Can Authority be Sustained while Balancing Accessibility and Formality?

Authors

  • Nigar Hashimzade Durham University Department of Economics
  • Georgina A. Myles University of Essex Department of Economics
  • Gareth D. Myles University of Exeter Department of Economics

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/hjlcb.v27i52.25132

Abstract

Economics has developed into a quantitative discipline that makes extensive use of mathematical and statistical concepts. When writing a dictionary for economics undergraduates it has to be recognised that many users will not have sufficient training in mathematics to benefi t from formal definitions of mathematical and statistical concepts. In fact, it is more than likely that the user will want the dictionary to provide an accessible version of a definition that avoids mathematical notation. Providing a verbal description of a mathematical concept has the risk that the outcome is both verbose (compared to a definition using appropriate mathematical symbols) and imprecise. For the author of a dictionary this raises the question of how to resolve this conflict between accessibility and formal correctness. We use a range of examples from the Oxford Dictionary of Economics to illustrate this conflict and to assess the extent to which a non-formal definition can be viewed as authoritative.

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Published

2014-01-06

How to Cite

Hashimzade, N., Myles, G. A., & Myles, G. D. (2014). Can Authority be Sustained while Balancing Accessibility and Formality?. HERMES - Journal of Language and Communication in Business, 27(52), 11–24. https://doi.org/10.7146/hjlcb.v27i52.25132

Issue

No. 52 (2014)

Section

Thematic Articles

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