Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Chapter 14 Technical Definitions

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Definitions ‣ Describe and clarify information for readers ‣ Are important in workplace writing and problem solving ‣ Allow experts and specialists to communicate with various audiences

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 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 / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Definitions that Describe ‣ Are often those that work by describing what something looks like, feels like, sounds like, or smells like ‣ Appeal to the readers’ visual senses ‣ Often describe what the thing does or how it is used and to what purpose

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Definitions that Compare & Contrast ‣ Discuss the similarities or differences between subjects ‣ Often compare or contrast something unfamiliar with something the audience knows ‣ Provide a frame of reference by looking at things in context

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 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 or description of particular categories

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Definitions that Provide Examples ‣ Provide a clear-cut example of the thing or concept being defined ‣ Should use examples with which the audience is already familiar ‣ Frequently clarify abstract terms

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Definitions that Illustrate with Visuals ‣ Give readers visual prompts to facilitate their understanding ‣ Benefit the reader by including a picture in addition to a written definition ‣ Help explain concepts that one could not actually see with the naked eye

An Illustrated Definition Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved.

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Writing Definitions ‣ Relies on knowing how and when to use different definitions in your writing ‣ Considers them in terms of audience, purpose, genre, and strategies used to produce these definitions ‣ Can employ the Problem Solving Approach

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Explanatory Definitions ‣ Are those whose purpose is to explain a concept, thing, or idea to readers ‣ Give readers the meaning of the term so they can understand it, and in some cases, act accordingly in the future

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Operational Definitions ‣ Allow audiences to engage in some kind of activity or operation ‣ Are for audiences who need to know how to work on or operate something in a particular manner ‣ Appear in a variety of workplace documents such as manuals, handbooks, memos, and s

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Deliberative Definitions ‣ Clarify the meanings of terms, ideas, and concepts ‣ Enable audiences to make decisions or to decide upon a future course of action

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Internal Definitions — Short ‣ Are typically only a sentence or two to provide meaning for the reader ‣ Place the term in a category of similar terms or the larger class of terms ‣ May provide descriptions of use or other distinguishing characteristics of the term ‣ Present readers with a working definition of the term used throughout the document

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Internal Definitions — Parenthetical ‣ 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 ‣ Reminds an audience of the definition

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Internal Definitions — Extended ‣ Provide detail about the term for audiences that might need more information ‣ May use one or more of the different kinds of definitions outlined earlier, like descriptions or visuals ‣ Exist in lengthier texts where audiences need detailed information

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Defining Symbols and Signs ‣ Are used to communicate effectively, precisely, and efficiently with others who understand these symbols ‣ Involves an understanding of one’s audience when defining ‣ May come in a list or glossary ‣ May be explained in a quick parenthetical definition ‣ May be most effective if they are put together with illustrations to help explain

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Ethics ‣ Are linked with why the audience needs the definition ‣ Ensure that readers have all the information necessary to use the product safely ‣ Rely on correct, unbiased information to help audiences make decisions ‣ Uses a language and writing style that readers will clearly grasp

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Full Disclosure ‣ Means that writers have not omitted any information that an audience needs to comprehend the term being defined ‣ Includes definitions that provides readers with all the information they need for their purposes

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 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: do not take the users’ or audiences’ knowledge, background, and needs into account