Expectations of the Latvian Dictionary Users on the Ideal Terminological Dictionary
Expectations of the Latvian Dictionary Users on the Ideal Terminological Dictionary

Summary/Abstract: While studying the state of contemporary Latvian terminography, it has to be acknowledged that there is a lack of well-designed dictionaries with introductions that explain the principles and intentions of creating the dictionary; there are no references to the resources or other indicators that are important to the dictionary user. Before publishing any dictionary, lexicographers should be aware of the target users, but there is a lack of studies on the habits and needs of the users of the terminological dictionary. A continued study into the attitudes and habits of dictionary users is needed to make clear what the public expects from a terminological dictionary, and that is why a survey was conducted among 161 Latvian bachelor, master, and doctoral students with regard to dictionary use and culture. This empirical research presents a result of a preliminary study on the opinions, attitudes, and habits of Latvian dictionary users regarding the use of terminological dictionaries and their dictionary culture. The aim of the report is to present and discuss answers to one of the open questions in the survey: “In your opinion, what characteristics should the ideal terminological dictionary have?” By mentioning some of the statements to be drawn from the survey, it should be highlighted that the dictionary user in Latvia wants the dictionaries to have an introduction that explains everything that the user is looking for. Being aware that it is almost impossible to create an ideal dictionary, a number of aspects that are relevant to the user are reflected on in the report.

• Details
• Contents