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Techniques for Documenting with Proof or Supporting Evidence, and Related Strategies for Problem Solving By David Alderoty © 2016
Chapter 16) Technique-14, Using and/or Creating Terms, and Categories that are TRUE BY DEFINITION
This e-book presents 28 techniques for supporting the validity of the statements you write. Left click on the above for a list of the techniques
This chapter contains a little over 1,500 words
If you want to go to chapter 15, left click on the following link:
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Table of Contents, and an Outline of this Chapter The following is a hyperlink table of contents, as well as an outline of this chapter. If you left click on a blue underlined heading, the corresponding topic or subtopic will appear on your computer screen. Alternatively, you can scroll down to access the material listed in the table of contents, because this chapter is on one long webpage.
Topic 1.) Technique-14, Using and/or Creating Terms, And Categories that are TRUE BY DEFINITION Subtopic, Very Important Note when You are Defining or Redefining Topic 2.) Technique-14, The Utility of Defining Categories Topic 3.) When to, and When not to, Define or Redefine Additional and Supporting Information For Topic-2, From Web-Based articles Additional and Supporting Information For topic-2, from Web-Based Videos
This E-Book Provides Additional and Supporting Information from other Authors, with Web Links
This e-book contains links to web-based articles and videos from other authors, for additional, alternative, and supporting information. The links are the blue underlined words, presented throughout this e-book. However, some of these links are to access different sections of this e-book, or material on my own websites. Quotes and paraphrases in this e-book have hyperlinks to access the original source. The quotes are presented in brown text, which is the same color of these words. (The precise text color is RGB Decimal 165, 42, 42, or Hex #a52a2a) Some of the web links in this e-book will probably fail eventually, because websites may be removed from the web, or placed on a new URL. If a link fails, use the blue underlined words as a search phrase, with www.Google.com If the link is for a video, use www.google.com/videohp The search will usually bring up the original website, or one or more good alternatives. |
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For those who prefer listening, as an alternative to reading, this book is recorded in an audio format.
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Topic 1.) Technique-14, Using and/or Creating Terms, And Categories that are TRUE BY DEFINITION ||| Technique 14) using and/or creating terms, and categories that are true by definition is a very useful communication strategy for the writer. This technique involves using statements and words that do not require any supporting evidence, because they are true by definition. The definition can be from the dictionary, or other published source, such as a technical or scientific textbook. However, technique 14 is most useful when *YOU are defining or redefining in a precise way, a term, a phrase, a concept, a category, an object, a group, a subgroup, a set, a subset, a system, a subsystem, a sequence of events, a series of steps, a behavior pattern, a situation, a problem, or any phenomena, or entity. *Note, the above paragraph, is based on the assumption that YOU are the writer. The process of defining or redefining can be done in just about any type of writing project, such as an article, a report, a series of documents, a book, or for one or more scientific studies. The defining or redefining can involve a few words, several sentences, or one or more paragraphs.
Subtopic, Very Important Note when You are Defining or Redefining ||| When you are defining or redefining terms, categories, concepts, or anything else, you should indicate that you are doing so, in the definition. There are two ways that I typically indicate that I defined a redefined a term. As can be seen from the examples in the next subtopic, I frequently use the phrase: Based on the way I am using the terminology. Another alternative is: For this article I am defining XYZ as follows: There are many other ways that the above can be phrased. However, the important idea is that your phrasing clearly indicates that you defined or redefined a term, category, concept, or other entity. If you do not indicate your unique definitions or material you redefined, you may confuse the readers. They might be futilely searching dictionaries and the Internet for a specialized term that you created. If you redefined a term, in your own way, they may assume that you are incorrect if they look up the word. However, if your definition is not significantly different from the conventional definition, or the definition in the dictionary, it may be unnecessary to indicate that you wrote the definition.
||| I used Technique-14, extensively in this e-book. Presented below there are some examples:
· Example 1, Definition of Language: Based on the way I am using the terminology in this e-book, a language is a technique of communicating in writing and/or in an audio format, using words, or symbols that have meaning that others can comprehend. This includes the symbols and expressions used in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and engineering.
· Example 2, A Definition of Documenting: Based on the way I am using the terminology, documenting means making one or more statements in a recorded format, involving written and/or spoken language. The recording can be on a sound file, video, webpage, or any other format. In the case of writing, the recording can be on paper, as well as on any electronic or photographic format.
