Bracketing
Bracketing refers to the method of grouping or enclosing items within brackets or parentheses, commonly used in mathematics, programming, and linguistics to avoid ambiguity or to indicate operations that should be performed first. In a broader context, bracketing can describe a conceptual or analytical approach to categorizing ideas, phenomena, or aspects of a specific subject to facilitate comparison, examination, or classification. This technique is often used in research to delineate conditions or perspectives.
Bracketing meaning with examples
- In mathematics, bracketing ensures that calculations are performed in the correct order. For instance, in the expression 3 × (2 + 1), bracketing is crucial to get the right answer, which would be 9, rather than executing addition and multiplication out of sequence.
- In linguistics, bracketing can help clarify complex sentences by indicating which phrases are grouped together. For example, in the sentence 'I saw the man that chased the cat,' using brackets can show the hierarchical structure: 'I saw [the man [that chased the cat]].'
- In research methodology, bracketing often refers to setting aside preconceptions or biases to observe phenomena more objectively. A qualitative researcher might engage in bracketing to focus on participants' experiences without letting prior beliefs influence interpretations.
- In programming, bracketing is key for defining parameters in functions. For example, in Python, a function might be defined as 'def my_function(arg1, arg2):' where the arguments are bracketed, indicating which inputs the function will process.
- In architectural design, bracketing can be related to how physical structures are visually supported or represented within designs. Brackets in buildings often hold aesthetic and functional significance, serving both decorative and supportive purposes.
