill and customer, a tolerance of plus or minus 5% is allowed when calculating the nominal weight.

Non-Impact Printers

Forms an image without impact.

In binding, a booklet bound on the short dimension.

Pertaining to equipment not under direct control of the central processing unit.

Off-Press Proofs

Proofs made by photomechanical or digital means in less time and at lower cost than press proofs.

See set-off. In printing, the process of using an intermediate blanket cylinder to transfer an image from the image carrier to the substrate. Short for offset lithography.

Offset Lithography (photolithography, offset)

The most common form of lithographic printing in which the image area and the nonimage area exist on the same plane (plate), separated by chemical repulsion. To print, the ink is "offset" (transferred) from the plate onto a rubber blanket and then to the paper.

Offset Paper

Coated or uncoated paper specifically for offset printing.

Offset Press (sheet fed)

Indirect rotary press with plate cylinder, blanket cylinder and an impression cylinder.

Offset Printing

Process of printing utilizing a lithographic plate on which the images or designs are ink receptive while the remainder of the plate is water receptive. Ink is transferred from the plate to a rubber blanket on the printing press and this rubber blanket transfers the image to paper. It is sometimes referred to as offset lithography or photo-offset.

One-Up, Two-Up, etc

Printing one (two, three, etc.) impressions of a job at a time.

A lightweight, cockle finish paper used for making copies of correspondence.

Pertaining to equipment under direct control of the central processing unit of a computer.

The amount of "show through" in a sheet from one side to the other. The higher the opacity the less likely that the printing on one side will be visible from the other side.

The more opaque a sheet of paper is, the less transparent it is. High opacity in printing papers is a good characteristic as print from the other side of a printed leaf has less "show-through".

An ink that conceals all color beneath it.

Open End Envelope

An envelope that opens on the short dimension.

Optical Brightness

Optical brighteners or fluorescent dyes are extensively used to make high, bright blue-white papers. They absorb invisible ultraviolet light and convert to visible light, falling into the blue to violet portion of the spectrum, which is then reflected back to our eyes.

Optical Whitener

A dye that is added to the fiber stock or applied to the paper surface at the size press to enhance its brightness.

Orange Peel

A granular surface on coated or printed paper that looks like orange peel.

Out-of-Register

(1) Descriptive of pages on both sides of the sheet which do not back up accurately. (2) Two or more colors are not in the proper position when printed; register does not "match."

Out-of-Round Rolls

Paper rolls that are not suitable for the web offset press because they are not perfectly round and will cause uneven feeding tension.

Out-of-Square

Refers to paper that has been trimmed improperly thus causing the corners to be less or more than 90 degrees. This leads to difficulty during the printing process and often results in misregister of the printed piece. Also called off-square.

Outline Halftone (silhouette halftone)

A halftone image which is outlined by removing the dots that surround it.

Overhang Cover

A cover larger in size than the pages it encloses.

Describes printing when too much ink has been used, resulting in heavy print that tends to blur toward the back of the press sheet.

Overpacking

Packing the plate or blanket to a level that is excessively above the level of the cylinder bearer.

Overpressure

Too much pressure, causing ink to tend to plug letters, especially halftone dots.

Overprinting

Double printing; printing over an area that already has been printed.

Quantity of paper that is manufactured beyond the quantity specified. In printing, copies printed in excess of the specified quantity.

A chemical reaction which hardens the ink vehicle and makes the film of ink reasonably rub-proof . The process of combining with oxygen.

In printing presses, the paper or other material used to underlay a press blanket or plate, to bring the surface to the desired height; the method of adjusting squeeze pressure.

Packing Gauge

a device for determining the relationship between the height of the plate or blanket, and the cylinder bearers.

Padding Glue

A flexible glue used in padding loose sheets.

The number of flexes a book page can withstand before loosening from the binding.

Page Makeup

In stripping, assembly of all elements to make up a page. In digital imaging, the electronic assembly of page elements to compose a complete page with all elements in place on a video display terminal and on film or plate.

Page Proofs

Initial impression of a page pulled for checking purposes before the entire job is run.

Pages-Per-Inch (ppi)

In book production, the number of pages contained in a one-inch stack of paper.

In computerized typesetting, the process of performing page makeup automatically.

The collection of colors or shades available to a graphic system or program.

A wooden platform with stringers wide enough to allow a fork lift to drive into it and lift; used to pack cartons for shipment, if specified by the customer. Pallets are usually not reusable.

Pantone Matching System

Paper machine.

Machine on which paper is manufactured, dried, wound on rolls and slit to appropriate lengths.

Paper Surface Efficiency

Measure of the printability of a sheet of paper which is dependent upon the amount of ink the paper absorbs, the smoothness of its surface, and the evenness of its caliper.

A paper-covered book; also called paperback or soft cover.

A paper used for greeting cards, stationery, etc…which is distinctive from regular stock in that special watermarks and embossing may be used.

Paraded Watermark

(See watermark).

Parallel Fold

Any series of folds in sequence, made in parallel fashion.

Paste Drier

In inkmaking, a type of dryer, usually a combination of drying compounds.

Pasted grades are those grades of paper or paperboard made up of layers pasted together. The process is machine operation used to combine sheets of the same or different papers into a single thickness.

PCF - Process Chlorine Free

Our 100% post consumer recycled papers are manufactured from sustainable raw materials and are processed using chlorine-free practices.

Quick-Set Inks

Those inks that set-up faster and dry faster, usually from top to bottom. These inks are used when sheets have to be sent back through the press faster than normal drying time will allow.

Printing with four half-tone images at different screen angles using four different colors. Usually the four colors would have a color slant or cast towards a selected tone or color; for example a sepia-tone or overall brown slant or cast.

Quarter Tone

In printing, a printing dot that has a percentage that is close to the 25% printing dot size.

Today it is usually referred to as cotton fiber paper. It is made from cotton cuttings and linters.

Pulp made by disintegrating new or old cotton or linen rags and cleaning and bleaching fibers.

Random Watermark

Five hundred sheets of printing paper.

Ream Marked

Pile of paper is ream marked by the insertion of small slips of paper or "ream markers" at intervals of every 500 sheets.

Ream Marker

Piece of rectangular shaped paper used to mark off the reams in a stack of paper.

Ream Weight

Weight of a given ream of paper.

Ream Wrapped

Paper which has been separated into reams and individually packaged or wrapped.

Scrap paper collected for remanufacturing into recycled paper. EPA’s definition for recovered is the most widely accepted and does not include scrap paper created in the initial papermaking process, but does include scrap created in a mill after the paper comes off the paper machine. Printing waste and envelope trip are also recovered fiber.

Recycleable

This means the product can be recycled. This applies to most paper even if it is coated, waxed or other wise treated.

Paper made at least in part from recovered fibers. There is no universally acceptable definition so requirements vary by specific circumstances. EPA requires post consumer content in recycled papers purchased by federal agencies. But the FTC does not require post-consumer content in papers labeled recycled. Most US governments and companies use the EPA standards, but there is no requirement. In Canada most companies use the terra-choice definition for recycle which does require minimum levels of post-consumer fiber.

In printing inks, varnishes, solvents, oily or greasy compounds used to reduce the consistency for printing. In photography, chemicals used to reduce the density of negative or positive images or the size of halftone dots (dot etching).

The mechanical treatment of pulp fibers to develop their papermaking properties.

Reflection Copy

In photography, illustrative copy that is viewed and must be photographed by light reflected from its surface. Examples are photographs, drawings, etc…

In printing, register is the placement of two or more images on the same paper in such a manner as to make them in perfect alignment with each other. When a printing job is in exact register succeeding forms or colors can be printed in the correct position relative to the images already printed on the sheet.

Register Mark

Mark placed on a form to assist in proper positioning of after-printing operations. Two short lines at right angles are called an angle mark. Also, bulls-eye marks placed on camera-ready copy to assist in registration of subsequent operations.

Registration

Alignment of one element of a form in relation to another. Also, alignment of printed images upon the same sheet of paper.

Relative Humidity (RH)

The amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere expressed as a percentage of the maximum that could be present at the same temperature.

Repeatability

The ability to keep photo film and the images thereon in proper register. Repeatability is usually measured in micrometers.

A term referring to printing again from standing negatives.

Chemicals that slow setting time of printing inks.

When the background is completely printed, and the design area is left unprinted.

Equipment which slits and rewinds paper webs into smaller rolls.

Right Side of Paper

The felt side of a sheet, also the side on which the watermark, if any, may be read.

Right-Angle Fold

Term used for two or more folds that are at 90 degree angles to each other.

Right-Read Image

Image similar to the original or intended final copy.

Stiffness, resistance to bending.

Web of paper. Paper wound around a core or shaft to form a continuous roll or web of paper.

Roller Stripping

In lithography, a term denoting that the ink does not adhere to the metal ink rollers on a press.

A size added to paper to make it water resistant.

Rotary Press

Printing press in which the plate is wrapped around a cylinder. There are two types, direct and indirect. Direct presses print with a plate cylinder and an impression cylinder. Indirect rotary presses (sheet-fed offset presses) combine a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder and an impression cylinder.

Rotogravure

Intaglio process. The image is below the surface of the plate. (Letterhead image is raised the offset image is flat)

1) Ink on printed sheets, after sufficient drying, which smears or comes off on the fingers when handled. (2) Ink that comes off the cover during shipment and transfers to other covers or to the shipping carton or mailer; also called Scuffing.

In printing, an ink that has reached maximum dryness and does not mar with normal abrasion.

Rule Weight

Thickness of lines; hairline rule; medium rule (½ point); heavy rule (1 point).

Runnability

Paper’s performance on a press and its ability to withstand the stresses of a running press unaltered. Not the same as printability.

Saddle Stitch

Binding process for pamphlets or booklets, which works by stapling through the middle fold of the sheets (saddle wire).

Saddle Wire Binding

To fasten a booklet by wiring the middle fold of the printed sheets of paper.

Absence of the short cross line at the ends of the stroke of a Roman letter.

Optical scanner, also electric device used in making color separation.

Point-by-Point electronic scanning of color separations under computer control.

Schopper's Tester

An instrument for testing the folding endurance of paper.

Score/Scoring

The process and the resulting line or crease mechanically impressed in the paper to facilitate folding while guarding against cracking of paper and board. Scoring is essential when heavyweight papers are to be folded.

The ruling used to determine the dots per unit area in developing tonal values in the printed piece. Screens from which letterpress halftones of photographs are made range from 60 lines-per-inch for printing on newsprint to 300 lines for printing on coated paper and premium uncoated paper. Offset halftones for printing on most surfaces range from 133 lines to 200 lines.

Screen Angles

In color reproduction, angles at which the halftone screens are placed with relation to one another, to avoid undesirable moire patterns. A set of angles often used is: black 45°, magenta 75°, yellow 90°, cyan 105°.

Screen Process Printing

This printing process uses a screen of fine-mesh silk (thus the common name silk screen printing) taughtly stretched across a frame. A squeegee drawn across the screen forces ink through the open image areas which are cut-out by hand using lacquered tissue prior to its adherence to the silk. Special photographic negatives are adhered to the screen when faithful reproduction of intricate designs are sought.

Screen Range

The density difference between the highlight and shadow areas of copy that a halftone screen can reproduce without a flash exposure.

Screen Ruling

The number of lines or dots per inch on a halftone screen.

Screened Print

A print made from continuous-tone copy that was screened during exposure.

A halftone film having a uniform dot size over its area, and rated by its approximate printing dot size value, such as 20 percent, 50 percent, etc.; also called screen tint.

See rub-off, The disrupted appearance of an ink film as a result of abrasion to either the wet or dry ink film.

A term referring to the press plate picking up ink in the nonprinting areas for a variety of reasons, basically due to spots or areas not remaining desensitized.

Term often applied to cut size sheets which are packaged "ream sealed", 500 sheets to the package.

Process of allowing paper to adjust to atmospheric conditions of the plant in which it will be used.

Secondary Fiber

A term used for wastepaper, also referred to as paper stock.

A cover that matches the inside text pages.

Semi-Concealed Cover

A cover for mechanical binding that is a single piece scored and slotted or punched for combining with the mechanical binding device, formatting a closed backbone on bound units.

Sensitivity Guide

A narrow, calibrated continuous tone gray scale with each tone scale numbered.

Short cross line at the ends of the stroke of a Roman letter.

In platemaking, the distance from the front edge of the press plate to the image area, to allow for clamping to the cylinder and also for the gripper margin.

The undesirable transfer of ink from freshly printed sheets of paper to another. (Also called off-set).

Set-Up Sheet

A sheet drawn in Plate Prep on the Craftsman table from computer specifications; used as a master for the layout and positioning of pages on the job for which it was drawn.

A popular style of bookbinding; in which the signatures are gathered in sequence and then sewn individually in 8s, 16s, or 32s. The sewing threads are visible at the center of each signature.

Sewn-On Tapes

Strips of reinforcing cloth sewn to the spine of the book sections and extending slightly past the edge of the spine; used to strengthen the binding of a casebound book.

The darkest parts in a photograph, represented in a halftone by the largest dots.

To decrease in color strength, as when halftone dots become smaller; opposite of dot spread or dot gain.

A photographic term for perfectly defined detail in an original, negative and reproduction.

To cut a slight trim from bound books or paper, printed or blank.

Term which may be applied to a single sheet, a grade of paper, or a description of paper, i.e. coated, uncoated, offset, letterpress, etc.

Sheet Delamination

Directly related to poor surface strength in that if the sheet has poor surface strength, delamination will occur in the printing process. Sheet delamination could also create a problem of a blanket smash. If the delamination is large enough and thick enough, as the press continues to run, it will create a depression in the blanket, so that when the delamination buildup is removed from the blanket the depression will remain, rendering the blanket unusable. These defects pertain to both sheet-fed and web-fed equipment.

In paper manufacture, rotary unit over which the web of paper passes to be cut into sheets. In printing, rotary knife at the delivery end of web press that slices press lengths.

Any printing press requiring paper in a sheet form as opposed to printing in rolls.

The process of cutting a roll or web of paper into sheets.

To print one side of a sheet of paper with one plate, then turn the sheet over and print the other side with another plate using same gripper and opposite side guide.

(1) A slip case for holding bound volumes of a set. (2) The copper (or nickel) duplicate of type or engravings produced in the plating tanks on impressions in wax or other molding mediums.

Sheridan Saddle Stitcher-Trimmer

A machine used to gather, cover, stitch, and trim saddle stitch books.

Undercooked wood particles that are removed from the pulp before manufacture of paper begins. Sometimes shives will appear as imperfections in the finished sheets.

Short-Grained Paper

Paper in which the predominant fiber orientation is parallel to the shortest sheet dimension.

Show-Through

In printing, the undesirable condition in which the printing on the reverse side of a sheet can be seen through the sheet under normal lighting conditions.

Decrease in the dimensions of a sheet of paper or loss incurred in weight between the amount of pulp used and paper produced.

On sheet-fed presses, a guide on the feed board to position the sheet sideways as it feeds into the front guides before entering the impression cylinder.

A method of binding in which the folded signatures or cut sheets are stitched with wire along and through the side, close to the gutter margin. Pages cannot be fully opened to a flat position; also called side wire.

Section of book obtained by folding a single sheet of printed paper in 8, 12, 16 or 32 pages.

Halftones from which the screen around any part of the image has been removed.

Silk-Screen

Print from a stencil image maker where the ink is applied by squeegee through a silk screen.

Silk-Screen Printing

Another name for screen process printing

Size or Sizing

Additive substances applied to the paper either internally through the beater or as a coating that improves printing qualities and resistance to liquids. Commonly used sizes are starch and latex.

Part of the paper machine, near the end, where sizing agents are added.

Container holding sizing material during the tub sizing process.

(1)A reusable platform support, made of wood, on which sheets of paper are delivered, and on which printed sheets or folded sections are stacked. Also used to ship materials, usually in cartons which have been strapped (banded) to the skid. (2)A quantity of paper, usually about 3000 lbs., skid-packed.

A paper that is slightly sized and therefore will be somewhat water resistant.

Slip-Sheeting

Placing pieces of paper between folded sections prior to trimming four sides, to separate completed books.

A sharp disk which cuts a paper into pre-determined widths.

Cutting printed sheets into two or more sections by means of cutting wheels on a folder.

Slur-Gauge (The GATF Slur Gauge)

A combination dot gain and slur indicator supplied in positive or negative form. It is a quality control device that shows at a glance dot gain or dot loss. It also demonstrates whether the gain or the loss occurs in contacting, platemaking, proofing or on the press.

The smearing or elongation of halftone dots or type and line images at their trailing edges.

Watery suspension of pigments, etc…which is used in coating or papermaking.

Smashed or Weak Blanket

An area of a blanket that is no longer firm and resilient, and that gives a light impression in the center of a well printed area. Usually caused by physical damage of the blanket at impression.

Smashing (nipping, compressing)

The binding operation following sewing in which the folded and sewn sheets are compressed to tighten the fold free of air to make the front and back of the sheets the same thickness.

A press condition in which the impression is slurred and unclear, because too much ink was used or sheets were handled or rubbed before the ink was dry.

Smooth Finish

A finish on paper that has been made smooth by passing through various rollers.

Smoothing Press

Prior to reaching the driers, the paper web is smoothed, if necessary, by two rolls working together.

The flatness of a sheet of paper, which generally determines the crispness of the image printed upon it.

Smyth Sewing

A method of fastening side-by-side signatures so that each is linked with thread to its neighbor, as well as saddlesewn through its own centerfold. Smyth-sewn books open flat. The stitching is on the back of the fold.

A camera term describing halation or fringe around the edge of a dot which is excessive and almost equals the area of the dot itself.

A term that describes the consistency of lithographic inks.

Another term for paperback or paperbound books.

Wood from coniferous trees having long fibers.

An area completely covered with ink, or the use of 100% of a given color. In composition, type set without space ( leading ) between the lines.

Intervals between lines of type.

Spec'd (specified)

Spec'd copy gives details of items such as paper, bindery techniques, type, etc., which have been determined for a given job.

Specialty Papers or Boards

Paper or board that is manufactured, or subsequently converted, for a specific use. These grades usually cannot be used for anything other than their intended special purpose.

The designer or printing production worker who determines the types of paper to be used under various circumstances.

Spectrophotometer

Sophisticated instrument that measures color across a visible spectrum and produces data describing the color of a given sample in terms of the three parameters in color space.

The complete range of colors in the rainbow, from short wavelengths (blue) to long wavelengths (red).

Backbone of a book.

Spiral Binding

Wires in a spiral form inserted through specially punched holes along the binding edge.

An overlapping joint used to join the ends of webs together.

Tab or marker giving the location of a splice.

Split Fountain

A technique for simultaneously printing two colors from the same ink fountain.

Smallest visible point that can be displayed or printed. The smallest diameter of light that a scanner can detect, or an image-setter or printer can image. Dot should not be confused with spot.

Spot Varnish

Press varnish applied to a portion of the sheet, as opposed to an overall application of the varnish.

Spotting Out

Fine opaquing such as in removing pinholes or other small transparent defects in a negative; also called Opaquing.

Spray Powder

A powder used at press to prevent setoff (offset) of wet ink; also called anti-offset spray.

Square Halftone (square-finish halftone)

A halftone whose four sides are straight and perpendicular to one another.

Square Sheet

A sheet which is equally strong and tear resistant with and against the grain.

A term used to describe paper that has been seasoned so that the moisture content is the same as the air surrounding it.

Device attached to delivery conveyor to collate, compress and bundle signatures.

Pressing a design onto a book cover using metal foil, colored foil, or ink, applied with metal dies.

Standards (paper)

Terms used to indicate the manufactured specifications of a paper. Includes color, basis weight, sheet dimensions, and grain direction.

Material used as a sizing agent for paper. Usually made from corn.

Static Electricity

An electrical charge frequently found in paper which is too dry or which has been affected by local atmospheric conditions.

Static Neutralizer

In printing presses , an attachment designed to remove the static electricity from the paper to avoid ink setoff and trouble with feeding the paper.

Steel Engraving

An engraved plate used in relief printing.

Step-and-Repeat

Technique of affixing multiple images on a film or plate to extremely close tolerances.

In multiple imposition on a lithographic press plate, the procedure of repeating the exposure of a flat by stepping it along the gripper edge; side-by-side exposure.

In multiple imposition on a lithographic press plate, the procedure of repeating the exposure of a flat by stepping it back from the gripper edge of the plate; up-and-down exposure.

An ink with too much body.

Property of paper and paperboard to resist bending.

Stitched Book

A popular method of sewing the signatures of a book together by stitching all the sheets at one time, either through the center of the inserted sheets or side-stitched from front to back. A very strong style of binding but not flexible as compared with sewing.

Use of wire fastenings as a permanent fastening for continuous forms.

Stochastic Screening

A digital screening process that converts images into very small dots (14-40 microns) of equal size and variable spacing. Second order screened images have variable size dots and variable spacing. Also called Frequency Modulated (FM) screening.

General term with many meanings. (1) Paper or board that is on hand in inventory. (2) Paper or board that has been designated for a particular use and only awaits the printing or converting process. (3) Pulp which has been processed to a state where dilution is the only step necessary for it to be made into paper or board. (4) At any stage in manufacture wet pulp is referred to as stock. (5) Wastepaper.

Stock Sizes

Standard sizes of paper or board.

Stock Weights

Weights of papers stocked by mills and merchants.

Stocking Items

Papers manufactured in popular sizes, weights, colors, etc. on a regular basis to maintain adequately stocked inventories in mill warehouses.

Stocking Merchant

Paper distributor that stocks in his own warehouse facilities enough paper to immediately fill anticipated orders in the market. This eliminates the delay of ordering from the paper manufacturer, taking delivery, and delivering to the customer.

Stopping Out

An application of opaque to photographic negatives; also the application of special lacquer to protect areas in positives in dot etching; staging of halftone plates during relief etching; protecting certain areas of deep-etched plates so that no ink will be deposited on the protected areas.

Stream Feeder

A type of press feeder that keeps several sheets of paper, overlapping each other, moving toward the grippers.

Describes the "give" of a sheet of paper when it is subjected to tensile pressure.

Stretch Resistance

Stretch properties are essential for paper to fold well and to resist stress in use. Stretch resistance is measured on tensile testing instruments.

Penetration of printing ink into a sheet of paper.

Strike-Through

Penetration of printing ink through a sheet of paper.

String and Button Envelope

An envelope made with two reinforced paper buttons, one on the flap and the other on the back of the envelope. To close, a string which is locked under the flap button is wound alternately around the two buttons.

Substance Weight

Same as basis weight .

A rubber suction cup on machine feeding devices.

Suction Box

Device that removes water from the paper machine by a suction action located beneath the wire at the wet end.

Suction Feed

A term applied to suction grippers which feed paper.

Alkaline process of cooking pulp also known as the kraft process. Wood chips are cooked to a high brightness without fiber degradation in a substance of sodium sulfate and sodium sulfide.

Acid process of cooking pulp. Wood chips are cooked in a solution of bisulphite.

Super Calender

Off machine calender rolls that heat and iron paper to provide a high gloss finish.

Super Calendering

Alternating rolls of highly polished steel and compressed cotton in a stack. During the process the paper is subjected to the heated steel rolls and "ironed" by the compressed cotton rolls. It imparts a high, gloss finish to the paper. Super calender stacks are not an inherent part of the paper machine whereas the calender rolls are.

Surface Plate

One of the two basic types of lithographic press plates; a colloid image is formed on the light-sensitized metal plate by the action of actinic light passing through photographic negatives.

Surface Sized

Term applied to paper that has been sized by applying a sizing agent when the web of paper is partially dry. Purpose is to increase resistance to ink penetration.

Surface Texture

The relative roughness, smoothness or unevenness of the paper surface.

An additional printing over the design areas of previously printed matter to produce such overprints as "Sale," "$1.98" "Sample," etc. Also called overprint.

Same as sample book. A grouping of papers, usually in bound form, that displays the weights, colors, finishes and other particulars of a collection of papers to aid in the selection of grades.

Abbreviation indicating that the paper has been guillotine trimmed on all four sides. Literal translation: trimmed four sides.

During binding, the cutting or adhering of tabs on the edges of pages.

The pulling power or separation force of ink causing picking or splitting of weak papers.

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)

A file format for graphics suited for representing scanned images and other large bitmaps. TIFF is a neutral format designed for compatibility with all applications. TIFF was created specifically for storing grayscale images, and it is the standard format for scanned images such as photographs-now called TIFF/IT.

A test to determine the tearing resistance of paper.

TCF - Totally Chlorine Free

Includes both virgin and post-consumer fibers that are bleached without any chlorine containing compounds.

Tearing Strength

The ability of a paper to resist tearing when subjected to rigorous production demands of manufacturing, printing, binding and its conversion from flat sheets into envelopes, packaging materials, etc.

