Overview

• Co-operating organizations
• Foreword
• Part 1. General
  • Scope: ``A technical term is an expression which is deliberately restricted in its meaning and applicable to a particular field of knowledge''
  • Everyday words and technical terms: Everyday words in contrast to technical terms are often vague and unspecific, technical terms need to be precisely defined, systematically related to specific idea or clearly defined concept. The selection of an technical term is also based on the ease of pronunciation, sound, etc.
  • Application of principles: A technical term has to match most above mentioned criteria to become standardised

• Part 2. Concepts
  • The nature of concepts: Concepts are abstracts so concepts and the object have to be distinguished but concepts are essential to understand an experience/ an object.
  • The clarification of concepts: ``Before a technical term can be adopted it is necessary first to clarify and then to define the concept for which the term is to stand.'' ``Every concept is a member of a class of concepts and itself forms a class made up of further concepts which are embraced in it. By clarifying the concept is meant determining both the class of concepts of which it is a member and the concepts which it embraces as being itself a class.'' The distinction between different concepts has to be clear.
  • Definition: The nature of concepts ``sets the pattern for the verbal definition of the technical term.'' A technical term should be precise, containing only necessary features and should have a ``grammatical form that is suitable to the concept.''

• Part 3. Terminology
  • The selection and formation of technical terms: Evaluation of existing terms, selection between synonyms/corresponding terms. Characteristics in a technical term might be divided in several classes: Intrinsic and relational characteristics and characteristics of origin. Examples are included
  • Changes in terms and meanings: Technical terms should be free of change without most pressing reasons.
  • The form of a technical term: Technical terms should be concise, a specific context might allow to shorten it, grammatically corresponding to the nature of the concept
  • Homonyms, synonyms and transferred terms: A technical term should ideally only denote one thing, in cases of ambiguity a change might be indicated.
  • The use of extension: To clarify a concept extensions might be used but such an extension is not a definition.
  • Cumulative and circular definition: Using technical terms to define another technical term is only acceptable if the used technical terms are as well defined in the same document or defined in an document. Circular definition has to be avoided
  • Field of applicability: If a definition can only be applied to a specific situation/ in a specific publication this has to be indicated in the document.