· Example 3, Expanded Definition of Truth-Value: Statements that are perfectly true, have a value of one (1), and statements that are absolutely false have a value of zero (0). With this expanded definition, statements may also have truth-values greater than zero, but less than one. This expanded definition of truth-value is potentially useful because statements that relate to complex systems or real-life situations are often partly true, partly false, not always true, not always false, conditionally true, or conditionally false.
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Topic 2.) Technique-14, The Utility of Defining Categories ||| Defining categories can be a very useful strategy for the writer. This is especially useful when you are describing a set or group of entities in terms of properties and/or behavior patterns. If your description might not fit every entity in the set or group, define a category based on your description. That is, the entities that have the properties and/or behavior patterns in your description are placed in the category. As a result, your description might not apply to every entity in the set or group, but it is true by definition. This concept will be clarified with the description in the following paragraph. For an example, let us assume you are writing an article about problems that involved pit bulls and you believe that these dogs are large, vicious, and dangerous. Your assumption might NOT apply to all pit bulls, and your readers might assume you are prejudice. However, if you define a category of pit bulls that are large, vicious, and dangerous, you eliminate uncertainty. The category might not apply to all pit bulls, but it represents the dogs you are writing about in your article. However, this category can be improved further, by eliminating the term pit bulls. With this improvement the category, and the focus of the article, is on large, vicious, and dangerous dogs.
Subtopic, Defining Categories, Technique-14, Apply to a Hypothetical Study of a High Crime Neighborhood ||| The concept of defining a set, group, or system is useful when studying and/or writing about the specific behavior patterns of animals or people. For example, if you are studying a neighborhood with a very high crime rate, you can place the people who live, work, or frequently visit the neighborhood in four categories, based on the nature of their criminal behavior. This can involve the following definitions.
● Individuals that do not violate the law to any significant degree This category can be defined as non‑criminals.
● Individuals that take illegal drugs on a regular basis Individuals in this category might commit other crimes, to support their drug habit, such as robbery, or selling illegal drugs. The people in this category can simply be defined as drug addicts.
● Individuals that commit crime solely for financial gain, such as drug pusher that are not drug addicts, or bank robbers Many of the individuals in this category, might not live in the neighborhood, but they visit it, when they carried out criminal acts. This category can be defined as financially focused criminals, or simply financial criminals.
● Individuals that commit violent crimes, which may or may not be for financial gain People in this category might fit the descriptions in the two previous categories, but their violence necessitates a separate category. Individuals in this can simply be defined as violent criminals.
After the categories of been defined, studies can be carried out to obtain details about each category, which might have practical applications in reducing the crime rate. However, the initial studies might indicate that some or all of the categories that were defined are irrelevant or inadequate. In such a case, the categories might have to be redefined, or replaced with new categories.
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Topic 3.) When to, and When not to, Define or Redefine ||| Defining or redefining terms, categories, concepts, or systems in some cases may not be acceptable to instructors. In such a case, you should use standard definitions from reliable sources, such as from the textbooks used in the course, or from the dictionary. Another alternative is to talk to the instructor to see what he or she considers acceptable for the course. For personal essays, most instructors would probably accept your definitions, if they are properly presented in the essay. This can involve an essay based on your personal definition of friendship, love, success, failure, wealth, poverty, etc. When the terminology that you are using is likely to be obvious to the readers, it is unnecessary, and/or awkward, to provide a formal definition. If you can clearly imply the meaning of a term, a concept, a category, or other entity in your sentence structure, it may be unnecessary to provide the definition. When this cannot be done, or when the risk of misinterpretation of terminology by the readers is unacceptable, a formal detailed definition is appropriate and necessary. This is especially the case with legal documents, and technical material that involves safety.
Additional and Supporting Information For Topic-2, From Web-Based articles ||| DEFINITION (2): DEFINING KEY TERMS
Research or Proposal Writing DEFINITION OF TERMS, Jaime Cabrera
How to Write an Extended Definition
Written Assignments Defining your terms
Defining Your Terms to Win the War of Words
Writing Better University Essays/Defining key terms
Using Word Definitions in Formal Essays: Incorporation and Citationby Robbie Glen
Definition Essay What is a Definition Essay?
How to Write a Dictionary Definition
Additional and Supporting Information For topic-2, from Web-Based Videos ||| YouTube search pages: Definition Essay
YouTube search pages Writing and defining your terms
ENG 352 Technical Writing - 12 - Definition Rules
Operational definition, by Josh Knapp
Extended Definitions: How to Write a Definition Essay in APA Style, by David Taylor
If you want to go to chapter 17 of this e-book, left click on the following link:
www.TechForText.com/DP/chapter-17
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