The scholarly conversation we join within our field is full of key terms that we often use differently than scholars in other fields or the lay public. Sometimes, the meaning of the term also changes within our discipline as the criticism that employs the term evolves. “Dialectic” is a good example of a key term that has evolved in the field of Critical Theory since Hegel made it famous back in 1807. As other thinkers like Marx have engaged with his work, the definition has changed and expanded. Part of our job as academics— members of a community that helps create and shape knowledge—is employing theoretically rich key terms in a consistent and cogent manner throughout our arguments. Yet, despite our best efforts, our use of key terms can go awry, especially when it comes to terms with a complex or contested history. This entry focuses on the work of maintaining fidelity to a particular meaning when employing a key term.

Like many of the revision strategies presented in this guide, “Thinking Through the Vacuum” is a labor of love. It takes time. But we believe that this will prove to be time well-spent. Ultimately, this entry encourages you to practice a kind of mindfulness in employing your key terms that will, hopefully, render the advice below superfluous.

Note: Consider reserving this revision strategy for your most important key terms, the ones that power your argument, influence the critical dialogue you hope to join, and shape your intervention. This entry assumes that you have already done the work of defining your key term(s) earlier in your text.

Step 1: Create a new blank document, list each of your most important key terms, and write a definition for each one that reflects how you intend to use it. This is The Vacuum, the space where you are isolating your key terms from the context of your full text.

Now repeat the following steps for each key term you have listed:

Step 2: Return to your full text. Search for (CTRL+F or ⌘+F) and mark (underline/highlight/bold) the key term each time it appears.

Step 3: Reread the sentences where the key term appears and create a marginal note defining it based on its surrounding context. Remember that you are testing consistency, so make sure these marginal notes capture how you are actually using the key term in that moment rather than how you hope you are using it.

Step 4: Compare the definition of the key term from The Vacuum with the ones you wrote in the marginals. Do the two definitions align? If yes, great!  Move on to the next use of your targeted key term. If not, pause and ask yourself the following question: Do I want to use this key term differently in this instance and, if so, am I signaling that shift to my reader? Revise the sentence(s) so that your use of the key term in that moment aligns with your intentions.

If you found this revision strategy helpful or want another way to check key term consistency, you might want to look at “Not Sure if Your Meaning is Clear? Check That Your Key Terms are Consistent.”