Small-format text: The notion revisited (Theoretical aspects)

Abstract

The article deals with the clarifi cation of the terminological concept of “small-format text”, in particular, an attempt is made to establish the criteria and boundaries of “small-format” in relation to the texts currently employed in the process of real communication. The topic is addressed due to the fact that the tendency towards the optimization of communication and reduction of textual volume represents a characteristic trend of modern speech interaction in all communicative contexts. This fact predetermines a rise in scientifi c interest to diff erent aspect of functioning of the texts marked by a limited volume. The latter ones are termed as “small-format texts”, however, their essential characteristics, as well as objective quantitative indicators, remain disjointed and ambiguous. Hence, the aim of this research is to reconsider and clarify the criteria and boundaries of the small-format as related to the terminological concept of “small-format text”. The article justifi es singling out small-format text as a special textual type; systematizes the currently employed approaches to quantitative parametrization of small-format texts as they are represented in scientifi c literature; validates the fi xation of the lower limit of small-format text as one word. Besides, a conclusion is made about the fundamental impossibility of reducing the upper limit of a small-format text to a single mathematical index. The boundaries of the application of a unifi ed method of small-format text parametrization through the exact number of printed characters/words are determined, as well as the need to introduce an additional criterion of being small-formatted is substantiated. Visual integrity is suggested as such a criterion on the basis of its being a consolidating factor in the process of formation of complex semantics within a text limited in its length.

Keywords

• small-format text
• being small-formatted
• volume parameter
• quantitative indicators
• visual integrity