Tensile Strength

Tensile strength relates to the stress and strain to which paper is subjected in its many end use applications. It is defined as the maximum force required to break a paper strip of a given width under prescribed laboratory conditions. Tensile strength is usually defined as pounds-per-inch width of the testing strip, or as kilograms per 15-millimeter width. Tensile strength is measured in both the grain and cross-grain directions, however, it is always greater in the grain direction.

A general term applied to various grades of printing paper designed for deluxe printed booklets, programs, announcements and advertising.

Thermography

Letterpress printing in which a special ink, while still wet, is dusted with a resinous powder. Then the sheets are baked fusing the powder with the ink, giving it a raised effect.

Thermomechanical Pulp

Made by steaming wood chips prior to and during refining, producing a higher yield and stronger pulp than regular groundwood.

Measurement in thousandths of an inch.

Shading of an area in a form.

Printing plate with customized surfaces to print solid colors or patterns, stipple line or dot arrangements in tints of inks. Tint blocks are also used to deepen colors in an illustration.

An all-over color tint on the press sheet in the nonimage area of the sheet, caused by ink pigment dissolving in the dampening solution.

Titanium Dioxide

Chemical substance used as loading or coating material to increase the whiteness and brightness of a sheet and contribute to its opacity.

Permissible degree of variation from a pre-set standard.

Characteristic of paper. A slightly rough paper which permits acceptance of ink readily.

Designates the felt side of a sheet of paper. The top side of a sheet is the side not against the wire during manufacture. (2) In paperboard, the top is the side that exhibits the best quality.

Tub sizing of paper which has previously been beater sized.

Translucency

Allowing light, but not detailed shapes, to pass through; semitransparent.

Translucent Papers

Papers that will allow information to be seen through them but not totally clear like acetate.

Transparency

Photographic positive mounted in a clear or transparent image.

Transparent Ink

A printing ink which does not conceal the color beneath. Process inks are transparent so that they will blend to form other colors.

The ability to print a wet ink film over previously printed ink. Dry trapping is printing wet ink on dry paper or over dry ink. Wet trapping is printing wet ink over previously printed wet ink.

Excess of the paper allowed a printed sheet for gripper and bleed.

Trim Margin

The margin of the open side, away from the bind; also called thumb, face or outside margin.

In printing, marks placed on the copy to indicate the edge of the page where to cut or trim.

The final size of a printed piece after trimming.

Trimmed Size

The final size of a printed piece after all bleeds and folds have been cut off.

Machine equipped with a guillotine blade that can cut paper to the desired size.

Tub-Sized (surface-sized)

Sizing added to the surface of paper by passing a web through a tub or bath of sizing, removing the excess, and drying.

Head to foot printing.

Twin-Wire Machine

A paper machine with two wires instead of one producing paper with less two-sidedness.

Two-Sheet Detector

In printing presses, a device for stopping or tripping the press when more than one sheet attempts to feed into the grippers.

Two-Sidedness

In paper, the property denoting difference in appearance and printability between its top (felt) and bottom (wire) sides.

Printing the same page or group of pages from two sets of plates, thereby producing two impressions of the same matter at one time.

Two-Up Binding

Printing and binding in such a way that two books are bound as one, then cut apart into separate books.

A design of letters of the alphabet intended to be used in combination.

Paper not treated to bleaching; it has a light brown hue.

Paper that has not been coated.

Undercolor Removal

To improve trapping and reduce ink costs in the process color web printing, color separation films are reduced in color in areas where all three colors overprint and the black film is increased an equivalent amount in these areas.

Term refers to an order produced or delivered that is less than the quantity specified by the customer. Allowances are permitted in trade practices for under-runs.

Undertrimmed

Trimmed to a size smaller than the specified trim size.

Being uniform in the structure of the paper, the color and finish.

Refers to the combination of inking, plate and impression operations to print each color. A 4-color press has 4 printing units each with its own inking, plate and impression functions.

Ultra Violet radiation method of drying process color inks on high-speed multicolor offset presses.

The drying of UV inks by a light reaction, rather than by heat and/or oxidation.

In printing, solventless inks that are cured by UV radiation. They are used extensively in screen printing, narrow web letterpress and flexographic printing.

Thin, protective coating applied to a printed sheet of paper for protection or improved appearance.

The liquid part of an ink that gives it flow, enabling it to be applied to a surface.

Term usually applied to a paper finish that exhibits a toothy surface which is very similar to eggshell or antique finishes. A vellum finish is relatively absorbent to provide good ink penetration.

Vellum Paper

Very strong, good quality cream colored or natural paper made to impersonate calfskin parchment. Also, the term is often applied to the finish of paper rather than a grade of paper. Stationery is often referred to as vellum. Also, translucent paper used by architects and artists are often referred to as Velum.

Halftone whose background gradually fades away to blend with the surface of the paper.

Paper made from the fibers in their first use, usually from wood pulp.

Virkotyping

Another name for thermography or raised printing.

Broad term that encompasses the properties of tack and flow as applied to inks.

Deterioration of part of image area on plate during printing.

Color of ink falling in the red-orange-yellow family.

Operation between ink/color changes. Time required between ink color changes.

Water Ball Roller

A roller which runs in the fountain solution pan.

Water Fountain

The metal trough on a lithographic press which holds the dampening solution.

Water in Ink

A press condition of too much water, which breaks down ink.

Water Resistance

Quality of a sheet of paper to resist penetration by water from one surface to the other.

Waterless Plate

In platemaking, printing on a press using special waterless plates and no dampening system.

A term referring to the impression of a design, pattern or symbol in a sheet while it is being formed on the paper machine wire. It appears in the finished sheet as either a lighter or darker area than the rest of the paper. Two types of watermarks are available. A shaded watermark is produced by a dandy roll located at or near the suction box on the Fourdrinier. The desired design is pressed into the wire covering the surface of the dandy roll similar to an intaglio engraving. As the wet pulp moves along the web the dandy roll presses down and creates an accumulation of fibers, thus the watermark is seen as being darker than the rest of the sheet.   The second type of watermark, called a wire mark, is accomplished by impressing a dandy roll with a raised surface pattern into the moving paper web in a similar manner to the shaded mark. This creates an area with less fiber making it lighter and more translucent.   Watermarks come in a variety of placement styles. Random, the least expensive to create, is a watermark that appears repetitively throughout the sheet in no particular order. A localized watermark is one that appears in a predetermined position on each sheet. Paraded watermarks appear in a line, either vertically or horizontally on each sheet. A staggered watermark pattern consists of several watermarks on each sheet in a predetermined fashion. (See dandy roll)

Characteristic of a pile of sheets when the outer edges retain more moisture from the air than the center does or when the center retains more moisture then the outer edges do. It is a form of paper curl.

A warping, "wave like" effect in paper which is the result of the edges of the sheet having picked up moisture and expanded to a larger size.

Roll of paper used in web or rotary presses and most often folded, pasted and converted in one continuous form. Also a ribbon of paper as it unwinds from a roll and threads through the press.

Break in a roll of paper while it is on the machine during manufacturing or while on the printing press during production.

Web Offset Paper

Paper that is made to be printed in a continuous manner from a roll. It can be coated or uncoated and must be strong enough to withstand the rigors of web offset printing at high speeds.

An offset press that uses web paper as opposed to sheet fed paper.

Web Tension

Amount of pull applied in direction of the travel of a web of paper by the action of a web-fed press.

Weight Tolerance

Acceptable degree of variation in a paper's shipped weight, usually within 5 percent of the paper's nominal weight.

Well-Closed Formation

Bonding of fibers in a sheet that provides an overall uniformity. Opposite of wild.

Hard sized.

Water or dampness on the edge of the roll can weld or bond the paper together, which will then break on the infeed, a problem easily determined by the press crew.

Wet Rub Test

A test of the moisture resistance of paper.

Wet Strength

The strength retained by a sheet when completely wetted with water; generally, tensile strength.

The beginning of a paper machine that involves a slurry of fibers, fillers, and other additives and is most likely the most critical process area for successful production of the high quality and consistent end product.

Wet-End Finish

Category of finishes such as antique, eggshell, vellum applied to the wet paper web by machine rolls and the presses at the wet end of the papermaking machine.

Wet-Strength

Wet strength is measured most accurately as the percentage ratio of wet-tensile strength to dry-tensile strength. Example: a paper containing 30% wet strength actually possesses 30% of its original dry-tensile strength.

Wet-Strength Papers

Once wet, ordinary papers lose most of their original dry-strength properties. Wet strength papers possess properties that resist disintegration and rupture when saturated with water. Papers are classified wet strength when they retain 15% or more of their dry-tensile strength. Superior quality wet strength papers may retain as much as 50% or more dry strength following immersing in water. Wet strength papers range in weight from tissue to paperboard.

Wetting Agent

A material capable of lowering the surface tension of water and water solutions and increasing their wetting powers.

Whiteness of pulp and paper is generally indicated by its brightness.

Water that has been used in the papermaking process that is milky in color.

(See Distributor)

Unit at the end of the paper machine that takes the paper web from the reel, trims it, winds it into rolls and slits it to make smaller rolls if desired.

At the wet end of the paper machine, a copper, bronze or synthetic screen that receives the suspension of water and fiber from the head-box. The wire moves the suspension along to the dry end of the machine. The wire terminates at the couch roll at which point the paper web is 90% water and can be transferred to the wet felt. In business forms, to stitch or fasten sheets to form a book or fastened set; may be side or saddle wired.

Wire Binding

A continuous double series of wire loops running through punched slots along the binding side of a booklet.

On the bottom or wire side of the paper, these are impressed traces of the machine wire.

Opposite of felt side, this is the side of the paper that was against the wire during manufacture. A watermark will read backward from this side of the sheet.

With the Grain

Parallel to the direction in which the paper fibers lie.

Woodfree Pulp

Chemical pulp.

Work and Turn

To print one side of a sheet of paper then turn the sheet over from left to right and print the second side. The same gripper and plate are used for both sides.

Work and Tumble

To print one side of a sheet of paper, then turn it over from gripper to back using the same side guide and plate to print the second side.

Finish characterized by the impressions of a felt dandy roll covered in woven wire and without laid lines.

A dandy roll without a watermarked design.

(1) Creases in paper occurring during printing or folding. (2) In inks, the uneven surface formed during drying.

Writing Paper

A general term applied to papers used for writing purposes.

Wrong-Read Image

A mirror image such as that appearing on the blanket in offset printing.

Copying process that uses a selenium surface and electrostatic forces to form an image.

Yankee Dryer

A device that dries paper as it comes off the wet end of the papermaking machine by pressing one side against a cylinder that steam-heats it and imparts a glazed finish at the same time.

Hue off a subtractive primary and a 4-color process ink. It reflects red and green light and absorbs blue light.

Describes a transformation inherent to all vegetable fibers which is caused by aging. Paper made of vegetable fibers will turn various degrees of yellow as its environment couples with aging to produce this phenomenon. Yellowing is very evident in groundwood papers and only a few hours in direct sunlight is enough to yellow newspaper.

Zig-Zag Folding

Folding used with continuous forms with alternating position (head and foot). Commonly used to convert roll paper to easily managed flat-back.

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Everything You Need to Know to Write an A+ Term Paper

Last Updated: March 4, 2024 Fact Checked

Sample Term Papers

Researching & outlining.

• Drafting Your Paper
• Revising Your Paper

Expert Q&A

This article was co-authored by Matthew Snipp, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA . C. Matthew Snipp is the Burnet C. and Mildred Finley Wohlford Professor of Humanities and Sciences in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University. He is also the Director for the Institute for Research in the Social Science’s Secure Data Center. He has been a Research Fellow at the U.S. Bureau of the Census and a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He has published 3 books and over 70 articles and book chapters on demography, economic development, poverty and unemployment. He is also currently serving on the National Institute of Child Health and Development’s Population Science Subcommittee. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,245,350 times.

A term paper is a written assignment given to students at the end of a course to gauge their understanding of the material. Term papers typically count for a good percentage of your overall grade, so of course, you’ll want to write the best paper possible. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to write an A+ term paper, from researching and outlining to drafting and revising.

Quick Steps to Write a Term Paper

• Hook your readers with an interesting and informative intro paragraph. State your thesis and your main points.
• Support your thesis by providing quotes and evidence that back your claim in your body paragraphs.
• Summarize your main points and leave your readers with a thought-provoking question in your conclusion.

• Think of your term paper as the bridge between what you’ve learned in class and how you apply that knowledge to real-world topics.
• For example, a history term paper may require you to explore the consequences of a significant historical event, like the Civil War. An environmental science class, on the other hand, may have you examine the effects of climate change on a certain region.
• Your guidelines should tell you the paper’s word count and formatting style, like whether to use in-text citations or footnotes and whether to use single- or double-spacing. If these things aren’t specified, be sure to reach out to your instructor.

• Make sure your topic isn’t too broad. For example, if you want to write about Shakespeare’s work, first narrow it down to a specific play, like Macbeth , then choose something even more specific like Lady Macbeth’s role in the plot.
• If the topic is already chosen for you, explore unique angles that can set your content and information apart from the more obvious approaches many others will probably take. [3] X Research source
• Try not to have a specific outcome in mind, as this will close you off to new ideas and avenues of thinking. Rather than trying to mold your research to fit your desired outcome, allow the outcome to reflect a genuine analysis of the discoveries you made. Ask yourself questions throughout the process and be open to having your beliefs challenged.
• Reading other people's comments, opinions, and entries on a topic can often help you to refine your own, especially where they comment that "further research" is required or where they posit challenging questions but leave them unanswered.

• For example, if you’re writing a term paper about Macbeth , your primary source would be the play itself. Then, look for other research papers and analyses written by academics and scholars to understand how they interpret the text.

• For example, if you’re writing a paper about Lady Macbeth, your thesis could be something like “Shakespeare’s characterization of Lady Macbeth reveals how desire for power can control someone’s life.”
• Remember, your research and thesis development doesn’t stop here. As you continue working through both the research and writing, you may want to make changes that align with the ideas forming in your mind and the discoveries you continue to unearth.
• On the other hand, don’t keep looking for new ideas and angles for fear of feeling confined. At some point, you’re going to have to say enough is enough and make your point. You may have other opportunities to explore these questions in future studies, but for now, remember your term paper has a finite word length and an approaching due date!

• Abstract: An abstract is a concise summary of your paper that informs readers of your topic, its significance, and the key points you’ll explore. It must stand on its own and make sense without referencing outside sources or your actual paper.
• Introduction: The introduction establishes the main idea of your paper and directly states the thesis. Begin your introduction with an attention-grabbing sentence to intrigue your readers, and provide any necessary background information to establish your paper’s purpose and direction.
• Body paragraphs: Each body paragraph focuses on a different argument supporting your thesis. List specific evidence from your sources to back up your arguments. Provide detailed information about your topic to enhance your readers’ understanding. In your outline, write down the main ideas for each body paragraph and any outstanding questions or points you’re not yet sure about.
• Results: Depending on the type of term paper you’re writing, your results may be incorporated into your body paragraphs or conclusion. These are the insights that your research led you to. Here you can discuss how your perspective and understanding of your topic shifted throughout your writing process.
• Conclusion: Your conclusion summarizes your argument and findings. You may restate your thesis and major points as you wrap up your paper.

Drafting Your Term Paper

• Writing an introduction can be challenging, but don’t get too caught up on it. As you write the rest of your paper, your arguments might change and develop, so you’ll likely need to rewrite your intro at the end, anyway. Writing your intro is simply a means of getting started and you can always revise it later. [10] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
• Be sure to define any words your readers might not understand. For example, words like “globalization” have many different meanings depending on context, and it’s important to state which ones you’ll be using as part of your introductory paragraph.

• Try to relate the subject of the essay (say, Plato’s Symposium ) to a tangentially related issue you happen to know something about (say, the growing trend of free-wheeling hookups in frat parties). Slowly bring the paragraph around to your actual subject and make a few generalizations about why this aspect of the book/subject is so fascinating and worthy of study (such as how different the expectations for physical intimacy were then compared to now).

• You can also reflect on your own experience of researching and writing your term paper. Discuss how your understanding of your topic evolved and any unexpected findings you came across.

• While peppering quotes throughout your text is a good way to help make your point, don’t overdo it. If you use too many quotes, you’re basically allowing other authors to make the point and write the paper for you. When you do use a quote, be sure to explain why it is relevant in your own words.
• Try to sort out your bibliography at the beginning of your writing process to avoid having a last-minute scramble. When you have all the information beforehand (like the source’s title, author, publication date, etc.), it’s easier to plug them into the correct format.

Revising & Finalizing Your Term Paper

• Trade in weak “to-be” verbs for stronger “action” verbs. For example: “I was writing my term paper” becomes “I wrote my term paper.”

• It’s extremely important to proofread your term paper. If your writing is full of mistakes, your instructor will assume you didn’t put much effort into your paper. If you have too many errors, your message will be lost in the confusion of trying to understand what you’ve written.

• If you add or change information to make things clearer for your readers, it’s a good idea to look over your paper one more time to catch any new typos that may have come up in the process.

• The best essays are like grass court tennis—the argument should flow in a "rally" style, building persuasively to the conclusion. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• If you get stuck, consider giving your professor a visit. Whether you're still struggling for a thesis or you want to go over your conclusion, most instructors are delighted to help and they'll remember your initiative when grading time rolls around. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
• At least 2 hours for 3-5 pages.
• At least 4 hours for 8-10 pages.
• At least 6 hours for 12-15 pages.
• Double those hours if you haven't done any homework and you haven't attended class.
• For papers that are primarily research-based, add about two hours to those times (although you'll need to know how to research quickly and effectively, beyond the purview of this brief guide).

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.binghamton.edu/counseling/self-help/term-paper.html
• ↑ Matthew Snipp, PhD. Research Fellow, U.S. Bureau of the Census. Expert Interview. 26 March 2020.
• ↑ https://emory.libanswers.com/faq/44525
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/planresearchpaper/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/thesis_statement_tips.html
• ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/outline
• ↑ https://gallaudet.edu/student-success/tutorial-center/english-center/writing/guide-to-writing-introductions-and-conclusions/
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26731827
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/writing-an-abstract-for-your-research-paper/
• ↑ https://www.ivcc.edu/stylesite/Essay_Title.pdf
• ↑ https://www.uni-flensburg.de/fileadmin/content/institute/anglistik/dokumente/downloads/how-to-write-a-term-paper-daewes.pdf
• ↑ https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185937
• ↑ https://www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/six-steps-to-really-edit-your-paper/

About This Article

If you need to write a term paper, choose your topic, then start researching that topic. Use your research to craft a thesis statement which states the main idea of your paper, then organize all of your facts into an outline that supports your thesis. Once you start writing, state your thesis in the first paragraph, then use the body of the paper to present the points that support your argument. End the paper with a strong conclusion that restates your thesis. For tips on improving your term paper through active voice, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How do I format a glossary in MLA style?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook . For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Glossaries may be formatted in a number of ways, but generally terms are listed in alphabetical order with their definitions, and a line space separates each entry. They are generally placed before notes and works-cited lists and may appear as part of an appendix before those items.

In the following example, from Elizabeth Brookbank and H. Faye Christenberry’s  MLA Guide to Undergraduate Research in Literature  (Modern Language Association of America, 2019), entries are set in bold and followed by a period. Each term begins with a lowercase letter unless the term is a proper noun.

academic discipline. A branch of knowledge that is studied by students and researched by faculty members in higher education (e.g., literature and languages, history, biology, political science). Generally thought of as broader than an academic field, which is a scholar’s area of expertise in the discipline. analyze. To break a work of literature down into distinct pieces or parts (e.g., themes, symbols, motifs, characters) and study them so as to better understand the whole. annotation. A brief summary describing the subject or thesis of an article, book chapter, etc. appendix. Usually located in the back, an appendix supplies additional or supplementary information about the topic covered in the main portion of the work. A book or an essay could have an appendix.  authority. The standing, credibility, or expertise that a person or organization has on a particular subject. Often denoted by certain education or training credentials or by work and life experiences. bibliographic record. An entry in a library database or catalog that provides basic information about the item, such as author, title, publication, date. bibliography. A list of all of the sources used (books, journals, websites, periodicals, etc.) in the process of researching and writing a paper. The list has different names, depending on its function and the citation style you are using (e.g., works cited in MLA style, references in APA style). Boolean operators. Words (AND, OR, NOT) that are used to connect terms in various ways to determine how a database, search engine, or library catalog searches for the terms. They can expand or narrow a search or make sure that certain terms do not appear in search results.

Terms may also be separated from their definitions by a colon or a dash or set off by typography alone. In the following example, from Claire Kehrwald Cook’s Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing (Houghton Mifflin, 1985), no punctuation follows the glossary term. Boldface type is sufficient to distinguish the term from its definition.

a, an The choice of a or an before a word depends, of course, on the sound—­not the letter—that follows: a ukulele but an uncle ; an $8 check but a $10 check . We say an heirloom , an honor , and an hour because the initial consonants are silent; each word begins with a vowel sound. In the past, especially in Eng­land, the h was also virtually inaudible in words like history and hotel , so that the preceding article was an. But today the h is generally pronounced in these words, and the appropriate article is a. Some critics claim, however, that it is natural to use an when the first syllable of the h word is not stressed: A history book lists as an historical fact that . . . . The 1983 edition of Webster’s Collegiate , while noting that both a and an occur before such words in print, claims that an is more common in speech; but the 1982 edition of the American Heritage Dictionary reports that an unpronounced h in words like historical and hysteri­cal is “now uncommon in American speech.” Though the appropriate article in that context may be a matter of opinion, or of varying pronunciation, an should dearly not precede a word that starts with an h you hear. Read a phrase aloud if you don’t know which article to use. Would an hypocrite pretend to an humble heart? 

Home » Blog » How to Write a Glossary for your Research Paper

How to Write a Glossary for your Research Paper

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Glossary for Research Terms

The glossary is a non-mandatory post-textual element, which can be inserted in the final year research project or any other academic work to facilitate the understanding of certain terms.

What is a glossary?

The word glossary comes from the Latin glossarium and means “collection of glosses.” Many scholars have opined that alongside theoretical foundations there is always an applied dimension of terminology and this reflects in the production of glossaries and other tools for organizing terminology. The glossary can be defined as a “repertoire of lexical units of a specialty with their respective definitions or other specifications about their senses.

Do you now know what a glossary is? Well, it is nothing more than a kind of specific “dictionary” aimed at explaining words and expressions that are not very well known, for the most varied reasons, such as being part of a foreign language, specific field of knowledge, regional expression, and so on. As a rule, the glossary makes up the initial chapter or the final chapter of a certain work, listing, in alphabetical order, the correct meanings and definitions of very peculiar words throughout the text.

The expressions and words that are present in the glossary are the most unusual, mainly because they signify technical elements or are more complex. In other words, they are wording whose knowledge occurs mostly in the circle and people used to certain areas. The current meanings of expressions or words that have already fallen out of use, but which were useful in defining certain concepts or situations in earlier times, also appear with expressive frequency in the glossary. In terms of clarification, to understand what a glossary is, we use its classification and its origins.

The term originates from the Latin glossarium, which means “collection of glosses” (glosses are equivalent to annotations within a text for clarification purposes). Although it is not a mandatory component of the research paper, its use is highly recommended, especially if your work talks about one or more topics that the members of the board do not have a completer and more effective domain. When you know what a glossary is and if you create one with quality, it prevents the occurrence of misinterpretations as much as possible, because as the word is contained and made explicit in the glossary, the reader will know it meaning in that context.

Glossary types

The glossary types are quite varied. In other words, they can exist in different forms, for use in the most varied areas. In literary works, glossaries are also useful to explain certain neologisms constructed by the author and that it would not be feasible to elucidate the meanings in the course of the text, as this would significantly impair the pace of reading. In certain academic or scientific works, we can find another type of glossary. This glossary example is understood as fundamental to make it easier to identify concepts and terms that help the reader to understand the meaning of the interpretation provided by the author when studying his work.

There are several types of a glossary. The main ones are:

Glossaries of literary works: Help to understand the author’s neologisms, without impairing reading.

Glossaries of academic papers: It is essential to explain technical terms and concepts to the reader.

Bilingual glossary: Presents the translation of the word in another language, as well as an explanation of the term in context.

Environmental glossary: Focused on words related to the environment area.

What is the difference between glossary and dictionary?

Many people confuse a dictionary with a glossary, but they are two items with differences between them. While in the dictionary the terminology is presented more broadly (with information on all meanings, phonetics, and etymology), in the glossary the intention is to explain the meaning of the expression according to the specific context. It is quite common for people to confuse a glossary with a dictionary. However, it is worth noting that, despite some similarities, there is a clear difference between glossary and dictionary.

As we have already said, the glossary works as a kind of small dictionary, in which the placement of sentences or more than one word that is endowed with a unified explanation is allowed.

Generally, glossaries have technical or specific terms in an area, the explanation of words that are not well known to the public or that are already quite old. They serve to understand the subject addressed. When both elements are more precisely understood, the difference between glossary and dictionary becomes even clearer.

A dictionary, in turn, constitutes a reference work, in which registered words or expressions of a certain language are found. It contains a series of linguistic information about each of these words, with their respective meaning, the class to which they belong, phonetics, etymology, and so on.

