Implicature, Pragmatics, and Documentation: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study investigates the link between the linguistic principles of implicature and pragmatics and software documentation. when implicatures are created in conversation or text, the listener or reader is required to fill in missing information not overtly stated. This information is usually filled in on the basis of previous knowledge or context. Pragmatics, the study of language use in context, is concerned with the situational aspects of language use that, among other things, directly affect implicatures required of the reader. I investigate how two manuals for the same software product can be analyzed on the basis of implicature and pragmatics. One is an original copy of the documentation that came with the product, the other an after-market manual. Results show that the aftermarket manual requires far fewer implicatures of the reader and does a better job of providing pragmatically helpful information for the user.

Department(s)

English and Technical Communication

Keywords and Phrases

implicatures; linguistic principles

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0047-2816

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2008 Baywood Publishing Company, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2008

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