Transcript Definitions that Classify

Chapter 15
Technical Definitions
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
New terms must be introduced to
audiences in clear and effective
ways.
Many workplace writers develop the
language used to describe and define
products and services for intended
audiences.
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Technical Definitions
 Describe and define new products and services
 Introduce new information to reader in clear and
effective ways
 Allow experts and specialists to communicate
with a more generalized audience
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
The Subjectivity of
Definitions
 Definitions are often implied, and do not call
attention to themselves as such.
 This can cause difficulties, especially when the
implied definitions are subjectively determined.

“authentic,” “dynamic,” “attractive”
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Kinds of Definitions
 Definitions that describe
 Definitions that compare and contrast
 Definitions that classify
 Definitions that provide examples
 Definitions that illustrate with visuals
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that Describe
 Often work by describing what something looks
like, feels like, sounds like, or smells like
 Often appeal to the readers’ visual senses by
describing size, shape, and appearance
 Often describe what the thing does, how it is
used, and to what purpose
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that Describe
Example:
Aielron: A small, slender, hinged section on the
outer portion of a wing, used to control an
aircraft’s rolling and banking movements.
Ailerons usually work in opposition: as the left
aileron is deflected upward, the right is deflected
downward, and vice versa.
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that
Compare & Contrast
 Give similarities or differences between subjects
 Often compare or contrast something unfamiliar
with something the audience knows
 Provide a frame of reference by giving context
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that
Compare & Contrast
Example:
Flash Drive: A small, lightweight, portable
Universal Serial Bus (USB) device that allows
users to store, carry, and transfer programs and
files, much like the older 3.5-inch floppy disk.
The flash drive, however, differs from the older
floppy disks; it is much smaller (only 70 mm
long, 30 mm wide, and about 11 mm in height)
and more durable and contains no internal
moving parts.
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that Classify
 Categorize a term within a larger group in order
to provide a context or association
 Can be problematic because not everyone agrees
on the meaning of particular categories
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that Classify
Example:
Someone writing a field guide to birds and animals
in Texas could safely assume that many people
would not know what an ocelot is.
However, if the writer begins by defining an ocelot
as a kind of wildcat, much of the mystery of the
term disappears because most if not all readers
can identify a wildcat.
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that Provide
Examples
 Provide a clear-cut and familiar example of the
thing or concept being defined
 Should use examples familiar to the audience
 Frequently clarify abstract terms
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that Provide
Examples
Example:
Sports car might be defined as vehicles with sleek
body styles, superior acceleration, little cargo
space, and so forth.
While such a definition would be useful, any
definition of sports car would benefit by
providing specific examples: Chevrolet Corvette,
Dodge Viper, or Porsche 911, for example.
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions that
Illustrate with Visuals
 Give readers visual prompts to give clear and
quick understanding
 Benefit the reader by including a picture in
addition to a written definition
 Help explain concepts that one cannot actually
see with the naked eye
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
An Illustrated Definition
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions with the
Problem Solving Approach
 The PSA considers definitions
in terms of audience, purpose,
genre, and strategies used to
produce these definitions:




Planning
Researching
Drafting
Revising
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Planning for Audience
 Identify stakeholders
 Determine the amount and kind of technical
language or jargon to use
 Acknowledge differences in language
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Planning for Purpose
 Explanatory Definitions
 To explain a concept, thing, or idea to readers
 Operational Definitions
 To enable audiences to engage in an activity or
operation
 Deliberative Definitions
 To clarify the meanings of terms, ideas, and concepts
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Planning for
Placement and Length
 Internal placement places the definition of a
term or concept in the midst of the text.
 May be short, parenthetical, or extended
 External placement places the definition outside
the text, such as in a glossary.
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Short Definitions
 Are typically only a sentence or two to provide
meaning for the reader
 Are usually categorical, placing the term in a
category of similar terms
 May provide descriptions of use or other
distinguishing characteristics of the term
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Parenthetical Definitions
 Are separated from the rest of a text by placing
them in parentheses or using indented bullets
 Allow writers to define a term or concept quickly
and efficiently, often for an audience already
familiar with the term
 Are useful for clarifying jargon or explaining
foreign phrases
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Extended Definitions
 May use the different kinds of definitions
outlined earlier, like descriptions or visuals
 Exist in lengthier texts where audiences need
detailed information
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Researching Definitions
 Is often necessary to construct
definitions that deal with
unfamiliar ideas and concepts
 Produces more accurate and
effective definitions
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Drafting Definitions
 Includes putting together an
initial definition and placing it
in the context of the document
 Involves fitting the definition
into the scope of the document
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Revising Definitions
 Considers feedback from
coworkers and collaborators
 Considers feedback generated
through usability testing
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Ethics and
Technical Definitions
 Be aware of how definitions can potentially
mislead, confuse, or cause danger or harm.
 Ensure that readers have all the information
necessary to use the product safely.
 Rely on correct, unbiased information to help
audiences make decisions.
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Ethics and
Technical Definitions
 Full Disclosure
 Writers have not omitted any information that an
audience needs to comprehend the term
 Appropriate Style
 Select a style that should be clearly grasped by the
target audience
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Common Mistakes
 Circular Definitions
 Using the term in defining it
 Synonyms
 Using a similar term gives no useful information
 Not User-Oriented
 Failing to take the users’ or audiences’ knowledge,
background, and needs into account
Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.
© 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.