Taking all this into account, we can say that the difference between a glossary and a dictionary is that the glossary contains the meanings of words within a specific area and/or context, while the dictionary is a reference frame in which there is an explanation of all the characteristics and classifications of a word in the language in question.

A step-by-step guide on how to write a glossary in a research paper

Most referencing styles and institutions determine that the glossary should be organized in the form of a list, following alphabetical order. Each technical expression mentioned must be presented together with the respective definition. In the content of the work, the glossary usually comes after the bibliographic references and before the part of annexes.

Making a glossary for a research paper according to the referencing rules is very simple: you just need to list the technical expressions that are not so well known by most people and present the meanings. To facilitate your work, we have highlighted five steps to assemble this post-textual element:

Select the terms that need to be explained

After writing your work, read the entire content carefully. This is the perfect time to identify spelling and typing errors and to mark all the terms that deserve a place in the glossary.

One tip is to print the report and use a highlighter to make the markings. Those who prefer to continue in the digital environment can bet on the editor’s text mark feature. Google Docs has it, just as the Word.

Write objectively

The explanation for each term must be clear, objective, and direct. Another important point is to focus on a definition appropriate to the context of the work.

Respect the alphabetical order

To make life easier for the reader, the list of terms should be organized in alphabetical order. Some people group words into groups according to the initial letter (A through Z). This grouping idea can be interesting when there are many terms on the list.

Take care of formatting

At the top of the page, write the title GLOSSARY, using capital letters, size 12 and cantered. Apply bold to highlight and leave 1.5 lines. The typology used must be the same as the rest of the work, to create standardization.

List the main obscure terms that appear in your work, that is, that are unknown to the majority. In front of each word, place a brief and direct definition of meaning within the context of your search. It is interesting to leave the space for an entry between the words added to the glossary.

Regarding the formatting of the margins, nothing changes it remains 3 cm from the upper and left margin and 2 cm from the right and lower margin. The glossary enters the list of elements without a numerical code, as well as errata, acknowledgments, lists, references, appendices, annexes, and index.

Learning how to make a quality glossary requires a good deal of research and caution. Try to gather basic material that provides you with robust information. Get to know an example of a glossary so that you can have a reference point to build yours. It is always worth remembering that the glossary is just an “Appendix” that helps to sustain the work.

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How to Write a Glossary for Tricky Terminology

4-minute read

• 11th June 2021

Glossaries are used in many kinds of writing to help readers with tricky terminology. But when do you need one? How do they work? And how do you write a glossary? Check out our advice below to learn all the basics.

What Is a Glossary?

A glossary is an alphabetized list of words, accompanied by definitions. The aim is to help readers understand specialized terminology they might not understand.

Usually, this will be part of a larger work. For instance, an academic book might contain a glossary at the end to define technical terms. However, you can also prepare a glossary for terms in a specific industry or field of study.

This makes a glossary a bit like a dictionary that only contains terms or phrases related to a single topic. Texts that might require a glossary include:

• Academic or technical works that contain a lot of technical language, abbreviations, neologisms , or other terms that might be unfamiliar.
• Style guides for businesses that want to ensure consistent use of language and clear communication across their organization.
• Educational materials about the language used in a specific field, or that give a list of relevant words and their translations (i.e., bilingual glossaries).
• Works of fiction that contain invented words or languages (e.g., sci-fi and fantasy novels, which may feature unfamiliar words, names, and places).

By adding a glossary, then, you can make your work more accessible to readers.

Selecting Terms to Include

The first step in writing a glossary is choosing what to include in it. The aim here is to select words that your intended readers may not know otherwise.

If you are adding a glossary to a larger work like a book or dissertation, you will thus need to go back through your writing to note down potential inclusions.

Keep your readers in mind here: there’s no point adding entries if the people reading them will know the words already. For instance, you might want to include definitions of basic terms like “respiration,” “digestion,” and similar in a biology book aimed at schoolchildren. But it would be unusual to define these terms in a work aimed at academic biologists, who should know them already!

It can also help to get outside input at this point. Ask a friend or colleague (or your editor if you have one) to review your work and highlight unfamiliar terms. You can then add these to your own list before narrowing it down to the final entries.

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How to Write Glossary Entries

The basic format for a glossary is a list of words in alphabetical order, each with a definition that explains what it means. Each definition you write should:

• Set out the meaning of the term using the simplest language possible. Keep your audience in mind here again so you can tailor the terminology used.
• Be written clearly and concisely (around one to four sentences long).

For instance, a glossary entry for “asterism” might look like this:

Asterism – In typography, an asterism is a symbol made up of three asterisks arranged in a triangle. Traditionally, publishers used the asterism to indicate minor breaks within a chapter or section in a book. However, this symbol is fairly rare in modern publishing.

You can also cross-reference terms in a glossary (e.g., if two words have the same meaning or refer to related concepts). To do this you can simply add a message saying “See X” (where “X” is the other word) at the end of the relevant entry.

In addition, for digital content (e.g., an online glossary), you can add links to other resources. This doesn’t replace the need to define terms. But it can be useful for pointing to further reading, allowing you to keep your glosses succinct.

Finally, if you are writing a glossary to include in a larger work such as a book, make sure to check your style guide for advice on how and where to present it.

Expert Proofreading

Like any piece of writing, a good glossary needs to be error free and easy to read. Our proofreaders can help with this! You can even get your first 500 words checked for free . Submit a document for proofreading today to find out more.

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• What is a Glossary? | Definition, Templates, & Examples

What Is a Glossary? | Definition, Templates, & Examples

Published on 26 May 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on 25 October 2022.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader.

Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and it’s intended to enhance their understanding of your work. Glossaries are not mandatory, but if you use a lot of technical or field-specific terms, it may improve readability to add one.

If you do choose to include a glossary, it should go at the beginning of your document, just after the table of contents and (if applicable) list of tables and figures or list of abbreviations . It’s helpful to place your glossary at the beginning, so your readers can familiarise themselves with key terms prior to reading your work. Remember that glossaries are always in alphabetical order.

To help you get started, download our glossary template in the format of your choice below.

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• Table of contents

Example of a glossary

Citing sources for your glossary, additional lists to include in your dissertation, frequently asked questions about glossaries.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Glossaries and definitions often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited.

However, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to citing your sources , in order to avoid accidental plagiarism .

If you’d prefer to cite just in case, you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA Style for citations in your glossary. Remember that direct quotes should always be accompanied by a citation.

In addition to the glossary, you can also include a list of tables and figures and a list of abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation if you choose.

Include your lists in the following order:

• List of figures and tables
• List of abbreviations

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and is intended to enhance their understanding of your work.

Definitional terms often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited. This guidance can apply to your thesis or dissertation glossary as well.

However, if you’d prefer to cite your sources , you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA style for your glossary.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, an index is a list of the contents of your work organised by page number.

Glossaries are not mandatory, but if you use a lot of technical or field-specific terms, it may improve readability to add one to your thesis or dissertation. Your educational institution may also require them, so be sure to check their specific guidelines.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, dictionaries are more general collections of words.

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How to Write a Term Paper From Start to Finish

The term paper, often regarded as the culmination of a semester's hard work, is a rite of passage for students in pursuit of higher education. Here's an interesting fact to kick things off: Did you know that the term paper's origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, where scholars like Plato and Aristotle utilized written works to explore and document their philosophical musings? Just as these great minds once wrote their thoughts on parchment, you, too, can embark on this intellectual voyage with confidence and skill.

How to Write a Term Paper: Short Description

In this article, we'll delve into the core purpose of this kind of assignment – to showcase your understanding of a subject, your research abilities, and your capacity to communicate complex ideas effectively. But it doesn't stop there. We'll also guide you in the art of creating a well-structured term paper format, a roadmap that will not only keep you on track but also ensure your ideas flow seamlessly and logically. Packed with valuable tips on writing, organization, and time management, this resource promises to equip you with the tools needed to excel in your academic writing.

Understanding What Is a Term Paper

A term paper, a crucial component of your college education, is often assigned towards the conclusion of a semester. It's a vehicle through which educators gauge your comprehension of the course content. Imagine it as a bridge between what you've learned in class and your ability to apply that knowledge to real-world topics.

For instance, in a history course, you might be asked to delve into the causes and consequences of a significant historical event, such as World War II. In a psychology class, your term paper might explore the effects of stress on mental health, or in an environmental science course, you could analyze the impact of climate change on a specific region.

Writing a term paper isn't just about summarizing facts. It requires a blend of organization, deep research, and the art of presenting your findings in a way that's both clear and analytical. This means structuring your arguments logically, citing relevant sources, and critically evaluating the information you've gathered.

For further guidance, we've prepared an insightful guide for you authored by our expert essay writer . It's brimming with practical tips and valuable insights to help you stand out in this academic endeavor and earn the recognition you deserve.

How to Start a Term Paper

Before you start, keep the guidelines for the term paper format firmly in mind. If you have any doubts, don't hesitate to reach out to your instructor for clarification before you begin your research and writing process. And remember, procrastination is your worst enemy in this endeavor. If you're aiming to produce an exceptional piece and secure a top grade, it's essential to plan ahead and allocate dedicated time each day to work on it. Now, let our term paper writing services provide you with some valuable tips to help you on your journey:

• Hone Your Topic : Start by cultivating a learning mindset that empowers you to effectively organize your thoughts. Discover how to research a topic in the section below.
• Hook Your Readers: Initiate a brainstorming session and unleash a barrage of creative ideas to captivate your audience right from the outset. Pose intriguing questions, share compelling anecdotes, offer persuasive statistics, and more.
• Craft a Concise Thesis Statement Example : If you find yourself struggling to encapsulate the main idea of your paper in just a sentence or two, it's time to revisit your initial topic and consider narrowing it down.
• Understand Style Requirements: Your work must adhere to specific formatting guidelines. Delve into details about the APA format and other pertinent regulations in the section provided.
• Delve Deeper with Research : Equipped with a clearer understanding of your objectives, dive into your subject matter with a discerning eye. Ensure that you draw from reputable and reliable sources.
• Begin Writing: Don't obsess over perfection from the get-go. Just start writing, and don't worry about initial imperfections. You can always revise or remove those early sentences later. The key is to initiate the term papers as soon as you've amassed sufficient information.

Ace your term paper with EssayPro 's expert help. Our academic professionals are here to guide you through every step, ensuring your term paper is well-researched, structured, and written to the highest standards.

Term Paper Topics

Selecting the right topic for your term paper is a critical step, one that can significantly impact your overall experience and the quality of your work. While instructors sometimes provide specific topics, there are instances when you have the freedom to choose your own. To guide you on how to write a term paper, consider the following factors when deciding on your dissertation topics :

• Relevance to Assignment Length: Begin by considering the required length of your paper. Whether it's a substantial 10-page paper or a more concise 5-page one, understanding the word count will help you determine the appropriate scope for your subject. This will inform whether your topic should be broad or more narrowly focused.
• Availability of Resources : Investigate the resources at your disposal. Check your school or community library for books and materials that can support your research. Additionally, explore online sources to ensure you have access to a variety of reference materials.
• Complexity and Clarity : Ensure you can effectively explain your chosen topic, regardless of how complex it may seem. If you encounter areas that are challenging to grasp fully, don't hesitate to seek guidance from experts or your professor. Clarity and understanding are key to producing a well-structured term paper.
• Avoiding Overused Concepts : Refrain from choosing overly trendy or overused topics. Mainstream subjects often fail to captivate the interest of your readers or instructors, as they can lead to repetitive content. Instead, opt for a unique angle or approach that adds depth to your paper.
• Manageability and Passion : While passion can drive your choice of topic, it's important to ensure that it is manageable within the given time frame and with the available resources. If necessary, consider scaling down a topic that remains intriguing and motivating to you, ensuring it aligns with your course objectives and personal interests.

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"Being highly trained professionals, our writers can provide term paper help by creating a paper specifically tailored to your needs.

Term Paper Outline

Before embarking on the journey of writing a term paper, it's crucial to establish a well-structured outline. Be mindful of any specific formatting requirements your teacher may have in mind, as these will guide your outline's structure. Here's a basic format to help you get started:

• Cover Page: Begin with a cover page featuring your name, course number, teacher's name, and the deadline date, centered at the top.
• Abstract: Craft a concise summary of your work that informs readers about your paper's topic, its significance, and the key points you'll explore.
• Introduction: Commence your term paper introduction with a clear and compelling statement of your chosen topic. Explain why it's relevant and outline your approach to addressing it.
• Body: This section serves as the meat of academic papers, where you present the primary findings from your research. Provide detailed information about the topic to enhance the reader's understanding. Ensure you incorporate various viewpoints on the issue and conduct a thorough analysis of your research.
• Results: Share the insights and conclusions that your research has led you to. Discuss any shifts in your perspective or understanding that have occurred during the course of your project.
• Discussion: Conclude your term paper with a comprehensive summary of the topic and your findings. You can wrap up with a thought-provoking question or encourage readers to explore the subject further through their own research.

How to Write a Term Paper with 5 Steps

Before you begin your term paper, it's crucial to understand what a term paper proposal entails. This proposal serves as your way to introduce and justify your chosen topic to your instructor, and it must gain approval before you start writing the actual paper.

In your proposal, include recent studies or research related to your topic, along with proper references. Clearly explain the topic's relevance to your course, outline your objectives, and organize your ideas effectively. This helps your instructor grasp your term paper's direction. If needed, you can also seek assistance from our expert writers and buy term paper .

Draft the Abstract

The abstract is a critical element while writing a term paper, and it plays a crucial role in piquing the reader's interest. To create a captivating abstract, consider these key points from our dissertation writing service :

• Conciseness: Keep it short and to the point, around 150-250 words. No need for lengthy explanations.
• Highlight Key Elements: Summarize the problem you're addressing, your research methods, and primary findings or conclusions. For instance, if your paper discusses the impact of social media on mental health, mention your research methods and significant findings.
• Engagement: Make your abstract engaging. Use language that draws readers in. For example, if your paper explores the effects of artificial intelligence on the job market, you might begin with a question like, 'Is AI revolutionizing our work landscape, or should we prepare for the robots to take over?'
• Clarity: Avoid excessive jargon or technical terms to ensure accessibility to a wider audience.

Craft the Introduction

The introduction sets the stage for your entire term paper and should engage readers from the outset. To craft an intriguing introduction, consider these tips:

• Hook Your Audience: Start with a captivating hook, such as a thought-provoking question or a compelling statistic. For example, if your paper explores the impact of smartphone addiction, you could begin with, 'Can you remember the last time you went a whole day without checking your phone?'
• State Your Purpose: Clearly state the purpose of your paper and its relevance. If your term paper is about renewable energy's role in combating climate change, explain why this topic is essential in today's world.
• Provide a Roadmap: Briefly outline how your paper is structured. For instance, if your paper discusses the benefits of mindfulness meditation, mention that you will explore its effects on stress reduction, emotional well-being, and cognitive performance.
• Thesis Statement: Conclude your introduction with a concise thesis statement that encapsulates the central argument or message of your paper. In the case of a term paper on the impact of online education, your thesis might be: 'Online education is revolutionizing learning by providing accessibility, flexibility, and innovative teaching methods.'

Develop the Body Sections: Brainstorming Concepts and Content

Generate ideas and compose text: body sections.

The body of your term paper is where you present your research, arguments, and analysis. To generate ideas and write engaging text in the body sections, consider these strategies from our research paper writer :

• Structure Your Ideas: Organize your paper into sections or paragraphs, each addressing a specific aspect of your topic. For example, if your term paper explores the impact of social media on interpersonal relationships, you might have sections on communication patterns, privacy concerns, and emotional well-being.
• Support with Evidence: Back up your arguments with credible evidence, such as data, research findings, or expert opinions. For instance, when discussing the effects of social media on mental health, you can include statistics on social media usage and its correlation with anxiety or depression.
• Offer Diverse Perspectives: Acknowledge and explore various viewpoints on the topic. When writing about the pros and cons of genetic engineering, present both the potential benefits, like disease prevention, and the ethical concerns associated with altering human genetics.
• Use Engaging Examples: Incorporate real-life examples to illustrate your points. If your paper discusses the consequences of climate change, share specific instances of extreme weather events or environmental degradation to make the topic relatable.
• Ask Thought-Provoking Questions: Integrate questions throughout your text to engage readers and stimulate critical thinking. In a term paper on the future of artificial intelligence, you might ask, 'How will AI impact job markets and the concept of work in the coming years?'

Formulate the Conclusion

The conclusion section should provide a satisfying wrap-up of your arguments and insights. To craft a compelling term paper example conclusion, follow these steps:

• Revisit Your Thesis: Begin by restating your thesis statement. This reinforces the central message of your paper. For example, if your thesis is about the importance of biodiversity conservation, reiterate that biodiversity is crucial for ecological balance and human well-being.
• Summarize Key Points: Briefly recap the main points you've discussed in the body of your paper. For instance, if you've been exploring the impact of globalization on local economies, summarize the effects on industries, job markets, and cultural diversity.
• Emphasize Your Main Argument: Reaffirm the significance of your thesis and the overall message of your paper. Discuss why your findings are important or relevant in a broader context. If your term paper discusses the advantages of renewable energy, underscore its potential to combat climate change and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
• Offer a Thoughtful Reflection: Share your own reflections or insights about the topic. How has your understanding evolved during your research? Have you uncovered any unexpected findings or implications? If your paper discusses the future of space exploration, consider what it means for humanity's quest to explore the cosmos.
• End with Impact: Conclude your term paper with a powerful closing statement. You can leave the reader with a thought-provoking question, a call to action, or a reflection on the broader implications of your topic. For instance, if your paper is about the ethics of artificial intelligence, you could finish by asking, 'As AI continues to advance, what ethical considerations will guide our choices and decisions?'

Edit and Enhance the Initial Draft

After completing your initial draft, the revision and polishing phase is essential for improving your paper. Here's how to refine your work efficiently:

• Take a Break: Step back and return to your paper with a fresh perspective.
• Structure Check: Ensure your paper flows logically and transitions smoothly from the introduction to the conclusion.
• Clarity and Conciseness: Trim excess words for clarity and precision.
• Grammar and Style: Proofread for errors and ensure consistent style.
• Citations and References: Double-check your citations and reference list.
• Peer Review: Seek feedback from peers or professors for valuable insights.
• Enhance Intro and Conclusion: Make your introduction and conclusion engaging and impactful.
• Coherence Check: Ensure your arguments support your thesis consistently.
• Read Aloud: Reading your paper aloud helps identify issues.
• Final Proofread: Perform a thorough proofread to catch any remaining errors.

Term Paper Format

When formatting your term paper, consider its length and the required citation style, which depends on your research topic. Proper referencing is crucial to avoid plagiarism in academic writing. Common citation styles include APA and MLA.

If unsure how to cite term paper for social sciences, use the APA format, including the author's name, book title, publication year, publisher, and location when citing a book.

For liberal arts and humanities, MLA is common, requiring the publication name, date, and location for referencing.

Adhering to the appropriate term paper format and citation style ensures an organized and academically sound paper. Follow your instructor's guidelines for a polished and successful paper.

Term Paper Example

To access our term paper example, simply click the button below.

The timeline of events from 1776 to 1861, that, in the end, prompted the American Civil War, describes and relates to a number of subjects modern historians acknowledge as the origins and causes of the Civil War. In fact, pre-Civil War events had both long-term and short-term influences on the War—such as the election of Abraham Lincoln as the American president in 1860 that led to the Fall of Fort Sumter in April of the same year. In that period, contentions that surrounded states’ rights progressively exploded in Congress—since they were the initial events that formed after independence. Congress focused on resolving significant issues that affected the states, which led to further issues. In that order, the US’s history from 1776 to 1861 provides a rich history, as politicians brought forth dissimilarities, dissections, and tensions between the Southern US & the people of slave states, and the Northern states that were loyal to the Union. The events that unfolded from the period of 1776 to 1861 involved a series of issues because they promoted the great sectional crisis that led to political divisions and the build-up to the Civil War that made the North and the South seem like distinctive and timeless regions that predated the crisis itself.

Final Thoughts

In closing, approach the task of writing term papers with determination and a positive outlook. Begin well in advance, maintain organization, and have faith in your capabilities. Don't hesitate to seek assistance if required, and express your individual perspective with confidence. You're more than capable of succeeding in this endeavor!

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What is the Difference between a Term Paper and a Research Paper?

What is the fastest way to write a term paper.

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Term Paper – Format, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Definition:

Term paper is a type of academic writing assignment that is typically assigned to students at the end of a semester or term. It is usually a research-based paper that is meant to demonstrate the student’s understanding of a particular topic, as well as their ability to analyze and synthesize information from various sources.

Term papers are usually longer than other types of academic writing assignments and can range anywhere from 5 to 20 pages or more, depending on the level of study and the specific requirements of the assignment. They often require extensive research and the use of a variety of sources, including books, articles, and other academic publications.

Term Paper Format

The format of a term paper may vary depending on the specific requirements of your professor or institution. However, a typical term paper usually consists of the following sections:

• Title page: This should include the title of your paper, your name, the course name and number, your instructor’s name, and the date.
• Abstract : This is a brief summary of your paper, usually no more than 250 words. It should provide an overview of your topic, the research question or hypothesis, your methodology, and your main findings or conclusions.
• Introduction : This section should introduce your topic and provide background information on the subject. You should also state your research question or hypothesis and explain the importance of your research.
• Literature review : This section should review the existing literature on your topic. You should summarize the key findings and arguments made by other scholars and identify any gaps in the literature that your research aims to address.
• Methodology: This section should describe the methods you used to collect and analyze your data. You should explain your research design, sampling strategy, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques.
• Results : This section should present your findings. You can use tables, graphs, and charts to illustrate your data.
• Discussion : This section should interpret your findings and explain what they mean in relation to your research question or hypothesis. You should also discuss any limitations of your study and suggest areas for future research.
• Conclusion : This section should summarize your main findings and conclusions. You should also restate the importance of your research and its implications for the field.
• References : This section should list all the sources you cited in your paper using a specific citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).
• Appendices : This section should include any additional materials that are relevant to your study but not essential to your main argument (e.g., survey questions, interview transcripts).

Structure of Term Paper

Here’s an example structure for a term paper:

I. Introduction

A. Background information on the topic

B. Thesis statement

II. Literature Review

A. Overview of current literature on the topic

B. Discussion of key themes and findings from literature

C. Identification of gaps in current literature

III. Methodology

A. Description of research design

B. Discussion of data collection methods

C. Explanation of data analysis techniques

IV. Results

A. Presentation of findings

B. Analysis and interpretation of results

C. Comparison of results with previous studies

V. Discussion

A. Summary of key findings

B. Explanation of how results address the research questions

C. Implications of results for the field

VI. Conclusion

A. Recap of key points

B. Significance of findings

C. Future directions for research

VII. References

A. List of sources cited in the paper

How to Write Term Paper

Here are some steps to help you write a term paper:

• Choose a topic: Choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to your course. If your professor has assigned a topic, make sure you understand it and clarify any doubts before you start.
• Research : Conduct research on your topic by gathering information from various sources such as books, academic journals, and online resources. Take notes and organize your information systematically.
• Create an outline : Create an outline of your term paper by arranging your ideas and information in a logical sequence. Your outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Write a thesis statement: Write a clear and concise thesis statement that states the main idea of your paper. Your thesis statement should be included in your introduction.
• Write the introduction: The introduction should grab the reader’s attention, provide background information on your topic, and introduce your thesis statement.
• Write the body : The body of your paper should provide supporting evidence for your thesis statement. Use your research to provide details and examples to support your argument. Make sure to organize your ideas logically and use transition words to connect paragraphs.
• Write the conclusion : The conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.
• Edit and proofread: Edit and proofread your term paper carefully to ensure that it is free of errors and flows smoothly. Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
• Format and cite your sources: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your professor and cite your sources properly using the appropriate citation style.
• Submit your paper : Submit your paper on time and according to the instructions provided by your professor.

Term Paper Example

Here’s an example of a term paper:

Title : The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity

As the world becomes more digitally interconnected, cybersecurity threats are increasing in frequency and sophistication. Traditional security measures are no longer enough to protect against these threats. This paper explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity, including how AI can be used to detect and respond to threats in real-time, the challenges of implementing AI in cybersecurity, and the potential ethical implications of AI-powered security systems. The paper concludes with recommendations for organizations looking to integrate AI into their cybersecurity strategies.

Introduction :

The increasing number of cybersecurity threats in recent years has led to a growing interest in the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve cybersecurity. AI has the ability to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate a security breach. Additionally, AI can automate responses to threats, allowing for faster and more effective mitigation of security incidents. However, there are also challenges associated with implementing AI in cybersecurity, such as the need for large amounts of high-quality data, the potential for AI systems to make mistakes, and the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in security.

