---
title: "Editing methodology"
type: ""
url: "https://istqb-glossary.page/editing-methodology/"
---

# Editing methodology


This page documents, step by step, how every term on this site is produced and
maintained. The goal is simple: definitions you can cite with confidence.

## 1. Sourcing from official exports

Every term definition originates from the **official ISTQB glossary export
files**, not from scraping the search interface. For each term we record:

- The definition **verbatim**, as published by ISTQB
- The **source glossary version** (e.g. v3.1), which is displayed in the
  editorial metadata footer of every term page
- The term's official identifier, so definitions can be traced back to the
  exact source entry

We never paraphrase an official definition in the definition itself. Where a
plain-language explanation helps, it is added as clearly separate commentary.

## 2. Translation and language grouping

Definitions exist in up to 17 languages. Each language variant is taken from
the same official export for the same glossary version, and grouped under one
term page so you can compare terminology across languages. Each language
variant is labelled in the editorial footer:

- **reviewed** — the language has been human-reviewed
- **official source** — the text comes verbatim from the official export
- **translated with AI** — reserved for machine-assisted translations; always
  disclosed when present

## 3. Enrichment

Around the verbatim definition, term pages can carry:

- Cross-references to related terms
- Syllabus references, showing in which ISTQB certification syllabi the term
  appears, with links to the official syllabus documents
- Curated external resources — books, articles, guides, and tools selected by
  the editor

Enrichment never alters the official definition text.

## 4. Review process

- Every page passes human review by the site editor, a software quality
  assurance professional, before publication
- Term pages carry an **editorial metadata footer** with editorial status,
  reviewer, review date, and source glossary version — so the review claim is
  verifiable, not just asserted
- Where content was created with the aid of AI (for example an extended
  explanation of a term), the page states it explicitly: *"created with the
  aid of AI with rigorous human supervision by software-testing experts"*
- Corrections submitted by readers are checked against the official glossary
  before being applied

## 5. Independence

This site is not affiliated with ISTQB. We do not deliver ISTQB training and
we do not speak for ISTQB. When the official glossary changes, we follow it —
that is the whole point of the site: the official terminology, presented so
people can actually use it.

Questions about a specific term? See the [About](/about/) page for how to
get in touch.