 Simply stating how one uses a particular term might seem to be good science, for this is thought to offer clarity regarding what exactly is being studied. Terms are often defined without any argumentation, or simply by reproducing the definition given by another scientist or one that is generally accepted in a certain scientific tradition. However, different definitions come with different assumptions and implications. They can establish which animals we study in search for a certain capacity, the methods we use to study it, and what counts as evidence for that capacity. Moreover, determining that an animal has this or that capacity can have profound ethical implications, so how we choose to use our terms is far from normatively neutral.