Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 Technical Definitions

Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, All Rights Reserved. An Illustrated Definition

Dobrin / Weisser / Keller: Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2010 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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