Writing deliverables

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Technical Communication Fourteenth Edition John M. Lannon Laura J. Gurak

Chapter 17
Technical Definitions

Discussions about definition provide a good forum for reviewing awareness of the audience information needs covered in Chapter 2. How much and how often one defines will depend on how one views the readers and their information needs. Students need to understand the distinction between specialized terms that are overtly technical and more general and familiar terms whose meanings people think they understand.

To avoid problems with plagiarism or with copying from one source, you might require a minimum of four to six references for the expanded definition students choose. With lower-level groups, you might wish to spend one period with the class examining reference materials in your library databases as well as key Web sources and answering questions that arise during their brief research exercise. Stress the importance of credible sources.

At this time in the semester, students working on analytical reports due at semester’s end should have a pretty definite idea of their final topics, after consultation with you. Therefore, the term they choose to define can often be a primary term in that report, such as a definition of biological insect control for the report “The Feasibility of Using Biological Control on Bark Beetles.”

Learning Objectives

Determine when audience and purpose indicate the need for definition

Describe the legal, ethical, societal, and global implications of definitions

Differentiate between parenthetical, sentence, and expanded definitions

Identify the various ways to expand a definition

Learning Objectives (continued)

Write an expanded definition

Place definitions effectively in your document

Definitions

Definitions explain terms or concepts that are specialized and may be unfamiliar to people who lack expertise in a particular field.

Precision is particularly important in specialized fields, in which field-specific terminology is common and undefined terms may prevent the overall document from making sense.

Considering Audience
and Purpose

Definitions answer one of two questions: “What, exactly, is it?” or “What, exactly, does it entail?” The first question spells out what makes an item, concept, or process unique. The second question spells out for your audience how they are affected by the item defined.

The purpose of a definition is to answer the question “Why does my audience need to understand this term?”

Legal, Ethical, Societal, and
Global Implications

Keep the following implications in mind:

Legal: An inaccurate or misleading definition could lead to legal problems if it causes injury or harm.

Ethical: An intentionally faulty or self-serving definition may damage a company’s ethical image.

Societal: Poorly considered definitions may mislead the public and have societal ramifications.

Global: Definitions that fail to consider a global audience can appear self-serving and damage a
company’s global image.

Types of Definitions

Definitions fall into three categories:

Parenthetical definitions: Provide a definition within parentheses immediately after a term:

Sentence definitions: State the term, indicate
the broader class to which this item belongs, and describe the features that distinguish it, all in the form of a single sentence:

Types of Definitions (continued)

Expanded definitions: Use a variety of techniques to provide a detailed definition in the form of a paragraph or several pages:

Methods for Expanding Definitions

Following are the most common techniques for expanding definitions:

Etymology: Providing the origin of the term.

History: Explaining the history of the term.

Negation: Showing what a term does not mean.

Operating Principle: Describing how the item works.

Analysis of Parts: Breaking the item down into its individual parts.

Visuals: Showing what the item looks like.

Methods for Expanding Definitions

Comparison and Contrast: Describing what the item is similar to and/or different from.

Required Conditions: Explaining the conditions that make the item work or not work.

Examples: Showing situations in which the item is used.

Placing Definitions in a Document

Brief definitions should be placed in parentheses or in the document’s margin.

Sentence definitions should be part of the running text or, if they are numerous, listed in a glossary.

Expanded definitions should be placed either near the beginning of a long document or in an appendix.

Placing Definitions in a Document (continued)

Use a glossary if your report contains numerous terms that may not be understood by all audience members.

Guidelines for Definitions

Decide on the level of detail you need.

Classify the item precisely.

Differentiate the item accurately.

Avoid circular definitions.

Expand your definition selectively.

Use visuals to clarify your meaning.

Know “how much is enough.”

Consider the legal implications of your definition.

Guidelines for Definitions (continued)

Consider the ethical implications of your definition.

Place your definition in an appropriate location.

Cite your sources as needed.

Review Questions

1. What is a definition?

2. What is the most important aspect of a definition?

3. What two questions does a definition answer?

4. What is a parenthetical definition?

5. What is a sentence definition?

6. What is an expanded definition?

7. What are the nine most common ways to expand a definition?

Answers

1. Definitions explain terms or concepts that are specialized and may be unfamiliar to people who lack expertise in a particular field.

2. Precision.

3. A definition answers the questions “What, exactly, is it?” or “What, exactly, does it entail?”

4. Parenthetical definitions provide a definition within parentheses immediately after a term.

5. Sentence definitions state the term, indicate the broader class to which this item belongs, and describe the features that distinguish it, all in the form of a single sentence.

6. Expanded definitions use a variety of techniques to provide a detailed definition in the form of a paragraph or several pages.

7. Etymology, history, negation, operating principle, analysis of parts, visuals, comparison and contrast, required conditions, and examples.

Review Questions (continued)

8. Where should you place brief definitions in a document?

9. Where should you place sentence definitions in a document?

10. Where should you place expanded definitions in a document?

Answers (continued)

8. Brief definitions should be placed in parentheses or in the document’s margin.

9. Sentence definitions should be part of the running text or, if they are numerous, listed in a glossary.

10. Expanded definitions should be placed either near the beginning of a long document or in an appendix.