Literature Review:

This section of the paper reviews existing research on the use of AI in cybersecurity. It begins by discussing the types of AI techniques used in cybersecurity, including machine learning, natural language processing, and neural networks. The literature review then explores the advantages of using AI in cybersecurity, such as its ability to detect previously unknown threats and its potential to reduce the workload of security analysts. However, the review also highlights some of the challenges associated with implementing AI in cybersecurity, such as the need for high-quality training data and the potential for AI systems to be fooled by sophisticated attacks.

Methodology :

To better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with using AI in cybersecurity, this paper conducted a survey of cybersecurity professionals working in a variety of industries. The survey included questions about the types of AI techniques used in their organizations, the challenges they faced when implementing AI in cybersecurity, and their perceptions of the ethical implications of using AI in security.

The results of the survey showed that while many organizations are interested in using AI in cybersecurity, they face several challenges when implementing these systems. These challenges include the need for high-quality training data, the potential for AI systems to be fooled by sophisticated attacks, and the difficulty of integrating AI with existing security systems. Additionally, many respondents expressed concerns about the ethical implications of using AI in security, such as the potential for AI to be biased or to make decisions that are harmful to individuals or society as a whole.

Discussion :

Based on the results of the survey and the existing literature, this paper discusses the potential benefits and risks of using AI in cybersecurity. It also provides recommendations for organizations looking to integrate AI into their security strategies, such as the need to prioritize data quality and to ensure that AI systems are transparent and accountable.

Conclusion :

While there are challenges associated with implementing AI in cybersecurity, the potential benefits of using these systems are significant. AI can help organizations detect and respond to threats more quickly and effectively, reducing the risk of security breaches. However, it is important for organizations to be aware of the potential ethical implications of using AI in security and to take steps to ensure that these systems are transparent and accountable.

References:

• Alkhaldi, S., Al-Daraiseh, A., & Lutfiyya, H. (2019). A Survey on Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Cyber Security. Journal of Information Security, 10(03), 191-207.
• Gartner. (2019). Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2020. Retrieved from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2020/
• Kshetri, N. (2018). Blockchain’s roles in meeting key supply chain management objectives. International Journal of Information Management, 39, 80-89.
• Lipton, Z. C. (2018). The mythos of model interpretability. arXiv preprint arXiv:1606.03490.
• Schneier, B. (2019). Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-Connected World. WW Norton & Company.
• Wahab, M. A., Rahman, M. S., & Islam, M. R. (2020). A Survey on AI Techniques in Cybersecurity. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 11(2), 22-27.

When to Write Term Paper

A term paper is usually a lengthy research paper that is assigned to students at the end of a term or semester. There are several situations when writing a term paper may be required, including:

• As a course requirement: In most cases, a term paper is required as part of the coursework for a particular course. It may be assigned by the instructor as a way of assessing the student’s understanding of the course material.
• To explore a specific topic : A term paper can be an excellent opportunity for students to explore a specific topic of interest in-depth. It allows them to conduct extensive research on the topic and develop their understanding of it.
• To develop critical thinking skills : Writing a term paper requires students to engage in critical thinking and analysis. It helps them to develop their ability to evaluate and interpret information, as well as to present their ideas in a clear and coherent manner.
• To prepare for future academic or professional pursuits: Writing a term paper can be an excellent way for students to prepare for future academic or professional pursuits. It can help them to develop the research and writing skills necessary for success in higher education or in a professional career.

Purpose of Term Paper

The main purposes of a term paper are:

• Demonstrate mastery of a subject: A term paper provides an opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and understanding of a particular subject. It requires students to research and analyze the topic, and then present their findings in a clear and organized manner.
• Develop critical thinking skills: Writing a term paper requires students to think critically about their subject matter, analyzing various sources and viewpoints, and evaluating evidence to support their arguments.
• Improve writing skills : Writing a term paper helps students improve their writing skills, including organization, clarity, and coherence. It also requires them to follow specific formatting and citation guidelines, which can be valuable skills for future academic and professional endeavors.
• Contribute to academic discourse : A well-written term paper can contribute to academic discourse by presenting new insights, ideas, and arguments that add to the existing body of knowledge on a particular topic.
• Prepare for future research : Writing a term paper can help prepare students for future research, by teaching them how to conduct a literature review, evaluate sources, and formulate research questions and hypotheses. It can also help them develop research skills that they can apply in future academic or professional endeavors.

Advantages of Term Paper

There are several advantages of writing a term paper, including:

• In-depth exploration: Writing a term paper allows you to delve deeper into a specific topic, allowing you to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.
• Improved writing skills: Writing a term paper involves extensive research, critical thinking, and the organization of ideas into a cohesive written document. As a result, writing a term paper can improve your writing skills significantly.
• Demonstration of knowledge: A well-written term paper demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, which can be beneficial for academic or professional purposes.
• Development of research skills : Writing a term paper requires conducting thorough research, analyzing data, and synthesizing information from various sources. This process can help you develop essential research skills that can be applied in many other areas.
• Enhancement of critical thinking : Writing a term paper encourages you to think critically, evaluate information, and develop well-supported arguments. These skills can be useful in many areas of life, including personal and professional decision-making.
• Preparation for further academic work : Writing a term paper is excellent preparation for more extensive academic projects, such as a thesis or dissertation.

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Glossary of research terms.

• Purpose of Guide
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• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
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This glossary is intended to assist you in understanding commonly used terms and concepts when reading, interpreting, and evaluating scholarly research. Also included are common words and phrases defined within the context of how they apply to research in the social and behavioral sciences.

• Acculturation -- refers to the process of adapting to another culture, particularly in reference to blending in with the majority population [e.g., an immigrant adopting American customs]. However, acculturation also implies that both cultures add something to one another, but still remain distinct groups unto themselves.
• Accuracy -- a term used in survey research to refer to the match between the target population and the sample.
• Affective Measures -- procedures or devices used to obtain quantified descriptions of an individual's feelings, emotional states, or dispositions.
• Aggregate -- a total created from smaller units. For instance, the population of a county is an aggregate of the populations of the cities, rural areas, etc. that comprise the county. As a verb, it refers to total data from smaller units into a large unit.
• Anonymity -- a research condition in which no one, including the researcher, knows the identities of research participants.
• Baseline -- a control measurement carried out before an experimental treatment.
• Behaviorism -- school of psychological thought concerned with the observable, tangible, objective facts of behavior, rather than with subjective phenomena such as thoughts, emotions, or impulses. Contemporary behaviorism also emphasizes the study of mental states such as feelings and fantasies to the extent that they can be directly observed and measured.
• Beliefs -- ideas, doctrines, tenets, etc. that are accepted as true on grounds which are not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof.
• Benchmarking -- systematically measuring and comparing the operations and outcomes of organizations, systems, processes, etc., against agreed upon "best-in-class" frames of reference.
• Bias -- a loss of balance and accuracy in the use of research methods. It can appear in research via the sampling frame, random sampling, or non-response. It can also occur at other stages in research, such as while interviewing, in the design of questions, or in the way data are analyzed and presented. Bias means that the research findings will not be representative of, or generalizable to, a wider population.
• Case Study -- the collection and presentation of detailed information about a particular participant or small group, frequently including data derived from the subjects themselves.
• Causal Hypothesis -- a statement hypothesizing that the independent variable affects the dependent variable in some way.
• Causal Relationship -- the relationship established that shows that an independent variable, and nothing else, causes a change in a dependent variable. It also establishes how much of a change is shown in the dependent variable.
• Causality -- the relation between cause and effect.
• Central Tendency -- any way of describing or characterizing typical, average, or common values in some distribution.
• Chi-square Analysis -- a common non-parametric statistical test which compares an expected proportion or ratio to an actual proportion or ratio.
• Claim -- a statement, similar to a hypothesis, which is made in response to the research question and that is affirmed with evidence based on research.
• Classification -- ordering of related phenomena into categories, groups, or systems according to characteristics or attributes.
• Cluster Analysis -- a method of statistical analysis where data that share a common trait are grouped together. The data is collected in a way that allows the data collector to group data according to certain characteristics.
• Cohort Analysis -- group by group analytic treatment of individuals having a statistical factor in common to each group. Group members share a particular characteristic [e.g., born in a given year] or a common experience [e.g., entering a college at a given time].
• Confidentiality -- a research condition in which no one except the researcher(s) knows the identities of the participants in a study. It refers to the treatment of information that a participant has disclosed to the researcher in a relationship of trust and with the expectation that it will not be revealed to others in ways that violate the original consent agreement, unless permission is granted by the participant.
• Confirmability Objectivity -- the findings of the study could be confirmed by another person conducting the same study.
• Construct -- refers to any of the following: something that exists theoretically but is not directly observable; a concept developed [constructed] for describing relations among phenomena or for other research purposes; or, a theoretical definition in which concepts are defined in terms of other concepts. For example, intelligence cannot be directly observed or measured; it is a construct.
• Construct Validity -- seeks an agreement between a theoretical concept and a specific measuring device, such as observation.
• Constructivism -- the idea that reality is socially constructed. It is the view that reality cannot be understood outside of the way humans interact and that the idea that knowledge is constructed, not discovered. Constructivists believe that learning is more active and self-directed than either behaviorism or cognitive theory would postulate.
• Content Analysis -- the systematic, objective, and quantitative description of the manifest or latent content of print or nonprint communications.
• Context Sensitivity -- awareness by a qualitative researcher of factors such as values and beliefs that influence cultural behaviors.
• Control Group -- the group in an experimental design that receives either no treatment or a different treatment from the experimental group. This group can thus be compared to the experimental group.
• Controlled Experiment -- an experimental design with two or more randomly selected groups [an experimental group and control group] in which the researcher controls or introduces the independent variable and measures the dependent variable at least two times [pre- and post-test measurements].
• Correlation -- a common statistical analysis, usually abbreviated as r, that measures the degree of relationship between pairs of interval variables in a sample. The range of correlation is from -1.00 to zero to +1.00. Also, a non-cause and effect relationship between two variables.
• Covariate -- a product of the correlation of two related variables times their standard deviations. Used in true experiments to measure the difference of treatment between them.
• Credibility -- a researcher's ability to demonstrate that the object of a study is accurately identified and described based on the way in which the study was conducted.
• Critical Theory -- an evaluative approach to social science research, associated with Germany's neo-Marxist “Frankfurt School,” that aims to criticize as well as analyze society, opposing the political orthodoxy of modern communism. Its goal is to promote human emancipatory forces and to expose ideas and systems that impede them.
• Data -- factual information [as measurements or statistics] used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation.
• Data Mining -- the process of analyzing data from different perspectives and summarizing it into useful information, often to discover patterns and/or systematic relationships among variables.
• Data Quality -- this is the degree to which the collected data [results of measurement or observation] meet the standards of quality to be considered valid [trustworthy] and  reliable [dependable].
• Deductive -- a form of reasoning in which conclusions are formulated about particulars from general or universal premises.
• Dependability -- being able to account for changes in the design of the study and the changing conditions surrounding what was studied.
• Dependent Variable -- a variable that varies due, at least in part, to the impact of the independent variable. In other words, its value “depends” on the value of the independent variable. For example, in the variables “gender” and “academic major,” academic major is the dependent variable, meaning that your major cannot determine whether you are male or female, but your gender might indirectly lead you to favor one major over another.
• Deviation -- the distance between the mean and a particular data point in a given distribution.
• Discourse Community -- a community of scholars and researchers in a given field who respond to and communicate to each other through published articles in the community's journals and presentations at conventions. All members of the discourse community adhere to certain conventions for the presentation of their theories and research.
• Discrete Variable -- a variable that is measured solely in whole units, such as, gender and number of siblings.
• Distribution -- the range of values of a particular variable.
• Effect Size -- the amount of change in a dependent variable that can be attributed to manipulations of the independent variable. A large effect size exists when the value of the dependent variable is strongly influenced by the independent variable. It is the mean difference on a variable between experimental and control groups divided by the standard deviation on that variable of the pooled groups or of the control group alone.
• Emancipatory Research -- research is conducted on and with people from marginalized groups or communities. It is led by a researcher or research team who is either an indigenous or external insider; is interpreted within intellectual frameworks of that group; and, is conducted largely for the purpose of empowering members of that community and improving services for them. It also engages members of the community as co-constructors or validators of knowledge.
• Empirical Research -- the process of developing systematized knowledge gained from observations that are formulated to support insights and generalizations about the phenomena being researched.
• Epistemology -- concerns knowledge construction; asks what constitutes knowledge and how knowledge is validated.
• Ethnography -- method to study groups and/or cultures over a period of time. The goal of this type of research is to comprehend the particular group/culture through immersion into the culture or group. Research is completed through various methods but, since the researcher is immersed within the group for an extended period of time, more detailed information is usually collected during the research.
• Expectancy Effect -- any unconscious or conscious cues that convey to the participant in a study how the researcher wants them to respond. Expecting someone to behave in a particular way has been shown to promote the expected behavior. Expectancy effects can be minimized by using standardized interactions with subjects, automated data-gathering methods, and double blind protocols.
• External Validity -- the extent to which the results of a study are generalizable or transferable.
• Factor Analysis -- a statistical test that explores relationships among data. The test explores which variables in a data set are most related to each other. In a carefully constructed survey, for example, factor analysis can yield information on patterns of responses, not simply data on a single response. Larger tendencies may then be interpreted, indicating behavior trends rather than simply responses to specific questions.
• Field Studies -- academic or other investigative studies undertaken in a natural setting, rather than in laboratories, classrooms, or other structured environments.
• Focus Groups -- small, roundtable discussion groups charged with examining specific topics or problems, including possible options or solutions. Focus groups usually consist of 4-12 participants, guided by moderators to keep the discussion flowing and to collect and report the results.
• Framework -- the structure and support that may be used as both the launching point and the on-going guidelines for investigating a research problem.
• Generalizability -- the extent to which research findings and conclusions conducted on a specific study to groups or situations can be applied to the population at large.
• Grey Literature -- research produced by organizations outside of commercial and academic publishing that publish materials, such as, working papers, research reports, and briefing papers.
• Grounded Theory -- practice of developing other theories that emerge from observing a group. Theories are grounded in the group's observable experiences, but researchers add their own insight into why those experiences exist.
• Group Behavior -- behaviors of a group as a whole, as well as the behavior of an individual as influenced by his or her membership in a group.
• Hypothesis -- a tentative explanation based on theory to predict a causal relationship between variables.
• Independent Variable -- the conditions of an experiment that are systematically manipulated by the researcher. A variable that is not impacted by the dependent variable, and that itself impacts the dependent variable. In the earlier example of "gender" and "academic major," (see Dependent Variable) gender is the independent variable.
• Individualism -- a theory or policy having primary regard for the liberty, rights, or independent actions of individuals.
• Inductive -- a form of reasoning in which a generalized conclusion is formulated from particular instances.
• Inductive Analysis -- a form of analysis based on inductive reasoning; a researcher using inductive analysis starts with answers, but formulates questions throughout the research process.
• Insiderness -- a concept in qualitative research that refers to the degree to which a researcher has access to and an understanding of persons, places, or things within a group or community based on being a member of that group or community.
• Internal Consistency -- the extent to which all questions or items assess the same characteristic, skill, or quality.
• Internal Validity -- the rigor with which the study was conducted [e.g., the study's design, the care taken to conduct measurements, and decisions concerning what was and was not measured]. It is also the extent to which the designers of a study have taken into account alternative explanations for any causal relationships they explore. In studies that do not explore causal relationships, only the first of these definitions should be considered when assessing internal validity.
• Life History -- a record of an event/events in a respondent's life told [written down, but increasingly audio or video recorded] by the respondent from his/her own perspective in his/her own words. A life history is different from a "research story" in that it covers a longer time span, perhaps a complete life, or a significant period in a life.
• Margin of Error -- the permittable or acceptable deviation from the target or a specific value. The allowance for slight error or miscalculation or changing circumstances in a study.
• Measurement -- process of obtaining a numerical description of the extent to which persons, organizations, or things possess specified characteristics.
• Meta-Analysis -- an analysis combining the results of several studies that address a set of related hypotheses.
• Methodology -- a theory or analysis of how research does and should proceed.
• Methods -- systematic approaches to the conduct of an operation or process. It includes steps of procedure, application of techniques, systems of reasoning or analysis, and the modes of inquiry employed by a discipline.
• Mixed-Methods -- a research approach that uses two or more methods from both the quantitative and qualitative research categories. It is also referred to as blended methods, combined methods, or methodological triangulation.
• Modeling -- the creation of a physical or computer analogy to understand a particular phenomenon. Modeling helps in estimating the relative magnitude of various factors involved in a phenomenon. A successful model can be shown to account for unexpected behavior that has been observed, to predict certain behaviors, which can then be tested experimentally, and to demonstrate that a given theory cannot account for certain phenomenon.
• Models -- representations of objects, principles, processes, or ideas often used for imitation or emulation.
• Naturalistic Observation -- observation of behaviors and events in natural settings without experimental manipulation or other forms of interference.
• Norm -- the norm in statistics is the average or usual performance. For example, students usually complete their high school graduation requirements when they are 18 years old. Even though some students graduate when they are younger or older, the norm is that any given student will graduate when he or she is 18 years old.
• Null Hypothesis -- the proposition, to be tested statistically, that the experimental intervention has "no effect," meaning that the treatment and control groups will not differ as a result of the intervention. Investigators usually hope that the data will demonstrate some effect from the intervention, thus allowing the investigator to reject the null hypothesis.
• Ontology -- a discipline of philosophy that explores the science of what is, the kinds and structures of objects, properties, events, processes, and relations in every area of reality.
• Panel Study -- a longitudinal study in which a group of individuals is interviewed at intervals over a period of time.
• Participant -- individuals whose physiological and/or behavioral characteristics and responses are the object of study in a research project.
• Peer-Review -- the process in which the author of a book, article, or other type of publication submits his or her work to experts in the field for critical evaluation, usually prior to publication. This is standard procedure in publishing scholarly research.
• Phenomenology -- a qualitative research approach concerned with understanding certain group behaviors from that group's point of view.
• Philosophy -- critical examination of the grounds for fundamental beliefs and analysis of the basic concepts, doctrines, or practices that express such beliefs.
• Phonology -- the study of the ways in which speech sounds form systems and patterns in language.
• Policy -- governing principles that serve as guidelines or rules for decision making and action in a given area.
• Policy Analysis -- systematic study of the nature, rationale, cost, impact, effectiveness, implications, etc., of existing or alternative policies, using the theories and methodologies of relevant social science disciplines.
• Population -- the target group under investigation. The population is the entire set under consideration. Samples are drawn from populations.
• Position Papers -- statements of official or organizational viewpoints, often recommending a particular course of action or response to a situation.
• Positivism -- a doctrine in the philosophy of science, positivism argues that science can only deal with observable entities known directly to experience. The positivist aims to construct general laws, or theories, which express relationships between phenomena. Observation and experiment is used to show whether the phenomena fit the theory.
• Predictive Measurement -- use of tests, inventories, or other measures to determine or estimate future events, conditions, outcomes, or trends.
• Principal Investigator -- the scientist or scholar with primary responsibility for the design and conduct of a research project.
• Probability -- the chance that a phenomenon will occur randomly. As a statistical measure, it is shown as p [the "p" factor].
• Questionnaire -- structured sets of questions on specified subjects that are used to gather information, attitudes, or opinions.
• Random Sampling -- a process used in research to draw a sample of a population strictly by chance, yielding no discernible pattern beyond chance. Random sampling can be accomplished by first numbering the population, then selecting the sample according to a table of random numbers or using a random-number computer generator. The sample is said to be random because there is no regular or discernible pattern or order. Random sample selection is used under the assumption that sufficiently large samples assigned randomly will exhibit a distribution comparable to that of the population from which the sample is drawn. The random assignment of participants increases the probability that differences observed between participant groups are the result of the experimental intervention.
• Reliability -- the degree to which a measure yields consistent results. If the measuring instrument [e.g., survey] is reliable, then administering it to similar groups would yield similar results. Reliability is a prerequisite for validity. An unreliable indicator cannot produce trustworthy results.
• Representative Sample -- sample in which the participants closely match the characteristics of the population, and thus, all segments of the population are represented in the sample. A representative sample allows results to be generalized from the sample to the population.
• Rigor -- degree to which research methods are scrupulously and meticulously carried out in order to recognize important influences occurring in an experimental study.
• Sample -- the population researched in a particular study. Usually, attempts are made to select a "sample population" that is considered representative of groups of people to whom results will be generalized or transferred. In studies that use inferential statistics to analyze results or which are designed to be generalizable, sample size is critical, generally the larger the number in the sample, the higher the likelihood of a representative distribution of the population.
• Sampling Error -- the degree to which the results from the sample deviate from those that would be obtained from the entire population, because of random error in the selection of respondent and the corresponding reduction in reliability.
• Saturation -- a situation in which data analysis begins to reveal repetition and redundancy and when new data tend to confirm existing findings rather than expand upon them.
• Semantics -- the relationship between symbols and meaning in a linguistic system. Also, the cuing system that connects what is written in the text to what is stored in the reader's prior knowledge.
• Social Theories -- theories about the structure, organization, and functioning of human societies.
• Sociolinguistics -- the study of language in society and, more specifically, the study of language varieties, their functions, and their speakers.
• Standard Deviation -- a measure of variation that indicates the typical distance between the scores of a distribution and the mean; it is determined by taking the square root of the average of the squared deviations in a given distribution. It can be used to indicate the proportion of data within certain ranges of scale values when the distribution conforms closely to the normal curve.
• Statistical Analysis -- application of statistical processes and theory to the compilation, presentation, discussion, and interpretation of numerical data.
• Statistical Bias -- characteristics of an experimental or sampling design, or the mathematical treatment of data, that systematically affects the results of a study so as to produce incorrect, unjustified, or inappropriate inferences or conclusions.
• Statistical Significance -- the probability that the difference between the outcomes of the control and experimental group are great enough that it is unlikely due solely to chance. The probability that the null hypothesis can be rejected at a predetermined significance level [0.05 or 0.01].
• Statistical Tests -- researchers use statistical tests to make quantitative decisions about whether a study's data indicate a significant effect from the intervention and allow the researcher to reject the null hypothesis. That is, statistical tests show whether the differences between the outcomes of the control and experimental groups are great enough to be statistically significant. If differences are found to be statistically significant, it means that the probability [likelihood] that these differences occurred solely due to chance is relatively low. Most researchers agree that a significance value of .05 or less [i.e., there is a 95% probability that the differences are real] sufficiently determines significance.
• Subcultures -- ethnic, regional, economic, or social groups exhibiting characteristic patterns of behavior sufficient to distinguish them from the larger society to which they belong.
• Testing -- the act of gathering and processing information about individuals' ability, skill, understanding, or knowledge under controlled conditions.
• Theory -- a general explanation about a specific behavior or set of events that is based on known principles and serves to organize related events in a meaningful way. A theory is not as specific as a hypothesis.
• Treatment -- the stimulus given to a dependent variable.
• Trend Samples -- method of sampling different groups of people at different points in time from the same population.
• Triangulation -- a multi-method or pluralistic approach, using different methods in order to focus on the research topic from different viewpoints and to produce a multi-faceted set of data. Also used to check the validity of findings from any one method.
• Unit of Analysis -- the basic observable entity or phenomenon being analyzed by a study and for which data are collected in the form of variables.
• Validity -- the degree to which a study accurately reflects or assesses the specific concept that the researcher is attempting to measure. A method can be reliable, consistently measuring the same thing, but not valid.
• Variable -- any characteristic or trait that can vary from one person to another [race, gender, academic major] or for one person over time [age, political beliefs].
• Weighted Scores -- scores in which the components are modified by different multipliers to reflect their relative importance.
• White Paper -- an authoritative report that often states the position or philosophy about a social, political, or other subject, or a general explanation of an architecture, framework, or product technology written by a group of researchers. A white paper seeks to contain unbiased information and analysis regarding a business or policy problem that the researchers may be facing.

Elliot, Mark, Fairweather, Ian, Olsen, Wendy Kay, and Pampaka, Maria. A Dictionary of Social Research Methods. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2016; Free Social Science Dictionary. Socialsciencedictionary.com [2008]. Glossary. Institutional Review Board. Colorado College; Glossary of Key Terms. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Glossary A-Z. Education.com; Glossary of Research Terms. Research Mindedness Virtual Learning Resource. Centre for Human Servive Technology. University of Southampton; Miller, Robert L. and Brewer, John D. The A-Z of Social Research: A Dictionary of Key Social Science Research Concepts London: SAGE, 2003; Jupp, Victor. The SAGE Dictionary of Social and Cultural Research Methods . London: Sage, 2006.

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What Is a Glossary?

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

A glossary is an alphabetized list of specialized terms with their definitions . In a report , proposal , or book, the glossary is generally located after the conclusion . A glossary is also known as a "clavis ," which is from the Latin word for "key." "A good glossary," says William Horton, in "e-Learning by Design," "can define terms, spell out abbreviations , and save us the embarrassment of mispronouncing the shibboleths of our chosen professions."

