detaljprecis

Detaljprecis is a concept used to describe the degree to which details are specified in a description, model, or specification. The term is formed from the Swedish and Norwegian words detalj (detail) and precis (precise). It is used to analyze and communicate the expected level of specificity in documentation, design, and data schemas. In practice, detaljprecis refers to the granularity of information: a high detaljprecis implies many particulars, measurements, and constraints; a low detaljprecis emphasizes broader characteristics and leaves room for interpretation.

Applications include technical writing, where outlining the intended detaljprecis helps writers define scope and reduce ambiguity; engineering and product development, where it aligns stakeholders on required attributes, tolerances, and acceptance criteria; and software and data modeling, where specifying detaljprecis corresponds to defining fields, units, data types, and validation rules. It also appears in education and research to guide methodological reporting and replication.

Measurement and standards: teams may establish scales or levels of detail, such as coarse to fine detaljprecis, or use templates and checklists to enforce consistency. Trade-offs exist: higher detaljprecis improves clarity but increases time and cost and may reduce flexibility; lower detaljprecis can speed work but raises risk of misinterpretation.

Criticism and reception: some argue that overly rigid detaljprecis stifles creativity or fails to accommodate changing requirements, while proponents emphasize its role in clarity, quality control, and reproducibility.

See also: level of detail, granularity, specification quality, documentation standards.