Re: [ddlm-group] A dictionary-writing workshop in Hyderabad?

I think a CIF dictionary writing workshop is a good idea but I would like to draw attention to one lesson that I have learned from helping people create dictionaries in their own field. The most important part of dictionary writing is understanding the connections between the concept of the field. Learning the techniques of CIF is secondary. Most of us have a scientific vocabulary which works well for what we do in our field, but few of us have thought deeply about how these concepts are defined or how they are related to each other. Those who write dictionaries certainly come away with a good knowledge of CIF and how it works, but they express surprise at how much they have learned about their own discipline. While this aspect of dictionary writing should not be the main focus of the workshop, it should not be ignored. A good place to emphasize this is in the first lecture. The discipline that CIF imposes obviously encourages this deep exploration of the scientific subject of the dictionary, and the instructors should encourage the participants to think deeply about the relationship between the concepts they wish to capture in the CIF. A good CIF dictionary (and do we allow any other?) is a well thought out dictionary of a specialized field, not merely a guide to writing a CIF.

James, I have been reading your emails with interest and am glad to see that CIF is now in such capable hands.

David