Importance of a Glossary

"Because you will have numerous readers with multiple levels of expertise, you must be concerned about your use of high-tech language (abbreviations, acronyms , and terms). Although some of your readers will understand your terminology, others won't. However, if you define your terms each time you use them, two problems will occur: you will insult high-tech readers, and you will delay your audience as they read your text. To avoid these pitfalls, use a glossary."

(Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson, "Technical Writing: Process and Product." Pearson, 2006)

Locating a Glossary in a Class Paper, Thesis, or Dissertation

"You may need a glossary if your thesis or dissertation (or, in some cases, your class paper) includes many foreign words or technical terms and phrases that may be unfamiliar to your readers. Some departments and universities allow or require the glossary to be placed in the back matter, after any appendixes and before the endnotes and bibliography or reference list. If you are free to choose, put it in the front matter if readers must know the definitions before they begin reading. Otherwise, put it in the back matter."

– Kate L. Turabian, "A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed." The University of Chicago Press, 2007

• "Define all terms unfamiliar to an intelligent layperson. When in doubt, overdefining is safer than underdefining.
• Define all terms that have a special meaning in your report ('In this report, a small business is defined as . . .').
• Define all terms by giving their class and distinguishing features, unless some terms need expanded definitions.
• List all terms in alphabetical order. Highlight each term and use a colon to separate it from its definition.
• On first use, place an asterisk in the text by each item defined in the glossary.
• List your glossary and its first page number in the table of contents."

– Tosin Ekundayo, "Thesis Book of Tips and Samples: Under & Post Graduate Guide 9 Thesis Format including APA & Harvard." Notion Press, 2019

Suggestions for Preparing a Glossary

"Use a glossary if your report contains more than five or six technical terms that may not be understood by all audience members. If fewer than five terms need defining, place them in the report introduction as working definitions, or use footnote definitions. If you use a separate glossary, announce its location."

– John M. Lannon, "Technical Communication." Pearson, 2006

Collaborative Glossaries in the Classroom

"Instead of creating a glossary on your own, why not have the students create it as they encounter unfamiliar terms? A collaborative glossary can serve as a focal point for collaboration in a course. Each member of the class could be assigned to contribute a term, a definition, or comments on submitted definitions. Multiple definitions can be rated by you and by the students, with the highest-rated definitions accepted for the final class glossary...When students are responsible for creating the definitions, they are much more likely to remember the word and the correct definition."

– Jason Cole and Helen Foster, "Using Moodle: Teaching With the Popular Open Source Course Management System, 2nd ed." O'Reilly Media, 2008

• Types of Nouns
• Nominal: Definition and Examples in Grammar
• When to Use Hanged and Hung
• Glossary of Usage: Later and Latter
• Locutionary Act Definition in Speech-Act Theory
• Definition of Usage Labels and Notes in English Dictionaries
• Understanding the 'wh'-clause in English Grammar
• Head (Words)
• Pejorative Language
• Definition and Examples of Word Boundaries
• Glossary of Usage: Waive and Wave
• The Difference Between All Ready and Already
• Allegory: Definition and Examples
• Definition and Examples of Psychological Verbs
• listeme (words)

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How to decide where (in a thesis) a glossary should be positioned?

I want to include a glossary in my master’s thesis explaining some technical terms.

My university doesn't make any specifications about the usage or position of glossaries. So I'm asking myself:

• Is it better to put the glossary at the beginning of the thesis? (e.g. between the Table of Contents and the main content) That way the reader would see it first and either read it or keep in mind that he can look up unfamiliar terms there. But it would disrupt the reading flow between Abstract, Table of Contents and Content.
• Or would it be better to but the glossary in the appendix? Maybe with footnotes refering to it, each time a new term is used for the first time.

The current structure of the thesis is:

• writing-style

5 Answers 5

It is utterly a matter of style. Just put it where it makes more sense to you. If you expect people actually NEED to read it before they can read your thesis, just put it in front. Otherwise, put it after the main text.

• If somebody needs to read the glossary highly depends on the reader. My professor might need it. I'm only wondering if it might disrupt the flow of reading to much. –  Kaadzia Commented Dec 2, 2012 at 23:21
• 2 My thesis had a list of abbreviations and acronyms that came as part of the front matter. It was easier to define all of those things once at the beginning in the same place rather than worry if I need to redefine HMQC in chapter 4, when it hasn't been used since chapter 1. –  Ben Norris Commented Dec 3, 2012 at 14:46
• 1 In another guideline of my university (one about assignments in general) I just now found the instruction to put the glossary before the main text. So in my case the decision to have it at the front was the right one. –  Kaadzia Commented Jan 12, 2013 at 14:07

I suggest to follow the order reported on Wikipedia – Book design .

Here is the suggested order (skip all that is not needed in your thesis; colophons are only needed in published works, and your publisher will take care of them):

• acknowledgment
• introduction
• content – optionally divided into volumes, books, parts, chapters, sections
• bibliography

• 4 Could you reproduce the essence of the wiki page here, this makes your post selfcontained, and not dependend on a non StackExchange external website. –  Paul Hiemstra Commented Dec 2, 2012 at 19:15
• 2 I'm not sure if the wikipedia article on Book design in general is the perfect match for a thesis. Reading a piece of fiction like "Lord of the Rings" which is mentioned as instructive example in the article, is a whole different way of reading than reading a scientific work. So the best order of the contents might be different, too. –  Kaadzia Commented Dec 2, 2012 at 23:17
• 1 Good point. That list seems to be tailored to all kinds of publications, though: most works of fiction do not need a glossary, a bibliography and an index, so I would say that the authors had at least both fiction and non-fiction in mind. (that said, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that LotR contains all of them). –  Federico Poloni Commented Dec 3, 2012 at 12:52
• One element very specific to some kinds of academic theses are the included papers. Do they go all the way at the end of the back matter? What about the lists of papers, somewhere in the front matter? Would be nice to have a list more geared to this. –  gerrit Commented Dec 3, 2012 at 15:04
• @gerrit List of papers included in the thesis should be either a part of Introduction, or go directly before it. If you include a "carbon-copy" of all the pepers in the thesis, I suggest putting them after everything else. They form a completely non-intergal part of the thesis, they have their own title, list of authors, references etc. –  yo' Commented Dec 12, 2013 at 14:24

Put the glossary after any appendices and before the index .

EDIT: This advice is simply based on a very quick survey of the textbooks that I had close to hand. The sample size is therefore small, possibly subject biased (physics, mathematics, astronomy, economics), and therefore subject to argument. Thanks to aeismail for the comment prompting this edit.

• 4 Just curious—is there a specific reason why it should be there? –  aeismail Commented Dec 2, 2012 at 18:43
• 3 Aside from any over-riding requirements set by a departmental style guide (and we're told that there is none in this case), placing the glossary at the end of the document in general seems to correspond with the trend that I see in the textbooks that I use. Conformity with established trends isn't necessarily a good thing, I realise. –  Nicholas Commented Dec 3, 2012 at 12:51
• You should put that in your answer (I should have mentioned that in my original comment; the goal was to avoid a "quick-fire" answer that doesn't explain things to future readers). –  aeismail Commented Dec 3, 2012 at 13:44
• 1 Nicholas, if I understand you correctly the reason for your advice is, that most people do it that way. Is that what you meant? –  Kaadzia Commented Dec 3, 2012 at 15:01
• 1 @Karin: Yes, but see the qualification that I included in my edit. –  Nicholas Commented Dec 4, 2012 at 9:20

The other answers already contain the conclusions of my answer. However, I'll try to give some reasoning behind.

Glossary, Nomenclature, List of Symbols, Index, References, etc. -- all these are indexes , and should go to the backmatter.

Table of Contents, List of Figures, etc. -- these specify the contents , and should go to the frontmatter.

The difference is that indexes are have in general logical sorting of some type (alphabetical or other), whereas the contents strictly reflect the order of the text in the document.

As for the order of them: the more used they are, the farer away from the mainmatter they go (i.e. first in frontmatter and last in backmatter). This depends a lot on your reader. The reason for this is that the closer to the cover they are, the easier it is to reach them. In general, the most used index in a thesis are the references, so they go last. In textbooks, the General index goes last, since it's more interesting for the reader.

The rule above is, on the other hand, less important than the fact that Title, half-title, dedication, preface and colophon have priority, and are obviously the outer-most elements of the work.

So, in the end, you might get to this order:

In the end, none of these rules is very strict.

• 1 Interesting reasoning. Especially the part the closer to the cover, the easier to reach . Personally I wouldn't feel to comfortable putting something like the list of figures or list of tables before the main content. I don't want to force all readers to thumb through something they might not need, before they can start reading. –  Kaadzia Commented Dec 12, 2013 at 14:40
• @kdzia The point is: How many people are actually going to read the thesis from the very beginning to the very end? Not many I think, and each of them will need to find Chapter 1 exactly once (when they start reading). So it doesn't matter whether you have two or three more sheets of paper before the actual Chapter 1 or not. –  yo' Commented Dec 12, 2013 at 14:46
• I think it does matter. If the majority of the readers are interested in reading the titlepage, the abstract, the TOC and in skimming through the chapters, the thesis should be optimized for that. The few who want to read the table of images and table of tables before the main content will have to go to the backmatter for that. –  Kaadzia Commented Dec 20, 2013 at 9:57

A glossary in the front before the main body has less context and disrupts the flow -- people want to read the body, not get to a list of definitions first. I attended an editorial seminar once and the instructors recounted anecdotes of leading tech companies who requested user studies on content placement like LOT, LOF, TOC, glossaries, and so on. The verdict: Just give me the content first and make it lean.

• Thanks Chris. Do you happen to have any references to the user studies you're mentioning? That would be very interresting. –  Kaadzia Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 16:15

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How to include a list of terms (glossary) in a scholarly paper (IEEE format)?

I am currently writing my Bachelor's thesis and I have produced a list of terms that I plan on including in the attachments. The description of each term is directly copied from search engine results and different wikis. Is this legal? Is it OK to just write a notice saying the following?

The descriptions below have been directly copied from search engine results.

I am using IEEE as the writing format. Is there a standard way to include a list of terms using IEEE?

• academic-writing

• Welcome to Writing.SE Tøffelen ! If you have a moment, you may want to visit our tour and help center . Have fun! –  White Eagle Commented Apr 30, 2018 at 20:07

If you cite definitions you have to mark them as citations and give a source. Otherwise you are plagiarising.

Guidelines for formatting glossaries:

• arrange entries alphabetically
• if the entry is a phrase, give it in its natural order (software development) rather than reversed (development, software)
• non-letter characters precede "a" in ordering
• show alternative spellings in parentheses
• if a term has more than one definition, number the definitions

question (Q). (1) What you ask if you don't know the answer. (2) A post type on Stack Exchange sites. Contrast with: answer. See also: tour; off topic.

Explanation of example:

In the example, "Q" is an alternative spelling for "question". "(1)" and "(2)" signify different definitions. After a linebreak, "Contrast with:" gives the opposing concept and "see also:" points out related definitions.

I only have access to an old guide from the early 90s, so the formatting may have changed. If you can verify or falsify, please comment or edit.

• I was afraid of having to mark the entries as citations. Will it not look odd having marked every single entry of the list? I have never seen a list of terms looking like that, but maybe that is because the authors change the wording of the definitions. –  Slippers Commented May 1, 2018 at 20:17
• @Tøffelen The only way to avoid citations is to rephrase all the definitions. What I do in such situations is find synonymous words, rearrange word order, and rewrite. – But if the definition you use is an official one (e.g. from a norm or standard), it might make sense to cite that and not rephrase it. – Maybe you want to talk to your supervisor about this? –  user29032 Commented May 1, 2018 at 20:28
• Understood. I am meeting my supervisor in a few days, but thank you for clearing this up for me. –  Slippers Commented May 1, 2018 at 20:36

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Glossary of Paper Terms

A list of terms, phrases and words associated with papermaking so if you’re unfamiliar with something we say in our product descriptions, our blog, or on social media – it’s probably in this list.

Absorbency Absorbent Papers Acidity/Alkalinity Alpha Cellulose Alpha Pulp Apparent Density Aqueous Coating Archival Paper Ash Basic Size Basis Weight Beater Binder Bleach Bleaching Blotting Paper Brightness Broke C1S Calcium Carbonate Calender Calendering Caliper Cellulose Cellulose Fiber Chlorination Clay Cleaner Close Formation Cobb Test Color Fastness Color Specification Commercial Match Contaminants Couch Roll Cross Direction Curl Dandy Roll Delignification Dimensional Stability Dirt Driers Dry End Embossed Felts Finish Formation Grain Groundwood Pulp Hardwood Hardwood Pulp Headbox Holdout Hydrophilic Hydrophobic Hydropulper Hygroexpansivity Integrated Mill Internal Bond Kraft Pulp Lignin M Weight Machine Direction Machine Finish Machine Glazed Mechanical Wood Pulp Mercerization Moisture Content Mullen Nip Opacity pH Point Porosity Press Press Section Pulper Refiner Retention Rewinder Sheeter/Winder Sheffield Size Sizing Smoothness Softwood Softwood Pulp Speck Starch Stiffness Stock Stock Preparation Supercalender TAPPI Tearing Resistance Tensile Strength Titanium Dioxide Tooth Tub-Size Press Two-Sidedness Uniformity Unsized Vellum Finish Virgin Stock Wax Pick Test Web Weight Wet End Wet Mullen Wet Tensile Strength Wire Yield Z-Direction Tensile Strength

The property of a material that causes it to take up a liquid with which it is in contact. Several measures of absorbency are: (a) the time required for the material to take up a specified volume of liquid; (b) the rate of rise of liquid along a vertical strip dipping into the liquid; (c) the area of a specimen wetted in a specified time; (d) the quantity of a liquid taken up by a completely saturated specimen. The method of measurement depends on the specific use of paper.

Absorbent Papers

Soft, loosely felted papers that readily absorb water solutions or liquid chemicals. They are not sized with water-repellent agents, but may be treated with materials that enhance their wet strength. They include blotting, filter, matrix, and toweling papers, and base paper for the manufacture of vegetable parchment, artificial leather, vulcanized fiber, and many other processed papers.

Acidity/Alkalinity

In paper, the condition that results in an acid or alkaline solution when the paper is treated or extracted with water. In testing paper acidity/alkalinity, the specimen is extracted with water at a definite temperature, and the extract is tested to determine its pH value or is titrated to determine the total amount of acid or alkali present.

Alpha Cellulose

Chemically treated wood pulp having greater than 90 percent alpha cellulose, i.e. cellulose that is resistant to 17.5 percent sodium hydroxide solution at 25 degrees Celsius.

Apparent Density

The apparent weight per unit volume. It is often calculated by dividing the basis weight by the thickness, though it must be recognized that the numerical value thus obtained depends on the definition of the ream. Consistent numerical values can be obtained by using in every case the basis weight in metric units (gsm) and the thickness in millimeters.

Aqueous Coating

A water-based coating applied after paper production, either on-machine or off-machine. An aqueous coating usually gives a gloss, dull, or matte finish and helps prevent the ink from rubbing off.

Archival Paper

Basis weight, blotting paper.

Paper that has been discarded anywhere in the process of manufacture. “Wet broke” is paper taken off the wet press of a paper machine; “dry broke” is made when paper is spoiled in going over the dryers or through the calender, trimmed off in the rewinding of rolls, trimmed from sheets being prepared for shipping, or discarded for manufacturing defects. It is usually returned to a repulping unit for reprocessing.

Bursting Strength

Calcium carbonate, calendering, cellulose fiber, chlorination, close formation, color fastness, color specification.

The quantitative description of color. The color specification consists of a dominant wavelength, purity, and luminous reflectivity under standardized conditions.

Commercial Match

Contaminants, cross direction, delignification, dimensional stability.

The aesthetic and physical characteristics of the surface of paper, often characterized by its smoothness:

• Super Vellum – a very toothy rough surface
• Super Smooth – an extremely smooth surface achieved with calendaring.

The orientation and distribution of fiber in paper. Uniform distribution results in superior formation.

Groundwood Pulp

Hardwood pulp, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, hydropulper.

Equipment used to reconstitute and blend fiber, water, pigments and chemistry preparing the “slurry” for the paper machine.

Hygroexpansivity

Integrated mill, internal bond.

The noncarbohydrate portion of the cell wall of plant material; it is usually determined as the reside after hydrolysis with strong acid of the plant material, after removal of waxes, tannins, and other extractives. Lignin is amorphous, has high molecular weight, and is predominantly aromatic in structure. It is not one compound, but varies in composition with the method of isolation and with the species, age, growing conditions, etc., of the plant. It is more or less completely removed during chemical pulping, but it is not removed by mechanical pulping. Bleaching of the pulp further removes or modifies any remaining lignin. Left in pulp, lignin causes yellowing over time.

Machine Direction

Machine finish, machine glazed, mechanical wood pulp, mercerization, moisture content, press section.

A series of rolls pressing against each other through which the paper travels, along with felts, that removes additional moisture/water from the paper web.

Sheeter/Winder

Softwood pulp, stock preparation, supercalender, tearing resistance, tensile strength, titanium dioxide, tub-size press, two-sidedness, vellum finish, virgin stock, wax pick test.

The relative weight of paper.

• M Weight is the weight of 1,000 sheets of paper
• Basis Weight is the fixed weight of a designated number of sheets (typically 500) of paper in the basic size.
• Basic Size is an established standard sheet size for a specific type of paper grade. For example, the Basic Size of text weight paper is 28×38.

Wet Tensile Strength

On a Fourdrinier paper machine, the slurry is deposited onto a wire, a circular fabric mesh conveyor belt in the “forming” section of the paper machine. This is where water is drained and surface characteristics are established for a paper web.

Z-Direction Tensile Strength

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Pulp & Paper Glossary

Browse below the most comprehensive collection of technical and commercial terms used in the pulp, paper, printing, publishing, and related industries. PaperIndex Glossary has definitions of more than 1,600 terms including some obscure and many popular & frequently-used terms.

An ISO 'A' series paper size - 841x1189 mm or 33.11x46.81 inches or 2384x3370 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'A' series paper size - 594x841 mm or 23.39x33.11 inches or 1684x2384 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'A' series paper size - 420x594 mm or 16.54x23.39 inches or 1190x1684 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'A' series paper size - 297x420 mm or 11.69x16.54 inches or 842x1190 points (widthxheight)

A common ISO 'A' series size of about 8-¼ by 11-¾ inches or 210x297 mm or 595x842 points. Used as the standard cut-paper size outside of the United States. The US equivalent is a letter size (8.5 x 11 inch) paper.

An ISO 'A' series paper size - 148x210 mm or 5.83x8.27 inches or 420x595 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'A' series paper size - 105x148 mm or 4.13x5.83 inches or 298x420 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'A' series paper size - 74x105mm or 2.91x4.13 inches or 209x298 points (widthxheight)

A plant commonly known as manila hemp.

Abrasion Resistance

A measure of paper's durability when subject to abrasive action.

Abrasive Paper

A type of paper that is coated on one or both sides with abrasive powder such as emery. Quick Links: Buy Abrasive Papers Abrasive Paper Suppliers Sell Abrasive Papers

Abrasiveness

A property of paper causing it to scratch the surface it contacts.

Absolute Moisture

The absolute moisture of the air is the maximum amount of water vapor, the air can contain before the excess water is released as dew. Absolute moisture is measured in grams per cubic meter.

Absorbable Organic Halogen (AOX)

The amount of chlorine chemically bound to soluble organic matter in the effluent.

The ability of a paper or board to take up and retain liquids such as water or ink.

Absorbent Core

The principal fluid-holding component of disposable hygiene products. Absorbent cores usually contain a combination of fluff pulps and super-absorbent polymers.

Absorbent Papers

A grade of paper that takes up and retains liquids such as duplicator, blotting, filter papers, and toweling.

Accelerated Aging Test

A technique to estimate the permanence of paper by exposing it to simulated conditions of heat, moisture, and/ or chemicals.

Fibrous raw material accepted after cleaning and/or screening for further processing in papermaking.

Accordion Fold

A type of paper fold in which each fold runs in the opposite direction to the previous fold creating a pleated or accordion affect. Accordion folds are used on products such as catalogs, brochures, and maps.

Acetate Pulp

A high alpha cellulose pulp made especially to be dissolved in acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and sulfuric acid for making acetate rayon and acetate fibers.

Materials that are white, gray, and black with no color or hue.

Acidfree Paper

A type of paper, which does not contain any acidic substance that may affect acid sensitive material. Such papers are used for archival purposes.

Acid Migration

Transfer of acid from an acidic material to a less acidic or neutral-pH material. Acid can also migrate from adhesives, boards, protective tissues, paper covers, etc.

A type of paper that has clay as the predominant filler and an acidic rosin-aluminum mixture as the internal sizing agent.

Acid Proof Paper

A type of paper that is not affected by acid physically or chemically.

Rosin size containing a large proportion of emulsified, free, or uncombined rosin.

Acidic Sizing

Internal sizing carried out in acidic pH range (0-7). Examples of acidic sizing are rosin and alum sizing.

Degree of acid found in a given paper measured by the pH factor. Paper can become acidic from the ingredients used in its manufacture, from the environment or both.

Actinic Rays

Light exposure that affects chemical changes in paper.

Activated Sludge Treatment

A biological method of cleaning up waste waters in three stages.

Active Alkali (AA)

Caustic soda (NaOH) and sodium sulfide (Na2S) expressed as Na2O in Kraft pulping liquor.

Actual Weight

Accurate weight of a given quantity of paper, which is different from the same paper's nominal weight.

Adding Machine Paper

Paper in roll form for use on adding and tabulating machines. Quick Links: Buy Adding Machine Rolls Adding Machine Roll Suppliers Sell Adding Machine Rolls  

Additive Colors

In photographic reproduction, the primary colors of red, green, and blue which are mixed to form all other colors.

Fillers, dyes, sizing, and other chemicals added to pulp or coatings to impart the paper greater smoothness, color, opacity or other desirable attributes.

Refers to a process in which an air stream is blown onto paper sheets to separate the sheets as they are fed to the printing press.

Aerated Lagoon

A biological wastewater treatment method in which air (oxygen) fed into an aeration basin to reduce the BOD, COD, and AOX content of the effluent.

A single sheet of paper folded and gummed on three sides. Bears international preprinted air postage and the word “aerogramme" Intended for airmail correspondence to other countries.

American Forest & Paper Association, established in 1993, merged the activities of the American Paper Institute (API), National Forest Products Assn. (NFPA), and American Forest Council (AFC).

Against the Grain (Cross Direction)

Cutting, folding, or feeding paper at right angles to the grain or machine direction of the paper.

Irreversible deterioration on of paper properties over time. Sunlight and heat accelerate the loss of strength and brightness.

Equipment used to keep content of a tank or chest in motion and well mixed.

Air Blade Coating

Coating subjected to a thin jet of air. Air jet removes excess coating and smoothes surface of freshly coated paper. (Same as air knife coating)

Air Brush Coater

A coater, which uses the pressurized air to atomize the coating mixture and spray it on the paper.

Refers to any pulp and paper sample that has its moisture content in equilibrium with the surrounding atmospheric conditions. Conventionally, air-dry pulps are assumed to contain 10% moisture.

Method of drying the paper web on the paper machine by blowing air along the direction of the web.

Air Filter Paper

A type of paper used for filtration of air to remove suspended particles. (For example car air filter, vacuum bag etc.)

Air Knife Coater

A device that applies an excess coating to the paper surface and then removes the surplus by impinging a flat jet of air upon the fluid coating, leaving a smooth film on the paper. Quick Links: Buy Coating Machinery Coating Machine Suppliers Sell Coating Machinery

Air Knife Coating

A method of coating using an air-knife which acts on the principle of a doctor blade and uses a thin, flat jet of air for removing the excess coating from a wet, freshly coated sheet of paper.

Airmail Paper

It is lightweight, high opacity, good quality writing / printing paper for airmail. Generally produced in white, off white or a pale blue for stationery purposes, usually below 40 g/m2 for reasons of postage costs.

Air Permeability

Also referred to as "porosity”. The ease with which pressurized air can flow through a sheet of paper. Typically measured by the Gurley or Sheffield porosity tests, which measure the volumetric flow of air through the paper thickness.

Air Pollution

The contamination of air around the plant due to the emission of gases, vapors, and particulate material in the atmosphere.

A compressed air tool that dispenses a fine midst of paint or ink; used in illustration and photo retouching.

Air-Dried Pulp

Pulp is described technically as air-dried when its moisture content is in equilibrium with the ambient atmosphere. Commercially, pulp is usually described as air-dried when the moisture content of the pulp is 10%.

Albion Press

A hand operated printing press made of iron.

Album Paper

A paper with an antique finish used for pages of photo albums.

Albumen Plate

Offset printing plate coated with light-sensitive albumen. It has a photosensitive coating.

Albumin Paper

A coated paper used in photography. The coating consists of albumin (egg whites) and ammonium chloride.

Micro-organic plant life that forms in paper mill water supplies.

Alkali Blue

Also called reflex blue. A pigment used in carbon black inks and varnishes to improve luster.

