QUARTER 4: WEEK 2

GIVING TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

Background Information: 

The meaning of "definition" in a technical lens is "A statement being expressed in defining the nature of something." Researchers and writers use different words to convey, describe, narrate, and define an idea or a phenomenon from time to time. But why is a definition so important? Having a shared understanding of a word allows us to be on the same page when discussing or reading a particular idea. 

When we reach the standard level of understanding, we tend to percept and understand the message. We decode and decipher what it intends to convey. There are four categories of definition, and they are:

1. Parenthetical definition – This is a type of technique wherein the readers will easily recognize and understand the meaning of a word using an alternative phrase (synonym). The synonym is immediately placed after the words enclosed in parentheses.

Example: The software has received many reviewers' accolades (praises).

2. Defining phrase – This is a type of technique wherein the actual definition is preceded by terms or a few words to explain it.

Example: A technical writer should ask a colleague to proof each draft and to read through it for errors.

3. Formal sentence –This type of technique follows a method in which it is specified for writing a definition in a sentence, and they are:  a) Start with the word or phrase; b) state the class (the category the word belongs to) and; c) the distinguishing characteristics that make it different from other members of its class. 

Example: An operational definition (phrase) is the specific meaning of a word or phrase (class) given to it by the group of people who use the word in their particular context (distinguishing characteristics).

4. Extended definition - This type of technique is said to be the longest, offering the freedom and variety to provide insight into the origin of the term, additional meanings, synonyms, and antonyms, such as:

• Denotation - the most basic sense of a name, usually the first meaning in a dictionary entry. ( Also known as the literal definition)  

For example: The girl wears a blue blouse. ( Explanation: The word “blue” is an adjective that modifies or describes the color  of the blouse.)

• Connotation - the most ordinary meaning of a term to a user. (A purpose that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meaning.) 

For example: Zizo feels blue because of the incident. ( Explanation: The word “blue” should not be taken literally, it means that Zizo is sad, unhappy, or down.)

• Synonym - word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language.

 For example, shut  is a synonym of close.

• Antonym - another word or phrase with the opposite meaning.

 For example, permanent is an antonym of temporary. 

• Analogy - this method uses similes or metaphors to explain a thing as being like something else. 

For example, a network router is a device that works like an airport traffic controller, keeping network signals moving toward their destinations and avoiding collisions between them.

• Etymology - this is a more formal statement about the language roots of a word. Technical terms may not have actual origins of this sort. The author explains that they are often acronyms better understood when the word's letters or parts are described.

For example:

The word philosophy is derived from Greek words – Philos and Sophia. Philos means love and Sophia means wisdom. Thus, philosophy means love of wisdom

In a more profound sense and in the language of research, there are two terminologies to define a word: Technical and Operational.

Technical definition mostly refers to the aspect of explaining or describing any technical terms or terminology. Technical definitions could be used in expanding the vocabulary since most of these terms are defined precisely. Examples include the terms and definitions of the words found in the dictionary.  

An operational definition, on the other hand, is more on the application of the word. For example, these may include the various attempts to define or to explain a certain process and its properties, including but not limited to the event's characteristics. 

The operational definition is different from the dictionary definition, which is often conceptual, descriptive, and imprecise.

This definition highlights two important things about an operational definition:

• It gives a precise meaning to the spoken or written word, forming a "common language" between two or more people.

• It defines how a term, word, or phrase is used when applied in a specific context. It implies that a word may have different meanings when used in different situations.

An operational definition must be valid, which implies measuring what it is supposed to measure. It must also be reliable, meaning that the results should be the same even when done by different people or by one person at other times.