Editing Lexicography (section)

== Focus ==
Generally, lexicography focuses on the design, compilation, use and evaluation of general dictionaries, i.e. dictionaries that provide a description of the language in general use. Such a dictionary is usually called a general dictionary or LGP dictionary (Language for General Purpose). Specialized lexicography focuses on the design, compilation, use and evaluation of specialized dictionaries, i.e. dictionaries that are devoted to a (relatively restricted) set of linguistic and factual elements of one or more specialist subject fields, e.g. [[legal lexicography]]. Such a dictionary is usually called a [[specialized dictionary]] or [[Language for specific purposes dictionary]] and following Nielsen 1994, specialized dictionaries are either multi-field, single-field or sub-field dictionaries.

It is now widely accepted that lexicography is a scholarly discipline in its own right and not a sub-branch of [[applied linguistics]], as the chief object of study in lexicography is the dictionary (see e.g. Bergenholtz/Nielsen/Tarp 2009).

Lexicography is the practice of creating books, computer programs, or databases that reflect lexicographical work and are intended for [[public]] use. These include dictionaries and [[Thesaurus|thesauri]] which are widely accessible resources that present various aspects of lexicology, such as spelling, pronunciation, and meaning.

[[List of lexicographers|Lexicographers]] are tasked with defining simple words as well as figuring out how compound or complex words or words with many meanings can be clearly explained. They also make decisions regarding which words should be kept, added, or removed from a dictionary. They are responsible for arranging lexical material (usually [[Alphabetical order|alphabetically]]) to facilitate understanding and navigation.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Dzharasova|first=T. T.|title=English lexicology and lexicography : theory and practice|publisher=Al-Farabi Kazakh National University|year=2020|isbn=978-601-04-0595-0|edition=2|location=Almaty|pages=93–94}}</ref>