Alkali Proof

Paper that resists discoloration through contact with alkaline substances, such as soap. Glassine and waxed papers are used for such purposes.

Alkali Resistance

A tendency of paper not to be stained or discolored or to undergo a color change when brought in contact with alkaline products such as soap and adhesives.

Alkaline Paper

Paper manufactured under operating conditions with a pH greater than 7.0. Such papers have calcium carbonate as the filler and a synthetic material, compatible with the alkaline process, as a sizing agent. This process increases the longevity, bulk brightness, opacity, and printing characteristics of the paper without added cost.

Alkaline Papermaking

Paper manufactured under alkaline conditions, using additives, basic fillers like calcium carbonate and neutral size. The anti-aging properties in alkaline paper make it a choice for documents where permanence is required.

Alkaline Pulping

Pulping by alkaline solutions of sodium hydroxide, with or without sodium sulfide. Without sodium sulfide, it is called Soda process and with sodium sulfide, it is known as Kraft or Sulfate process.

Alkenyl Succinic Anhydride (ASA)

ASA is a sizing agent that increases paper's resistance to water penetration.

A high alpha cellulose chemical pulp. It is also known as dissolving pulp.

Alternative Fiber

Alternative pulps to wood pulps used in papermaking.

A papermaking chemical used for precipitating rosin size onto pulp fibers to impart water-resistant properties to the paper. It is also known as paper maker’s alum or hydrated Aluminum Sulfate {Al2(SO4)3}.. It is responsible for introducing acid into the paper.

Aluminum Paper

Packaging paper made by mixing aluminum powder into the furnish or by coating or laminating the sheet with aluminum powder

Aluminum Foil Lamination

The combination of thin Aluminum foil with a paper backing used as a positive moisture barrier. Normal combination is Kraft backing with Aluminum foil laminated to the Kraft by means of asphalt, adhesive, or polyethylene.

Anaerobic Treatment

An effluent treatment system that uses microbes in the absence of oxygen to break down organic matter into methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide.

Oil based solvent (quick drying) used in the preparation process of dyes and inks.

Animal Size

Glue and gelatin extracted from animal hides and used as a papermaking size.

Animal Sized

A technique of paper making which hardens the surface by passing the paper through a bath of animal glue or gelatin.

Announcements

Folded cards or envelopes that are generally used as stationery for social announcements.

Annual Renewable

Annually harvested crops such as hemp, esparto, bamboo, and cotton for use in papermaking.

Annual Vegetable Fiber Or Agricultural Residue Fiber

A source of fiber for pulp and papermaking such as wheat or rice straw or other fibrous by-products of agriculture.

Anti Rust Paper

Paper containing added substances, which give it the property of protecting the surfaces of ferrous metals against rusting.

Anti Tarnish Paper

Paper capable of protecting bright metallic surfaces against tarnishing.

Anti-Foam or Defoamer

Chemical additives used at wet-end to reduce or eliminate foam in white water.

Antiquarian

The largest available handmade paper (53 x 31 inches).

Antique Paper

A printing paper with a rough finish but good printing surface, used in book printing for its high volume characteristics. Antique papers having good bulk and opacity with rough or matte surface.

Antique Finish

A bulky paper with a rough surface used for book and cover stock.

Antique Glazed

A paper, which has a high finish on one side and an antique finish on the other.

Apparent Density

Weight per unit volume of a sheet of paper obtained by dividing the basis weight by the caliper (thickness). Typical values of apparent density range from 0.75 (in loosely formed or less dense papers) to 1.20 for highly bonded sheets.

Approach Flow System

The stock flow system from fan pump to headbox slice.

Sheet of oiled cloth, leather, or rubber, which bridges the gap between the breast box and the moving wire on a Fourdrinier machine.

Archival Paper

A paper with long-standing qualities, acid free, lignin and sulfur-free, usually with good color retention. Most commonly used for historic documents. The archival paper must be long lasting without causing deterioration to itself or other materials it may come into contact with.

Art-Lined Envelope

A colored or patterned envelope that is lined with an extra fine paper.

Paper, normally wood-free, suitable for 4-colour printing, evenly coated with a fine clay compound, which creates a hard smooth surface on one or both sides Quick Links: Buy Art Paper Art Paper Merchants Sell Art Paper

Artificial Parchment

Woodfree paper produced by fine and extended grinding of chemical pulps and mixture of special additives. It is used for wrapping meat.

Artist's Paper

A high-grade paper for drawing, made with a close weave.

The mineral residue left after burning a sample of paper to determine the percentage of filler it contains.

Ash Content

Ratio of mass of residue after combustion to mass of sample (pulp/paper) before combustion

Auto chrome Papertdef

Coated papers that are regarded as exceptional for multi-colored printing jobs.

The light blue color used in the nomenclature of "laid" and "wove" papers.

Azure Laid Papertdefi

A laid paper usually blue in color having a good writing surface.

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 1000x1414 mm or 39.37x55.67 inches or 2835x4008 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 707x1000 mm or 27.83x39.37 inches or 2004x2835 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 500x707 mm or 19.69x27.83 inches or 1417x2004 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 353x500 mm or 13.90x19.69 inches or 1001x1417 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 250x353 mm or 9.84x13.90 inches or 709x1001 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 176x250 mm or 6.93x9.84 inches or 499x709 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 125x176 mm or 4.92x6.93 inches or 354x499 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 88x125 mm or 3.46x4.92 inches or 249x354 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 62x88 mm or 2.44x3.46 inches or 176x249 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 44x62 mm or 1.73x2.44 inches or 125x176 points (widthxheight)

An ISO 'B' series paper size - 31x44 mm or 1.22x1.73 inches or 88x125 points (widthxheight)

Marks left in a sheet of handmade paper, which has been dried over ropes.

Back Lining

The fixing of a material, either paper or cloth, to the back of a book before it is bound.

Back-To-Back

Print applied to both sides of a sheet of paper.

Printing the reverse side of a sheet already printed on one side.

Backlining Paper

Smooth finish, hard-sized paper varying in thickness from .009 to .011 of an inch.

The water, which passes through the forming fabric during paper formation. It contains dissolved or suspended matter such as fines, filler, etc.

The matter left over after extracting sugar from sugarcane.

Bagasse Pulp

Pulp obtained by chemical means from bagasse, the residue after extracting the juice from sugar cane. Quick Links: Bagasse Pulp Suppliers

A term given to the procedure of drying coatings on paper surface.

Solid, compressed stack of pulp or paper sheets

Baling Plant

Part of a pulp mill where pulp sheets are converted into bales.

A grass yielding fibers used for papermaking.

Bamboo Pulp

Pulp obtained by chemical means from the stems of bamboo, a type of grass common to Asiatic countries.

Banding (Strapping)

Steel, plastic, fiber or other bands used to secure or protect rolls, sheets, loads, etc.

Bank Note Paper

An age-resistant paper, suitable for 4-colour printing, with watermark and falsification safeguards such as embedded metal strip. Often containing cotton fibers.

A thin, uncoated paper used for making carbon copies.

Bark Steam Boiler

A boiler that burns mainly bark and other biofuels to produce steam.

A main source of energy for pulp mills. The tree stem is debarked before chipping, the bark is recovered and burnt at a steam power plant.

A device with two sets of thin metal doors (horizontal and vertical) placed before a light source to control the direction of light.

Barograph Paper

A thin paper coated on one side with a white wax, so that the needle of the barograph leaves a red line on a white ground.

Barrier Coat

A coating that is applied onto the non-printing side of paper to increase the opacity of the paper.

Baryta Paper

A coated stock (barium sulfate compound) used for text impressions on typesetting machines.

Board intended for coating, laminating, etc.

Paper intended for further processing, e.g. Coating or lamination.

Paper that will be further processed as in coating or laminating.

Specific, standard sheet size from which the basis weight of a given grade is determined.

Basis Weight

Weight per 500 sheets of paper (one ream) of different paper grades weighed by their designated basic sheet size.

Bast Fibers

The long strong fibers from the inner bark of woody plants such as kozo, mitsumata, and gampi, also the outer layer of plants such as flax, hemp, and jute. The fiber is stripped and beaten in order to separate the fibers to make paper. The longer the fiber, the stronger the paper.

Batch Cooking

The method of cooking sulphate pulp in several batch digesters.

A method of treating fabric or paper with wax before dyeing, so the treated area does not pick up color.

Bleached Chemi-Thermo Mechanical Pulping.

Beatability

The ease with which pulp can be beaten to achieve the desired properties

Large, longitudinally partitioned vat used to mix and mechanically work pulp with other ingredients such as additives and color to make paper.

Beater Additive

Starch, gum, or resin added to the papermaking stock in the beater to improve the utilitarian quality of the paper.

Beater Colored

A method of dyeing paper stock by adding coloring to the pulp in the beater.

Beater Roll

Cylinder or drum set with knives set against a bedplate to cut up rags in a beater trough.

Mechanical treatment of fibers to increase surface area, flexibility and promote bonding when dried.

Bending Chip

Paperboards using a recovered paper furnish to make folding cartons.

Bending Stiffness

Bending stiffness represents the capability of paper/board to resist the forces responsible for bending action. It also indicates the capability of paper to support its own weight while clamped in cantilever form.

Beta Radiography

Beta radiography is a technique using beta rays to measure thickness, moisture, density, and basis weight etc of paper.

An abbreviation for boldface, used to determine where boldface copy is to be used.

Bible Paper

A thin and strong paper (opaque) with high filler content, used for bibles and books. It is used in deluxe productions such as bibles, dictionaries and high-quality publicity productions.

Materials, which cause coating pigments to bond. The most frequently used binder is starch, but synthetic binders are also used to give improved performance.

Binder Migration

A coated paper defect where specks give a grainy or textured appearance to the coated surface.

Binder's Board

A heavy paperboard with a cloth covering that is used for hardback binding of books.

A chemical such as fungicide or a bactericide used in papermaking.

Biodegradable

Organic materials such as food and paper that are broken down by microorganisms into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide, water, or minerals.

Energy generated from renewable biomass e.g. Plants and plant components

Renewable fuels for example from wood and bark.

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

A measure of the amount of oxygen needed by aquatic organisms to break down degradable organic matter present in effluent. The higher the amount of decomposable material, the higher the BOD value.

Biological Waste Water Treatment

A method of cleaning up wastewater using living microorganisms such as bacteria.

Sludge formed in the aeration basin during biological waste water treatment or other biological treatment process

Bisulfate Pulp

Pulp made by the bisulfate cooking process using bisulfate cooking liquor.

Bisulphite Pulp, Sulphite Pulp

Chemical pulp produced by cooking chips in a solution of sulphur dioxide and ammonium-, calcium-, sodium- or magnesium-sulphite

Black Liquor

A mixture of spent cooking chemicals and dissolved wood material remaining after pulping. Black liquor is concentrated by evaporation, and burnt in the recovery boiler to regenerate the cooking chemicals and also produce energy for the mill.

Black Photo Paper

A black paper used to protect photosensitive materials.

Black Printer

Refers to the film portion of the color separation process that prints black; increases the contrast of neutral tones.

Defect associated with calendered paper where local areas of paper are apparently darker or greyer color due to the paper being too damp when passed through the calender.

Blade Coated Paper

Paper coated by a process in which the freshly applied coating film is smoothed and the excess removed by a thin, flexible metal blade.

Blade Coating

A widely used coating method in which excess coating color is scraped off by a blade

Caused by a foreign piece of material caught under the coating blade, resulting in a scratch or streak that causes the paper surface to appear less opaque under a low angle light. Also known as a blade scratch or blade streak.

Precipitated or artificial barium solution.

Blank Book Paper

Bond, writing, news manila writing. Grade depends upon the purpose for which the blank book will be used.

A surface material (rubber) covering the printing cylinder that transfers the ink from the plate to the paper.

Blanket-To-Blanket

A printing method in which a sheet of paper is passed through two blanket cylinders and is printed on both sides.

Heavyweight paperboard that range from 15 points to 48 points in thickness. Can be coated, uncoated, or colored.

A chlorine solution used to whiten pulp in papermaking.

Bleach Plant

Area of a pulp mill where pulp is bleached.

Bleached Pulp

Pulp that has been bleached by means of chemical additives to make it suitable for white paper production.

Removal or reduction of color in pulp to improve its brightness.

Ink that extends beyond the edges of a piece of paper is said to bleed off the sheet. In a printing project, usually a bleed will cost more to produce than a piece that does not bleed.

Blind Emboss

A design impression that is made without using inks or metal foils.

Blind Folio

A page that is counted in the overall counting of pages, but the number is not printed on the page.

Blind Image

A problem that arises in the lithography process when an image loses its ink receptivity and fails to print.

A defect on a paper surface often shaped like a human blister.

Blister Pack

This term describes a packaging system, which is a combination of board and plastics. The product is sealed to the board by a transparent plastics film. This system is often used for small products of difficult shapes and sizes.

The process of separation of the paper’s coating from its surface, which appears in the form of eruptions. Usually caused by high drying temperatures, high paper moisture, or low internal bond strength.

Illustrations or line art etched onto zinc or copper plates and used in letterpress printing.

Block Resistance

The resistance of coated papers to blocking. Refer Blocking.

The adhesion of one coated sheet to another, causing paper tears or particles of the coating to shed away from the paper surface.

Blotting Board

A high absorbency paperboard.

Blotting Paper

Bulky, absorbent, filler-free paper, which is mostly produced from pure cotton in the form of bleached linters and from chemical pulp. The advent of the ball-point pen has greatly reduced its demand.

Blow-Through Drying Process

A system using dry steam or hot air that blows through the wire. The blow-through drying process enabled tissue products to be dried in much less time.

A German eco-label. To achieve this, paper has to contain 100% post-consumer waste.

The line of demarcation between paper and board is indeterminate. However, generally a thick, stiff paper or card usually made in several layers (or plies) with a substance normally varying from 150 to 500 g/m2, for certain grades even higher; widely used for packaging (e.g. folding cartons) and graphic applications. Quick Links: Buy Paperboard Paperboard Manufacturers Sell Paperboard

Base stock, or coating raw stock for plain or decorated papers.

Product made from wastepaper or other inferior materials in an imitation of higher-quality grades.

The edges of folded sheets of paper, which are trimmed off in the final stages of production.

A grade of durable writing, printing and typing paper made form bleached chemical wood pulps and cotton fibers. It is most commonly used for letterheads, stationery, business forms, etc. Quick Links: Buy Bond Paper Bond Paper Suppliers Sell Bond Paper

Bond Strength

The strength of paper or board to withstand layer-to-layer separation. Paper with good bonding strength will not pick during the printing process.

Bone Dry (B.D.)

This term refers to the moisture-free conditions of pulp paper. It also refers to air containing no vapor.

A term given the unfinished stage of bookmaking when the pages are folded, gathered, and stitched-in but not yet, cover bound.

Classification of paper that includes various grades and many finishes, among the grades being uncoated book paper and coated book paper used by printing establishments, publishers, etc. Made as wove or laid and can have finishes of antique, eggshell, machine, supercalendered, coated, dull, matte, or glossy.

Bottle Labeling Paper

A special body paper coated with an adhesive mixture. Must resist blocking under humid conditions.

Bound Galleys

The bound galley is used for promotional purposes and is frequently sent to book reviewers prior to printing the book.

Paperboard used in the manufacture of boxes. May be made of wood pulp or wastepaper. May be plain, lined or clay coated. Quick Links: Buy Boxboard Boxboard Suppliers Sell Boxboard

Box Cover Paper

A wide variety of white, colored, coated, uncoated, flint glazed or embossed lightweight paper used expressly for covering paper boxes.

Box Enamel Paper

A glossy coated paper used to cover paper boxes.

A coated paper used on the inside of boxes, which are used for food.

Plain or coated papers usually colored and embossed.

Braille Paper

A smooth and high strength paper suitable for the production of raised dots needed to manufacture reading material for the blind.

Total rupture of a web of paper during the manufacturing of printing process, which results in a tear from edge to edge.

Reduces rags to smaller pieces for beating in a Hollander.

Breaking Length

A measurement of tensile strength of paper corrected for its basis weight. This represents the theoretical length of a uniform width of paper that, when suspended by one end, would break by its own weight.

Breast Roll

Roll number one over which a Fourdrinier wire passes.

Brightening

Addition of optical brighteners to the stock to make the pulp appear whiter

Paper, paperboard, and pulp are measured through a lab test to determine the degree of reflectivity as measured by blue light to determine its brightness level. Paper brightness affects the legibility and contrast of printing. Printers, publishers, sellers refer to brightness which may be approximately by various photometers such as Photovolt, Elrepho, GE Brightness, Hunter Lab. Quick Links: Buy Brightness Testers Brightness Tester Suppliers Sell Brightness Testers

A stiff, heavy paper with a caliper of 0.006” and more. Examples include bogus, folding, index, printing and wedding bristol, bristol covers, postcard and coated postcard.

Brittleness

A property of paper that causes it to break when subjected to binding, converting, finishing, folding, and handling. Factors, which contribute to brittleness are composition, moisture, drying and aging.

A term given to the fold whereby paper is folded with the short side running with the grain.

A type of heavily embossed paper.

A pamphlet that is bound in booklet form.

Paper or board discarded during manufacture or converting of paper; usually repulped.

Broken Carton

A quantity of paper less than a full carton.

Broken Edges

Damaged edges of paper.

Broken Ream

Less than a full ream (500 sheets) of paper.

A printing method whereby special ink is applied to sheets and then a powder is applied producing a metallic effect.

The pulp obtained from the cooking process.

Brush Coated Paper

Paper that has been coated by off-machine brushes.

Brush Coating

A method of coating a web of paper in which the applied coating is distributed and smoothed by means of brushes.

Brush Finish

A high polish given to paper. It is obtained by running the dried or partially dried coated paper over a revolving drum provided with six or more rapidly revolving cylinder brushes, which contact the coated surface of the sheet.

Brush Glazing

Glazing of coated paper with the aid of brushes.

Brush Marks

Brush marks on the surface of brush coated paper due to improper application of the coating.

An area of paper rolls where the paper is overly compressed and creates a buckle when it is wrapped.

Buckle Folder

A portion of the binding machinery with rollers that fold the paper.

A coarse sized cloth used in the bookbinding process.

The acid neutralization in paper by adding an alkaline substance (usually calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate) into the paper pulp. The buffer acts as a protection from the acid in the paper or from pollution in the environment.

A term used to define the number of pages per inch of a book relative to its basis weight. It is reciprocal of paper density. In the paper trade bulk is a more commonly used measure than density to indicating the "compactness" of paper. Also known as specific volume.

Bulk Product

A mass-produced product sold in large volumes without individual specifications, usually in compliance with a standard, e.g. Newsprint.

Bulking Board

Non-calendered board, lighter in weight per point of thickness.

Bulking Thickness

The thickness of a pack of sheets divided by the number of sheets in the pack.

Bulky Mechanical

A mechanical paper made to a specific caliper as opposed to a fixed grammage. This type of paper is used mainly for mass market paperback books.

The loss of color during drying.

Burnt Paper

Paper, which is discolored and brittle, but otherwise, is intact.

An irregular separation or rupture through the paper or package

Burst Factor

The resistance of paper to rupture when pressure is applied to a side by a specified instrument.

Burst Index

The quotient of the bursting strength of a paper and its grammage in the conditioned state as defined in the standard method of test.

Burst Resistance

The resistance to bursting of a sheet of paper, paperboard of package when subject to impact or pressure normal to the surface.

Bursting Strength

The strength of paper in pounds per square inch, as measured by Mullen tester. This is also referred to as burst and pop strength. Quick Links: Buy Burst Strength Testers Burst Tester Manufacturers Sell Burst Strength Testers

Business Communications Paper

Paper for use in stationery, business forms, checks, copier papers, duplicating papers.

Business Form

Paper prepared to facilitate the entry of written information in a pre-determined format. Usually contains repetitive information to save preparation and reference time.

Coated on one side of the paper.

Coated on two sides of the paper.

Cable Paper

A strong paper used to wrap electrical cables.

Cadmium Yellow

A pigment made from cadmium sulfide and cadmium selenide.

Calcium Carbonate

A type of loading agent used in papermaking as filler or coating pigment to impart opacity to paper.

Calendar Board

A high-strength paperboard used for calendars and displays.

Calender Finished

Paper and paperboard that has been passed through a calendar to improve surface characteristics by application of pressure, friction, and moisture.

Calendar Rolls

A series of polished cast iron rolls at the end of a paper machine where the paper is passed between the rolls to increase its smoothness and gloss.

A on or off the paper machine device for smoothening, glazing, caliper reduction, and caliper leveling of the surface of the paper to improve the finish and reduce the printing roughness of the paper.

Calender Barring or Marks

Irregularly shaped bands across the paper web caused by damaged calender rolls.

Calender Blackening

Glazed translucent spots on paper surface caused by excessive calender roll heat, pressure, poor or excessive and uneven moisture level.

Calender Crushed

Paper that has been crushed in the calendering process.

Calender Dyed

Paper or paperboard that has been colored or stained at the calender stack.

Calender Finish

Finish imparted to paper by the calendering process.

Calender Marks

Marks left on the paper during the calendaring process. Calender blackening and barring are the two most common examples.

Calender Sizing

Sizing chemicals applied to paper sheet during the calendering process.

Calender Stack

A series of horizontal cast iron rolls at the end of a paper machine where the paper is passed between the rolls to increase its smoothness and gloss.

Calender Vellum Finish

Extra smooth vellum on paper surface imparted by calender rolls.

Calendered Paper

Paper that has been smoothed and polished between a set calender rolls. The effect produced by the calendering process is the result of friction combined with temperature and pressure.

Calendering

Operation carried out by means of calenders for improving the paper finish by increasing gloss and smoothness.

The thickness of a sheet of paper, expressed as thousands of an inch (points or mils), or in microns. Uniform caliper is needed for good printing and for runnability in converting processes.

Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF)

The rate at which water drains from a pad of pulp, measured under standard test conditions.

Canvas Board

A paperboard (used for painting) with a surface of simulated canvas.

In paper industry, the capacity of a machine or mill is usually stated in terms of tons per day or tons per year.

Capacity Utilization Rate

Indicates the efficiency (%) at which a mill or machine is operates.

Carbon Black

A pigment made up of elemental carbon and ash.

Carbon Paper

A grade of tissue paper coated with the mix of oils, dye (pigment), and wax. Paper coated with carbon, which release inks under pressure or impact for making duplicate copies with pen, typewriter, and business machines.

Carbonizing Paper

Lightweight, uncoated paper made from unbleached chemical and/or mechanical pulps. Its surface is coated with a carbon solvent or wax.

Carbonless Paper

Paper specially treated to provide copies without the use of interleaved carbon. Quick Links: Buy Carbonless Paper Carbonless Paper Suppliers Sell Carbonless Paper

A heavy grammage paper also known as Cover. Used as covers of catalogs, brochures, books or business cards.

A thick, stiff paper produced by pasting multiple layers of paper together.

A quantity of paper shipped from a paper mill in one freight car.

A container usually of relatively thin carton or folding board manufactured by carton manufacturers. It is delivered to users in either flat or collapsed form.

A rough-finish paper used for wrapping.

The stiff covers of a hardbound book.

Case Binding

Books bound using hard board (case) covers.

A byproduct of milk used as an adhesive in making coated papers.

Large corrugated boxes made of board, which are used as containers for packages. Cases are mainly used for transit and storage purposes.

The process of placing a book in its case covers.

Cast Coated Paper

Coated paper that is pressure dried using a polished roller, which imparts enamel like gloss finish.

Paper made by pouring pulp into a specially constructed mold.

Causticizing

Process in green liquor from sulphate (Kraft) pulping is converted to white liquor, thus allowing the cooking chemicals to be re-used.

The main constituent of the cell walls of all plants. All plants contain tissue that, when properly processed, will yield cellulose.

Cellulose Fibers

The fibrous raw material that results from breaking down the wood or plant materials through pulping or bleaching processes. It's the primary ingredient for making paper.

Cellulose Wadding

Soft crepe paper used in bundles or pads.

Chain Lines

Lines that appear on laid paper as a result of the wires (forming fabrics) of the papermaking machine. Also known as chain marks.

Chain Marks

Also called chain lines. Watermarks in paper that resemble impressions of a chain, running parallel to the grain of paper. These lines are normally found in laid papers.

Chalking describes the quality of print on paper when the absorption of the paper is so great that it breaks up the ink image creating loose pigment dust.

Chart Paper

A smooth paper for chart and map printing, usually printed by offset litho.

Chemical Cellulose (Dissolving Pulp)

A highly-purified chemical pulp for conversion into chemical derivatives of cellulose and used mainly in the manufacture of viscose staple fiber, solvent spin fiber, and filament.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

The amount of oxygen consumed in chemical oxidation of matter present in effluent. COD indicates the content of slowly degradable organic matter in the effluent.

