A Study of Consistency in Standardized Terms Related to Audiology

The consistent use of terms enhances effective communication, knowledge transfer, and training outcomes. Although many standards in the field of acoustics and electro-acoustics have been published, there has been no terminology standard for audiology, and consistency in the terms published has not been examined. As a preliminary work, the present study investigated consistency among definitions across different standard-setting organizations. Repeatability analysis across the data was performed to obtain baseline terms, and consistency in the term definitions repeated was examined with three criteria: consistency, partial consistency, and inconsistency. A total of 3,857 terms from 253 standards published by the International Organization for Standardization, International Electronical Committee, and American National Standards Institute was reviewed, followed by repeatability and consistency analysis. Four hundred eleven terms were repeated at least two times across the data. Consistency analysis showed 43.1% consistency, 21.4% partial consistency, and 35.5% inconsistency in the 411 terms. The results indicate the current need for improvements in the consistency of standard terms. Development of an international standard in audiology terminology would have a positive impact on various outcomes including technical documentation, communication, and product and service management. The repeated term data investigated in this study can be used as preliminary information for developing standard terminology for audiology.