Chemical Pulp

Pulp obtained by cooking wood chips in a chemical solution. Sulphite and sulphate (Kraft) are the two main processes. Quick Links: Buy Chemical Pulp Chemical Pulp Producers Sell Chemical Pulp

Chemical Recovery

Collection, recovery, and regeneration of cooking chemicals so that they can be used again in the pulping process.

Chemi-Thermomechanical Pulp (CTMP)

Pulp produced by treating wood chips with chemicals (e.g. sodium sulphite) before mechanical defibration.

A storage tank for pulp, furnish, water, or other materials used in papermaking.

A mineral (kaolin) used in papermaking as a filler and coating pigment. It consists of hydrated silicate of alumina.

An inexpensive and thick one-ply cardboard usually produced from waste paper. It is used for packaging purposes as well as a backing board for notepads etc.

Chipper-Canter

A machine used at sawmills to produce wood chips.

A process in which horizontally or gravity-fed disc chippers convert the debarked logs into chips for pulping.

Wood chips produced by a chipper to produce pulp, fiberboard, and particleboard.

A Japanese term for mulberry bark. Chiri is commonly used to refer to any paper with inclusions of mulberry bark in it.

Chlorine and its compounds are used in the pulp production process to create whiter, stronger paper. Pulp that is not bleached results in brown paper.

Blocks inserted at the end of core to support a roll of paper on the roll stand.

Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage

CIE Color Value

A set of three color values (CIE or Hunter) used to designate color of paper, especially of white and near-white paper.

CIE Whiteness

Paper whiteness measured as per the CIE standards.

A small-size cylindrical web defect of pulp or tissue pulling out of the web.

Cigarette Paper

A lightweight paper used in making cigarette. It is unsized and normally has a filler content of about 30%.

Coated Kraft Back Boards, CKB

Board consisting of either bleached chemical pulp or a mineral-coated top layer or both used for packaging food and non-food products.

Clamp Marks

Marks in sheets of paper caused by the clamps, which hold paper in position on a guillotine cutting machine.

Clarification

Separation of solid components from a solution.

A basin where sludge is removed from the treated effluent by settling process. There are two main types of clarifiers flotation and sedimentary.

A classifier sorts and separates pulp fibers according to their length.

A mineral used as filler in papermaking and as a coating pigment.

Clay Coated Boxboard

A strong and easily-folded boxboard with clay coating used for making folding boxes.

Clear Cutting

A method of forest regeneration in which all trees in a given area are felled.

Clear-edge Carbon

Carbon paper with a narrow strip along the edges to provide a clean margin for gluing and handling.

Close Formation

Close formation refers to the uniform density in a sheet of paper.

Closed-Cycle Mill

A concept in which all liquid effluents from a pulp mill are recovered, practically eliminating water pollution by the mill.

Closure Mechanism

Methods of creating a box shape or sealing a box.

Cloth Finish

Surface finish produced by pressing the linen cloth against the paper during the manufacturing process.

Cloth-Lined Paper

Paper combined with cloth, on one or both sides.

Cloud Finish

An effect obtained when the white pulp is dropped on a web of colored paper.

Cloudy Formation

Cloudy formation is opposite of close formation and indicates unevenness and lack of uniformity of fiber structure in a sheet of paper.

Carboxymethylcellulose

A water-soluble cellulose polymer used as a thickening agent in foods and detergents.

Coarse Screen

Halftone screens used in newsprint.

Coat Weight

The grammage of a coating layer, expressed in g/m2.

Paper and paperboards that have been coated with materials such as clay or pigment and an adhesive.

Coated Fine Paper

Coated paper made from chemical pulp. Also referred to as coated free sheet.

Coated Offset

A paper coated on both sides with high resistance to picking. It's suitable for offset printing.

Coated Paper

Paper that has been coated with pigment and binder with a coat weight of 7.5 g/m2 or higher. Coated papers have a higher opacity and better ink holdout than uncoated papers. Quick Links: Buy Coated Paper Coated Paper Manufacturers Coated Paper Distributors

Coated Seconds

Paper or paperboard inferior to desired quality, but still suitable for other usage. Coated seconds are usually sold at lower prices.

Coaters are used to apply coatings to paper after the paper sheet has been formed and dried.

Coating Color Kitchen

Department in a paper mill where coating color is prepared and mixed.

Coating Lump

A piece of dried coating redeposited onto the web of paper.

Coating Mottle

Variation in gloss of a coated calender sheet. A good-coated sheet has relatively uniform gloss after calendering.

Coating Pick

The process of lifting or removal of coating particles from the base sheet during calendering or printing.

Coating Piling

Piling caused by loose particles separating from a coated sheet of paper.

Coating Pits

Coating pits refer to the microscopic holes in the coating air bubbles.

Coating Skip

Irregularly shaped areas on a sheet of paper where the coating layer is absent.

Coating Splash

Spots of excess coating on a coated sheet of paper.

A rippling effect in paper caused by drying at a lower tension. It can be created as a desired effect or can be an unwanted result of improper drying.

Cockle (Crinkle)

Formation of ripples on a sheet of paper caused by uneven moisture or tension during the drying process.

Cold Pressed

Textured surface produced by pressing the paper through unheated rollers.

Cold Spot Carbonizing Ink

Material coated on the back of forms selectively. It's an ink, which can be applied cold to normal printing equipment.

Cold-Set Inks

Inks that are in solid state but melt in the hot press and solidify when they come in contact with paper.

To gather sheets or signatures together in their correct order.

Collected Household Paper

Waste paper collected from households.

Collotype Paper

A printing paper, which is durable enough to withstand excess moisture from the collotype printing process.

Color Fastness

Capacity of dyed paper to retain its original color or to resist fading under influence of heat and light.

Impressed mark on paper caused by a defect, which appears on calender rolls.

Color Match

Color quality when there is no significant difference in color hue between two samples when viewed under standard illumination.

Color Progression

The order in which different color inks are laid down on the paper.

Color Separation

Process of separating each of the three primary colors by optically filtering the image.

Color Strength

A term referring to the relative amount of pigmentation in an ink.

Colorimetry

Using Colorimeter, a given solid color may be quantified by analyzing physical color data.

Combination Board

Cylinder-made, multi-layered paperboard with layers from different pulps.

Combined Deinking

Deinking process combining flotation and washing processes.

Commercial Match

Manufacturing a paper to meet the specifications of a sample of paper provided to the manufacturer.

Commercial Register

Color registration measured within plus or minus one row of dots.

Commodity Papers

A generic term used to classify average quality paper grades (such as bond and offset) produced in high volume on big paper machines.

Communication Papers

A term used to describe paper grades (such as bond, writing and xerographic) used by printers and publishers in production of books, magazines, newspapers, etc.

Compressibility

Compressibility describes a paper's capacity to be squeezed (upon flat surfaces) and returned to its prior state. It is an important property of paper when stacks of paper are placed under compression. It is also known as Cushion.

Computer Output Paper

A grade of writing paper with strength and good printing surface. It's also known as "form bond”.

Conditioned Paper

Paper which has been treated in the mill by exposure to hot, moist air to increase the moisture content of the paper for achieving achieve an optimum flatness and stability.

Conditioning

Allowing paper adjust to the surrounding atmosphere until its moisture content is equal to atmospheric moisture content. This process provides for optimum performance on printing presses.

Trees, which are usually evergreen and classified as softwood, such as pines and firs.

Consistency

Dry solids content (%) of pulp present in a pulp slurry

Construction Paper

A grade paper manufactured in a wide range of colors. This high grammage paper is most often used in elementary schools for cutouts and other artwork.

Contact Print

A print made from contact of a sensitive surface to a negative or positive photograph.

Containerboard

Corrugated board used to make boxes and other containers for shipping materials.

Contaminant

Any material that reduces the quality of paper for recycling or makes it unrecyclable. Contaminants include metal, stickies, foil, glass, plastic, food, hazardous waste, and synthetic fabrics.

Continuous Cooking

A method in Kraft pulping in which raw material is continuously fed into a continuous digester at one end and the pulp and black liquor are removed from the other end of the digester.

Contraries are unwanted pieces of materials present in a sheet of paper.

Conversion Coating

Off-machine coating is sometimes referred to as conversion coating.

A company that converts paper from its original form to usable products such as adding machine rolls, coated papers, and envelopes etc.

The converting process changes the big rolls of papers into useable paper products. Through rewinding, cutting, creping, embossing, printing, coating and other process, the sheet is transformed into napkins, facial tissue, packaging, etc.

Converting Paper

Paper converted from its original state into a new product such as adding machine rolls, coated papers, envelopes, notebooks etc.

A process of treating raw material with chemicals under pressure and heat to produce pulp from which the paper is made.

Cooking Liquor

A chemical solution used to cook wood chips during the pulping process.

Copier/Laser Paper

A grade of low grammage, good quality, and dimensionally stable paper used in photocopying.

Copying Paper

Copying paper is an uncoated woodfree or a mechanical grade white or colored paper usually available in A4 and A3 size.

Volume measurement of pulpwood indicating a pile measuring 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8 ft., equaling 128 ft.

The tube, usually of paperboard, on which the paper is wound.

A record of specifications included by the manufacturer in each shipment of paper.

Core Damage (Core burn out)

Mechanical damage to the ends of a core, which has resulted from the core chucks tearing into the core ends.

Core Damage (Crushed Core)

A compressed core that is no longer round.

Thick disc placed inside a core to prevent core from being crushed during handling.

Core Slippage

Displacement of the core from its intended position relative to the rolled paper.

Core waste is the paper left on a roll after most of the paper has been used.

Board manufactured from recovered papers to produce paper cores.

Wood located in the centre of the trunk and often darker in color than the surrounding wood

Corner Marks

Marks on a final printed sheet that indicates the trim lines or register.

Corner Stub

Used primarily on continuous forms to assist in manual carbon extraction when the form has been burst.

Correspondence Envelope

A flat case, rectangular in shape and made from one sheet of paper. The sheet is folded to provide a plain front and back consisting of four overlapping flaps.

Correspondence Papers

Refers to writing papers with attractive finish.

Corrugated Board

Corrugated board is manufactured by gluing two flat layers of paper (liner) with a rippled layer of corrugating medium (fluting) in the middle.

Corrugated Board – Double Wall

The structure formed by three flat facings and two intermediate corrugated medium.

Corrugated Board – Single Face

The structure formed by one corrugated member glued to one flat facing.

Corrugated Board – Single Wall

The structure formed by one corrugated inner member glued between two flat facings. It's also known as Double Face.

Corrugated Cardboard

Layers of paper glued together with a ruffled or grooved inner liner. This is the material, which makes corrugated cardboard boxes.

Corrugated Fiberboard

Consists of one or more sheets of fluted paper stuck to a flat sheet(s) of paper.

Corrugating Medium

Paperboard made from chemical and semi-chemical pulp, or waste paper, that is converted to a corrugated board by passing it through corrugating cylinders.

Corrugator (Corrugating Machine)

A machine that is fed the webs of corrugating medium and linerboard and flutes the medium and pastes the liner to make corrugated products.

Cotton is the purest form of cellulose produced in nature and it requires the least amount of processing before it can be used. Cotton fibers are strong and flexible and suitable for producing fine papers.

Cotton Content Paper

Papers utilizing cotton fabrics and cotton linters as a raw material.

Cotton Linters

Short cotton fibers remaining on cotton seed after the ginning process. Cotton linters are used as raw material to produce pulp for papers.

Couch Marks

Defects or shadows appearing in a regular pattern on paper. Couch marks are caused by the irregular removal of water on the wet-end of the paper machine.

A vacuum roll under the forming fabric. Holes in the couch roll suck out water from the stock and a felt usually picks the wet sheet off the fabric .

A person who transfers the newly-formed sheets of paper from hand moulds to felt blankets.

Cover Paper

A term applied to a grade of paper used for covers of brochures and catalogues etc.

A fissure in the paper caused by break in the coating surface during the converting processes such as printing.

The noise produced from a sheet of paper when it is shaken.

Crash Finish

Paper embossed at the mill to resemble coarse linen.

Crash Perforation

Perforation cut through plies of a collated set of business forms. It's normally done on a collator.

Crayon Paper

Paper used for crayons or watercolor. Crayon paper is a heavy board with a glazed surface on one side and rough finish on the other.

An impression or crease in corrugated or solid fiberboard is used to locate and facilitate folding.

Crepe Paper

A high elasticity paper produced by crowding the web sheet over a roll with a doctor blade.

Creasing the bindery edges of ledger sheets to help them open more freely.

Rubbing off the dye from the surface of a paper.

Trimming original photographs to smaller size.

A T-shaped wooden tool used to remove paper from ropes in a drying loft.

Cross Direction (CD)

Direction at right angle to the flow on a paper machine. It's also known as the direction across the grain. Paper is weaker and more sensitive to changes in relative humidity in the cross direction than the grain or machine direction.

Cross Grain Fold

A fold at a right angle to the direction of the grain (or the machine direction) in the paper.

Cross Perforations

In continuous forms, perforations cutting at right angles to the web direction.

Crushed Roll

Defective roll as a result of stacking rolls on end in an excessively high pile, which causes the lower ends of the lower rolls to fail in the axial direction.

Crystallography

This is a science of analyzing crystalline structure of materials. In the paper industry, it usually refers to the study of cellulose. A high crystalline structure means less swelling of the fibers.

Chemi-Thermo Mechanical Pulping is a pressurized refining process, which is preceded by the addition of sulphite. Bleached CTMP pulp is known as BCTMP.

Plastic-coated board for paper cup production, suitable for cold or hot beverages.

Deformation of a sheet of paper into the form of a cylinder. It is usually caused by nonuniform distribution of strains and stresses throughout the paper sheet as a result of uneven internal moisture and conditioning.

Rupture of sheet in a defined region, not extending to tear the sheet into two pieces.

A term used in web press printing to describe the point at which a sheet of paper is cut from the roll.

Fine paper cut to specific end-use dimensions on a guillotine or rotary type paper trimmer. Usually it refers to business or writing papers that have been cut to dimensions of 8-1/2 x 11 and 8-1/2 x 14 or 11 x 17 inches.

A machine (a cross cutter or square cutter) that cuts rolls of paper into sheets for further trimming to finished basic size.

Cutter Broke

Waste and trimmed paper edges from the cutting operation. This broke is reused as pulp for manufacturing paper.

Cutter Dust

Cutter dust to small particles of fiber and paper dust that result from the cutting operation. The dust adheres to the edges of paper and can work itself into the pile of paper and onto the paper surface to cause trouble during its printing.

Cut-to-register

A term used for watermark papers to indicate that the paper has been cut to allow the watermark to appear in a predetermined position on the finished sheet.

One of the subtractive primary colors, the hue of which is used for cyan process ink, one of the four-color process inks. Cyan reflects blue and green light and absorbs red light.

A term usually applied to different types of rolls or drums on a paper machine such as dryers.

Cylinder Board

Paperboard made on a cylinder machine.

Cylinder Dried

Describes the paper, which is dried by passing it against the heated iron rolls.

Cylinder Gap

The gap in the cylinders of a press where the grippers or blanket clamps is housed. In printing, space between the ends of a plate wrapped around the press cylinders.

Cylinder Machine

The type of paper machine that makes paper by partially immersing rotating cylinders in vats of pulp stock. Paper is formed as the cylinder turns and water drains from it.

Cylindrical Casting

Stereotyped cast into a curved mat to produce a casting suitable for use on a rotary press.

Colors used in printing to reproduce color photos. The colors are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (or Key Color).

A dampening system for printing presses, which utilizes more alcohol (25%), and less water and reduces the amount of paper that is spoiled.

Damask Paper

Writing paper with a finish resembling linen.

Damp Streaks

Streaks caused by uneven pressing or drying.

In lithography, cloth-covered parchment paper or rubber rollers that distribute the dampening to the press plate.

An essential part of the printing process in which a cloth covered rubber rollers distributes the dampening solution to the plate.

Damping Roller

The roller on a printing machine, which applies the moisture directly to the printing plate.

Dancer Rolls

A weighted roller that rides on the web between the roll of paper and the meeting unit to take up slack and keep the web at uniform tension. It is also know as rider roller.

Dandy roll is a cylinder covered with a woven wire cloth and mounted on a paper machine. It is used to improve formation and to apply watermarks.

A plant known as the 'Nepal paper plant' used as a source of fiber for papermaking.

A process in which most or all of the bark is removed from the logs before feeding the logs into the chipper, or into the grinder.

Debarking Drum

Large rotating cylinder in which pulpwood logs are tumbled against one another to remove the bark.

A process in which an image is recessed into the paper.

Decalcomania Paper

A transfer paper designed to permit transfer of printed surface to objects such as china, glass, etc. Also known as a decal.

Tree species that annually sheds its leaves during the Fall season. Hardwoods such as maple, chestnut, birch, and poplar are the examples of deciduous trees.

1) A wooden frame that defines the edges of the sheet in handmade papermaking. 2) A strap or board on the wet-end of a paper machine that determines the width of the paper web.

Deckle Edge

The rough or feathered edge of paper. Fuzzy edges of handmade papers are simulated in mould-made and machine-made papers by a jet of water. Handmade papers have four deckle edges, while mould-made and machine-made papers have two.

Deckle Fill

Also known as machine fill. The maximum width of paper machine taken up for making paper. For economic reasons, it should approach as far as possible -- to the maximum trimmed width of the machine.

Deckle Frame

A wooden frame that rests on the top of a mold during the papermaking process. It acts as a barrier to keep the pulp with in the mold.

Deckle Slip

Strip of wood fixed to the underside of the deckle to stop the pulp from creeping.

Deckle Stain

Paper that is colored or tinted along the deckle edge.

Irregularities in finished paper that reduce the appearance or cause weaknesses in the sheet.

Defibration

Separation of wood fibers by mechanical or chemical means.

A defoamer is a chemical added to a liquid to reduce or eliminate the foaming tendency of the liquid.

Defoliation

Premature loss of leaves due to airborne pollution or other factors interfering with vital processes in trees.

Deinkability

The suitability of recovered paper for deinking process.

De-Inked Paper Stock

Recycled paper from which the ink has been removed by chemical and mechanical means to produce clean fibers.

De-Inked Pulp

A waste paper pulp prepared by a combination of mechanical disintegration and chemical treatment to remove ink from recycled paper.

A process in which most of the ink, filler, and contaminants are removed from recovered paper.

Deinking Loss

Loss of useful material from the pulp during the deinking process. The loss could range between 10-40%.

Delamination

Parting of layers of a sheet of paper through the plane of the sheet.

Delignification

Removal of lignin from wood fibers (cellulose and hemi-cellulose). Lignin binds wood fibers together. Delignification primarily takes place during the pulping process.

A term for a standard sized printing paper measuring 17.5 x 22.5 in.

Equipment used to analyze the porosity of paper.

Densitometer

A photoelectric instrument used to measure the density of colored ink or print density.

Density or specific gravity of paper is it weight per unit volume, obtained by dividing the basis weight by caliper. Paper density (in g/cm2) expresses how compact the paper is.

Mass of airborne pollutants deposited on a unit area of land or water in a given time (in grams per square meter per year).

Deresination

A method of reducing the resin (pitch) content of wood prior to cooking either by storage or using bleaching chemicals.

A term that describes that portion of lower case letters which extends below the main body of the letter, as in "p".

Desensitize

Coating surface of a carbonless paper with desensitizing ink to inhibit image transfer.

Machine for removing dust and dirt from rags or esparto grass (also known as a willow).

A light-sensitive coal tar product used as a coating on presensitized plates as well as overlay proofs.

An engraved stamp used for impressing an image or design.

Die Cuttability

Suitability of paper or paperboard for die cutting into blanks of a given shape.

Die Cutting

A method of using sharp steel ruled stamps or rollers to cut various shapes i.e. labels, boxes, image shapes. Male and female dies are used to cut paper or board in desired shapes.

Die Stamping

An intaglio process for printing from images engraved into copper or steel plates.

Die Wiping Paper

A type of paper used to clean surface of printing plates in the intaglio process.

A cut made with a special punching blade instead of with a conventional rotary knife.

Die-Cut Paper

Paper cut with a special punching blade rather than a conventional rotary blade.

Dielectric Papers

A type of paper, which is free of any metallic elements that might conduct electricity.

Dielectric Strength

The degree to which paper resists penetration of an electric charge.

A common size in publication (about 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" in size).

A cylindrical pressure vessel used to treat wood chips with chemicals under elevated pressure and temperature to produce pulp for papermaking. Digesters can be stationary or revolving, horizontal or upright, cylindrical or spherical.

Digester House

A section in a pulp mill, which houses digesters.

Digital Printing

A printing process that allows printing directly from electronic images without the need for film or color separations.

Digital Printing Machine

/ Tools & Calculators / Glossary of Paper Terms

Glossary of Paper Terms

All paper-related terms explained.

A standard sheet size used to establish basis weight for a given grade of paper. The standard size varies, depending upon the grade or type of paper and is related to the traditional end usage.

The weight in pounds per ream of paper cut to its basic size. A standard ream is defined as 500 sheets.

Durable, strong writing paper originally used for bonds, now used for letterhead and other stationary.

Brightness is the percentage of light at a certain wavelength (457 nanometers) that is reflected from the surface of the paper and is related to how light or dark the sheet appears. High brightness papers give greater contrast with black inks and a more vivid appearance of ink colors. Low brightness papers are traditionally used in book printing or limited use read and dispose.

Heavyweight or thick paper (usually 6pt or higher) commonly used for filing or mailing.

A measure of the strength of paper to withold pressure.

The thickness of a sheet of paper, expressed as thousands of an inch, or points. 

Collectively, a set of two or more papers that are engineered to transfer images through applied pressure from the top sheet to one or more sheets below, without the use of a carbon sheet.

Paper that is meant to be used as a base material to be altered through a conversion process to create another paper product.  Examples include envelopes, paper bags, tablets and forms.

Also referred to as card stock; a heavyweight paper designed to be used as booklet, magazine covers or brochures.

The tendancy for a sheet of paper to bend, either by design (as in the case of office papers) or undesirably (due to improper balance of moisture within the sheet).

The printing technique whereby documents or images are transmitted using a electronic file transferred from a computer to or other digital storage device to the printer, either a digital press or an inkjet device. Digital printing is best suited for smaller runs.

Paper made specifically for the purpose of converting into envelopes. 

The means by which a particular basis weight can be compared to another paper with a differing basic size. It is the basis weight expressed in terms of a different basic size. 

The characteristics of the surface of a paper meant to convey smoothness or texture. Examples include Smooth, Super Smooth, Vellum, Wove and Antique.

The number of double folds a paper will withstand without rupture, under constant tension.

Formation is judged by transmitting light through the sheet and looking at its structure and degree of uniformity. Paper with good formation prints with less mottling and has more uniform opacity.

Paper that contains less than 10% groundwood or mechanical pulp.

Refers to the alignment of fibers in the direction of their flow on the paper machine. Folding and scoring work best when done in the paper’s grain direction. Grain also affects tear strength, stiffness and dimensional stability.

A sheet of paper in which the fibers are aligned parallel to the long edge. A longer dimension noted last indicates grain long — 11″ x 17″.

A sheet of paper in which the fibers are aligned parallel to the short edge. A shorter dimension noted last indicates grain short — 17″ x 11″.

A heavyweight card stock typically used for folders and cards.

Refers to the printing technology where a digital image is reproduced through the spraying of microscopic liquid ink (or dye) droplets onto the surface of the paper.

A strong paper made from sulfate pulp and typically used to make envelopes and bags.

Paper suitable for checks or other business documents that can be printed with magnetic ink. Documents can then be read by data processing equipment through magnetic ink character recognition.

This is the amount of moisture contained by paper, expressed as a percentage of its total weight. Uniform moisture is a necessity in all grades of paper. 

The process by which multiple impressions of an original image are produced by transferring inks from a plate to rubber blankets or rollers, then to the surface of the print media. Offset printing is best suited to larger runs.

The ability of paper to obstruct light transmission and the show-through of printing. It is particularly important in two-sided printing. It also affects readability and overall appearance. Opacity is improved by scattering, absorbing or reflecting light. Fillers such as titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate scatter light, while blue and violet dyes absorb it. 

Paper characterized by a high level of opacity and a minimum amount of show-through.

Refers to the resistance paper has to air permeation. A higher number means less porosity.

The extent to which the a particular sheet performs with regard to ink receptivity, uniformity, smoothness, compressibility and opacity.

Fiber derived from previously manufactured and consumed paper, having been discarded after its original use life.

The amount of moisture in the air expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount of moisture the air could hold at a given temperature. Ideal printing conditions call for a RH at 45%.

The extent to which paper can run in printing, converting and other processing equipment, without jamming, breaking or otherwise causing mechanical failure.

Internal sizing in the paper affects absorbency, strength and permanence. External sizing improves resistance to water, ink and other fluids, seals down surface fibers and improves surface strength. Typical sizing agents are rosin, glue, gelatin starch resins, waxes, etc.

The evenness or lack of contour in the surface of an uncoated sheet.

The extent to which paper resists bending.

A quality measured by tests for burst, tear, tensile and folding strength, in which each measures the ability of the paper to withstand forces in different directions.

A heavy, durable card stock commonly used for tags, cards, menus and folders.

The Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry, a well-regarded professional organization who has established recognized technical standards and testing procedures pertaining to the manufacture and use of pulp and paper.

A measure of the amount of force  required to tear paper.

The maximum force required to break a strip of paper.

The widest sheet of finished paper that can be made on a paper machine or the unneeded waste cut from a roll of paper during converting. Waste is minimized by utilizing the fullest width of the sheet possible (trimming), into finished goods.

A paper finish characterized by a slightly rough or toothy surface. Vellum finish should not be confused with vellum paper, which is a transluscent paper used primarily for drafting.

Fiber derived from a wood source used for the first time in paper making, not recycled.

The extent to which the surface of the paper reflects light of all wavelengths throughout the visible spectrum.

A smooth, even paper finish that displays no texture.

Breaking makes its Olympic debut in Paris, and with any new Olympic sport comes new vocabulary for sports fans to learn. If you're not familiar with breaking terminology, not to worry.

Here's a glossary of terms you might hear during the breaking competition.

Why is it called breaking?

When you heard breaking was joining the Olympic sport roster, you might have wondered why it's not called breakdancing. 

The simple answer is that breakdancing is not the real title of the sport. Breaking originated in the Bronx in the 1970s. DJ Kool Herc realized that people tend to dance with more energy during the instrumental section songs, also known as the "break." He then created the style of producing a song composed entirely of the dancing beat, or the "breakbeat." Herc began hosting parties, and then later competitions, where people would come and dance to his breakbeats without having heard them beforehand. They called the dancing to these beats, "breaking," and the sport was born. 

When breaking started to permeate throughout more mainstream media, such as television and movies, people began referring to it as breakdancing, though that was never the term used by the true breaking community.

What are B-Boys and B-Girls?

The terms "B-Boys" and "B-Girls" are titles for the breaking athletes themselves. When DJ Herc began hosting breaking parties and competitions, he called the participants "Break-Boys" and "Break-Girls." Ever since, breaking athletes have often used the title in front of their breaking name. For example, Canadian breaking athlete, Philip Kim , is known as "B-Boy Phil Wizard."

While many breaking athletes use the prefix, not all prefer it, with some competitors electing to just be referred to by their breaking name.

Breaking Styles

Power head : Someone who loves to practice and perform mostly power moves in their breaking, which are acrobatic moves that require momentum, speed, endurance, strength, flexibility, and control. The breaker is generally supported by their upper body, while the rest of their body creates circular momentum.

Footwork cat : Someone who loves to practice and perform footwork in their breaking.

Breaking Moves

Popping : A continuous flexing of the muscles to the beat. Some moves include arm and body waves that look like an electric current has passed through the body.

Locking : Freezing from a fast movement and "locking" into a certain position, holding it, and then continuing at the same speed as before. 

Headspin : In a headstand position, the breaker spins by pushing with their hands.

Heelspin : Breaker puts their weight on one heel and initiates a spin by swinging their leg.

Windmill : Breaker rotates continuously on one shoulder with their feet in the air and legs apart.

Backspin : Breaker balances weight on their upper back and goes into a spin by pushing with their hands or swinging the legs across the body.

Breaking Competition Terms

Throw down : When the B-Girl or B-Boy hits the floor and starts breaking, they are doing a throw down. 

Set : A set is a breaker's prepared round or combination of moves. 

Repeating : When a breaker reuses a move that they've already done during the competition, they are considered to have been "repeating." Twenty percent of a breaker's score is originality, and repeating can negatively impact that score.

Bite/biter/biting : When a breaker is accused of "biting" or being a "biter," it means that they have either stolen or copied moves/style from another breaker. Similar to "repeating," this can also affect a breaker's originality score. 

Crashing : If a breaker "crashes," it means they failed an attempted move and fell during or at the end of their attempt. This may be the most common cause of a breaker losing a battle. The best breakers, however, know how to turn a crash into a move and can control the crash enough to continue their flow into something else.

Crew : A group of breakers who train and compete together. Historically, rival crews have often competed against each other under various sets of rules.

Note: Some components of NBCOlympics.com may not be optimized for users browsing with Internet Explorer 11, 10 or older browsers or systems.

How to cite ChatGPT

Use discount code STYLEBLOG15 for 15% off APA Style print products with free shipping in the United States.

We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test , and we know our roles in a Turing test . And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT . We’ve also been gathering opinions and feedback about the use and citation of ChatGPT. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared ideas, opinions, research, and feedback.

In this post, I discuss situations where students and researchers use ChatGPT to create text and to facilitate their research, not to write the full text of their paper or manuscript. We know instructors have differing opinions about how or even whether students should use ChatGPT, and we’ll be continuing to collect feedback about instructor and student questions. As always, defer to instructor guidelines when writing student papers. For more about guidelines and policies about student and author use of ChatGPT, see the last section of this post.

Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper

If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper. For literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response.

Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications , with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper.

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software

The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:

• Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
• Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):

Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

Other questions about citing ChatGPT

You may have noticed the confidence with which ChatGPT described the ideas of brain lateralization and how the brain operates, without citing any sources. I asked for a list of sources to support those claims and ChatGPT provided five references—four of which I was able to find online. The fifth does not seem to be a real article; the digital object identifier given for that reference belongs to a different article, and I was not able to find any article with the authors, date, title, and source details that ChatGPT provided. Authors using ChatGPT or similar AI tools for research should consider making this scrutiny of the primary sources a standard process. If the sources are real, accurate, and relevant, it may be better to read those original sources to learn from that research and paraphrase or quote from those articles, as applicable, than to use the model’s interpretation of them.

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Refining the diagnostic utility of OLFM4 in gastric cancer precursors: a call for rigorous methodologies

• Tai Zhang 1 , 2 &
• Xudong Tang 1 , 3  

Molecular Cancer volume  23 , Article number:  161 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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This commentary offers a thoughtful discussion of the study by Wei et al. published in the journal on the role of Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) in incomplete intestinal metaplasia, a gastric precancerous condition. The original paper introduces OLFM4 as a novel biomarker with potential enhanced diagnostic efficacy compared to established markers. However, several methodological and interpretive considerations are noted. The histopathological findings could be refined by using higher magnification to better elucidate the cellular localization of OLFM4. Including high-resolution images for key stainings would enhance the study’s robustness in expression profiling. The statistical approach could be strengthened by employing more rigorous, quantitative methodologies. Additionally, integrating immunofluorescence double-staining may improve the reliability of the results. Discrepancies in immunohistochemical signals across datasets suggest a need for further investigation into tissue section representativeness. Clarifying the term “precancerous lesions of gastric carcinoma cells” to align with widely accepted definitions would enhance clarity. The choice of the GES-1 cell model treated with MNNG could be reconsidered in favor of more established models such as organoids, air-liquid interface models, and gastric cancer-specific cell lines. The in vivo MNNG-alcohol combination model might require additional empirical support, given the limited and conflicting literature on this approach, to ensure an accurate portrayal of IM pathogenesis. The commentary concludes with a call for stringent and standardized methodologies in biomarker research to ensure the clinical applicability and reliability of biomarker studies, particularly in the context of gastric cancer detection and intervention.

We read the paper by Wei et al. [ 1 ]. with great interest. The study published in Molecular Cancer comprehensively analyzes Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) and its role in the progression of incomplete intestinal metaplasia (IIM), a pre-cancerous condition. Utilizing clinical samples, cellular and animal models, and patient-derived organoids, the authors demonstrate a significant overexpression of OLFM4 in IIM compared to complete intestinal metaplasia (CIM) and normal tissue.

The study elucidates that OLFM4, in conjunction with myosin heavy chain 9, promotes the ubiquitination of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta, thereby activating the β-catenin signaling pathway. This molecular interaction significantly enhances the proliferation and invasiveness of precancerous gastric cells. Notably, OLFM4 is identified as a potentially superior diagnostic biomarker for IIM, outstripping traditional markers such as caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) and mucin 2 (MUC2) in diagnostic accuracy.

Wei et al. [ 1 ]. emphasize OLFM4’s potential as a crucial marker for the early detection and targeted surveillance of high-risk gastric lesions, presenting significant implications for the early diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer.

We commend Wei et al.‘s comprehensive analysis of OLFM4 in IIM, underscoring its potential as a pivotal biomarker for early gastric cancer detection. However, the broader context of biomarker discovery in gastric precursors necessitates rigorous methodologies and standardized approaches to validate findings across diverse patient populations and experimental models. The variability in cellular and molecular profiles within IIM highlights the complexity of gastric carcinogenesis, urging for meticulous characterization of OLFM4’s diagnostic utility across different stages of gastric carcinogenesis. Future studies should emphasize robust histopathological analyses integrated with validated experimental models to elucidate OLFM4’s role in the transition from metaplasia to dysplasia and carcinoma.

Intestinal metaplasia (IM) arises in the context of atrophic gastritis and serves as a critical intermediate step in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer, representing a pivotal stage in its progression. IM is not a homogeneous entity and can be categorized into two subtypes: complete and incomplete IM [ 2 ]. CIM mimics the structure of small intestinal glands, characterized by the absence of gastric mucins, the presence of eosinophilic enterocytes with brush borders, well-defined goblet cells, and occasional Paneth cells. In contrast, IIM is more disorganized, with immature goblet cells and intermediate columnar cells at various stages of differentiation, often containing intracytoplasmic mucin. IIM features mixed, immature intestine-like cells in the superficial glandular unit, with basal cells showing characteristics of spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM) cell differentiation [ 2 ].

The IIM gland is a hybrid of both gastric and immature intestinal goblet cell lineages, indicating high proliferative capacity and susceptibility to dysplastic changes and neoplastic transformation [ 2 ]. Despite the recognition of IM, and specifically IIM, as a precursor to gastric cancer, the precise cell lineage within the IIM gland that acts as the potential cell of origin for gastric cancer remains elusive.

Recent research by Kumagai et al. [ 3 ]. has shed light on this area by exploring the origins of gastric tumors, specifically intramucosal gastric carcinoma (IGC) and oxyntic gland adenoma (OGA), in a 71-year-old woman without Helicobacter pylori infection. The study demonstrates that both IGC and OGA originated from SPEM with a Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) (G12D) mutation. Additionally, mutations in tumor protein p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2 A were identified in IGC, and a guanine nucleotide-binding protein alpha stimulating mutation was found in OGA. These findings suggest that KRAS-mutated SPEM cell lineages can give rise to distinct gastric tumors.

Huang and colleagues, using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), found high expression of OLFM4 in intestinal stem cells within the IM region [ 4 ]. These cells, characterized by unique metabolic and genetic profiles, show increased activity in oxidative phosphorylation, myelocytomatosis ( MYC ) pathways, and ribosomal gene expression. The potential of OLFM4 -expressing stem cells as a reservoir for intestinal-type gastric cancer is supported by their co-expression with markers like leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 and aquaporin 5 ( AQP5 ), identified in antral gastric cancer stem cells.

Integrating IM scRNA-seq data with early-stage gastric cancer data indicates a close relationship between early gastric cancer cells and OLFM4 -expressing intestinal stem cells. Spatial transcriptomics supports this, showing that regions with high OLFM4 expression display malignant gastric cancer-like signatures [ 4 ]. This implies that OLFM4 -expressing stem cells in IM may play a role in the clonal expansion and malignant transformation observed in gastric cancer progression.

An additional scRNA-seq study of IM has identified specific cell types, including goblet cells (expressing MUC2 ) and enterocytes (expressing fatty acid-binding protein 1 and apolipoprotein A-I ) [ 5 ]. When compared with early gastric cancer cells, a transcriptional resemblance is observed between cancer cells and both enterocytes and a metaplastic Wnt-driven stem cell subtype, notable for its expression of OLFM4 , ephrin type-B receptor 2 , and SRY-box transcription factor 9 . The study noted a significant increase in antral OLFM4 -expressing gland mucous cells as the gastric mucosa undergoes intestinalization, suggesting a phenotypic transition towards an intestinal stem cell-like phenotype [ 5 ]. Collectively, while the initial expression of OLFM4 in the gastric mucosa seems to be an early indicator of gastric carcinogenesis, and is associated with a reduction in gastric antral gland mucous cells and the emergence of antral IM lesions, the precise role of elevated OLFM4 expression in the transition from IM to dysplasia or cancer remains to be fully elucidated.

Recent research employing both scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics has corroborated the significant upregulation of OLFM4 in specific gastric cell clusters undergoing metaplasia. OLFM4 has been identified as a marker for “linking cells”, indicative of a transitional phase between gastric and intestinal cell types [ 6 ]. This finding underscores OLFM4 ’s role in the cellular differentiation processes underlying IM progression. OLFM4 may play a pivotal role in the early stages of IM development, potentially bridging the transition from gastric to intestinal phenotypes and contributing to the maintenance of stemness and the formation of metaplastic tissue.

However, the expression of OLFM4 extends to intestinal-related lineages within IM, including differentiated enterocytes and goblet cells [ 6 ]. This necessitates further investigation into the role of elevated OLFM4 expression in these intestinalized cell lineages and its potential contribution to the progression from IM to dysplasia or carcinoma.

Most research has focused on the RNA-level expression patterns of OLFM4 in antral IM using scRNA-seq. There is a lack of published data documenting OLFM4 protein overexpression in intestinal stem cells or intestinalized cell lineages within IM glands. The expression profile of OLFM4 in corporal IM remains understudied, presenting an opportunity for future research to delineate its role across various gastric regions. Understanding OLFM4’s distribution and influence in different gastric areas could provide critical insights into disease progression and region-specific therapeutic strategies.

Wei et al.’s study commendably expands on OLFM4 research by examining its protein expression in IIM [ 1 ]. The study identified OLFM4 as a novel IIM biomarker through histopathological examinations, including hematoxylin and eosin (HE), Alcian Blue-Periodic Acid-Schiff (AB-PAS) staining, and immunohistochemical assessments of CDX2, MUC2, and OLFM4.

However, the histopathological findings in the study could be improved by including higher magnification images to better elucidate the cellular localization of OLFM4. Additionally, high-resolution images for both HE and AB-PAS stainings are necessary for the precise identification of goblet cells, a hallmark of IM. The provided images currently offer a limited depiction of columnar cells with a blend of neutral and acid mucins, which may be insufficient for accurate diagnosis and comprehensive characterization of IM.

In the study, Fig. 2c of the training set shows a pronounced immunohistochemical signal for OLFM4 in IM tissue, while signals for established IM markers CDX2 and MUC2 appear weaker. Conversely, in the validation set (Figure S2a), signals for CDX2 and MUC2 are more robust, while the OLFM4 signal is subdued. This discrepancy suggests variability in tissue section representativeness, which could impact the reliability of the comparative expression analysis.

The authors differentiate between CIM and IIM in Fig. 2e and S2b by examining OLFM4 expression patterns. However, Fig. 2e shows strong OLFM4 signals in regions with magenta staining, which are indicative of neutral mucins more characteristic of normal gastric epithelium than IM, potentially suggesting misclassification. In Figure S2b, IIM sections with high CDX2 and MUC2 expression show diminished OLFM4 signals, raising further questions about the reliability of OLFM4 as an IIM marker.

The study evaluates CDX2, MUC2, and OLFM4 immunohistochemical scores based on the proportion of stained areas, which is a subjective method. Methodologically rigorous studies often advocate for a more quantitative approach, assessing the extent of positive staining within IM glands and reporting the percentage of positive IM glands [ 7 ].

Implementing immunofluorescence double-staining for OLFM4 with either CDX2 or MUC2, along with high-resolution imaging, could facilitate a more precise evaluation of co-expression patterns and enhance the reliability of staining outcomes.

Additionally, double-staining OLFM4 with defensin alpha 5 (DEFA5), a Paneth cell marker, or CD10, a marker for columnar enterocytes, within CIM glands is recommended [ 7 ]. In IIM tissues from the corpus, IIM glands show SPEM cells at the bases (AQP5-positive) and trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2)-positive cells in the upper regions, while CIM glands predominantly feature DEFA5-positive Paneth cells at their bases [ 2 ]. Since AQP5 marks SPEM cells in IIM and TROP2 indicates dysplasia, using immunofluorescence double-staining of OLFM4 with these markers is recommended [ 2 , 8 ]. This approach would facilitate the precise localization of OLFM4 within specific cellular lineages and improve understanding of its role within the glands. These refined methodologies could provide a more objective and accurate assessment of OLFM4’s diagnostic efficacy.

Wei et al.’s study [ 1 ] does not include higher magnification images and does not specify whether IM tissues were from the corpus, antrum, or both. This distinction is important because IIM in the corpus contains SPEM cells with greater hybrid characteristics and lineage confusion compared to the antrum [ 2 ]. This detail significantly affects the interpretation of OLFM4’s role in IM progression. The absence of this information leaves unresolved questions about whether intestinalized cell lineages within IIM glands or SPEM cell lineages serve as de novo sources of dysplastic or gastric cancer cells under the influence of overexpressed OLFM4. Addressing these concerns is crucial for a precise and comprehensive investigation of OLFM4’s diagnostic and pathological significance in IM.

Given the low annual carcinogenic rate of IM (0.09–1.7%), identifying high-risk IM that progresses to cancer is of paramount importance for understanding gastric cancer development. Characterizing these lesions could uncover pathways for preventing gastric cancer. As IM glands expand and acquire copy number aberrations, leading to field cancerization, they may be predisposed to malignant transformation via subsequent genetic alterations. Assessing OLFM4 expression and its immunohistochemical scores in IM areas adjacent to dysplasia or early gastric cancer is crucial for understanding OLFM4’s role in the transition from IM to cancer.

The authors introduce the term “precancerous lesions of gastric carcinoma (PLGC) cells” based on single-cell RNA sequencing data, which serves as the basis for subsequent in vitro and in vivo experiments. However, the term “PLGC cells” is not widely recognized in international pathology. The study reports that these “PLGC cells” display lower differentiation and elevated OLFM4 expression. While histopathological analyses suggest OLFM4 as a biomarker for IIM, the use of the undefined term “PLGC cells” raises questions about its relationship with IM, particularly IIM.

The introduction of “PLGC cells” introduces ambiguity due to a lack of validation and international consensus. A comprehensive explanation and justification for this term, along with its relationship to recognized pathological stages and biomarkers, would be beneficial for broader acceptance and practical utility of the study’s conclusions.”

The study’s in vitro model using GES-1 cells exposed to N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) raises concerns due to its unconventional nature and limited scientific consensus. Historically, MNNG was used to induce gastric tumors in animal models before the discovery of Helicobacter pylori . In rats, MNNG exposure typically results in erosive lesions, disrupted glandular structures, and mucosal proliferation [ 9 ]. Lifelong administration generally leads to adenomatous tumors in the glandular stomach epithelium [ 9 ], contrasting with the mucosal atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and eventual intestinal-type adenocarcinomas described in the Correa pathway, which is the broader context of this study. CDX2 expression was not observed in GES-1 cells stimulated with MNNG, as determined by immunofluorescence [ 10 ].

This experimental approach with GES-1 cells is primarily utilized by a select group of researchers in China, particularly in fields such as herbal medicine and complementary and alternative medicine. A search in the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) by Clarivate Analytics revealed only 27 publications referencing both “GES-1 cells” and “MNNG,” all originating from China. Introduced in 2014, this methodology has produced sporadic and low publication volumes, averaging fewer than five per year. The primary research domains adopting this cell model include pharmacology and pharmacy (14 publications), integrative complementary medicine (11), plant sciences (10), biochemistry and molecular biology (5), research and experimental medicine (4), chemistry (3), food science and technology (3), toxicology (3), cell biology (2), and oncology (2).

In contrast, the emergence of more sophisticated and representative cell models, such as organoids and air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures, offers enhanced fidelity in replicating IM processes. For instance, Koide et al. [ 11 ]. demonstrated the efficacy of human gastric organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells in modeling IM by inducing specific gene expressions like CDX2. Similarly, Min J et al. [ 12 ]. developed Meta3 organoids from Mist1-CreERT2 Tg/+ ; LSL-K-ras(G12D) Tg/+ (Mist1-Kras) transgenic mice, which exhibit high proliferative capacity and express caudal type homeobox 1, effectively mirroring IM features. Additionally, Liu et al. [ 13 ]. introduced an ALI model that enables sustained culture and detailed analysis of IM cells, identifying key biomarkers linked to cancer pathways and enhancing our understanding of IM in gastric cancer.

Molecular profiling studies have identified KATO III and AGS cells as ideal for studying IM due to their robust expression of IM markers [ 14 ]. AGS cells, exposed to Helicobacter pylori infection, upregulated IM markers such as CDX2 and MUC2, providing a robust in vitro IM model [ 15 ].

The in vivo methodology employed in this study to induce preneoplastic IM through the combination of MNNG and alcohol raises important questions regarding its validity and effectiveness, as highlighted by conflicting reports in the literature [ 1 ]. Comparing the methodologies for inducing gastric cancer with MNNG and alcohol reveals significant variations across different studies. Iishi et al. [ 16 ]. administered MNNG at 50 µg/ml in drinking water for 20 weeks, followed by intraperitoneal injections of 20% ethanol every other day until week 52. This sequential approach resulted in a significant increase in gastric cancer incidence, suggesting ethanol’s role in promoting carcinogenesis through increased cell proliferation in the antral mucosa. In contrast, Cerar et al. [ 17 ]. used a higher MNNG concentration of 100 µg/ml in drinking water combined with 11% ethanol or wine for six months. This simultaneous administration demonstrated a protective effect of ethanol, significantly reducing the incidence of glandular stomach and duodenal carcinomas.

Wei et al. [ 1 ]. administered MNNG at 170 µg/ml with 5% alcohol by gavage every two days for 24 weeks, combining a high MNNG concentration with intermittent fasting. Iishi et al.’s method involved sequential administration, where MNNG was given first, followed by ethanol through a different route (intraperitoneal). Conversely, Cerar’s study models dietary scenarios, highlighting ethanol’s protective potential against carcinogenesis. Wei et al.’s study aligns more closely with Cerar’s method by concurrently administering MNNG and ethanol orally (drinking solution or gavage). However, the combination of a high MNNG concentration and intermittent fasting introduces additional variables.

A search within the Science Citation Index Expanded of the WOSCC found no corroborating studies using the combination of high MNNG concentration, alcohol, and intermittent fasting. Even in the study by Iishi et al. [ 16 ], where at the conclusion of the 52-week experiment, 72% of rats developed gastric cancer (averaging 0.8 cancers per rat) and 100% exhibited atypical glandular hyperplasia (dysplasia), the timeline for specific preneoplastic conditions such as atrophy and IM was not explicitly detailed. Additionally, the lack of characterization of the temporal dynamics and specific pathologies induced by this combination, coupled with the faint expression levels of CDX2 and MUC2 observed in Figure S5d, raises concerns about the study’s methodology. These issues suggest that the 24-week endpoint for IM analysis might not be sufficient, potentially affecting the foundational assumptions of the study [ 1 ].

To enhance reliability, more robust rodent models should be considered, such as Mist1-Kras mouse, aged mice on the amphiregulin-null background, and gerbils infected with Helicobacter pylori , among others [ 8 ]. These models faithfully recapitulate IM induction and are better suited for investigating its mechanisms and progression.

We recommend that the scientific community adopt rigorous and standardized approaches when examining biomarkers like OLFM4 in IM and gastric carcinogenesis. Utilizing well-validated models and reproducible histopathological analyses is essential for obtaining reliable and clinically applicable results. Early detection and precise characterization of high-risk lesions are crucial for improving gastric cancer outcomes. Employing well-recognized models and techniques will enhance research validity and facilitate clinical translation.

Data availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

Abbreviations

Olfactomedin 4

Incomplete Intestinal Metaplasia

Complete Intestinal Metaplasia

Caudal type homeobox 2

Spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia

Intramucosal gastric carcinoma

Oxyntic gland adenoma

Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog

Single-Cell RNA sequencing

Myelocytomatosis

Aquaporin 5

Hematoxylin and eosin

Alcian Blue-Periodic Acid-Schiff

Defensin alpha 5

Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2

Precancerous lesions of gastric carcinoma

N-Methyl-N’-Nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine

Web of Science Core Collection

Air-liquid interface

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Institute of Digestive Diseases at Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, for their invaluable assistance and support in this study.

This work was supported by the Project for Enhancing the Research and Translational Capability of Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospitals (No: XYZX0204-03), the Innovation Team Project of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Scientific and Technological Innovation Program (No: CI2021B005), the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Inheritance and Innovation Team Project (No: ZYYCXTD-C-202010), and the Research Ward Project (No: BCRW202108).

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X.T. conceptualized the study, acquired funding, and supervised the project; T.Z. prepared the original draft. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

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Zhang, T., Tang, X. Refining the diagnostic utility of OLFM4 in gastric cancer precursors: a call for rigorous methodologies. Mol Cancer 23 , 161 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-024-02077-w

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