Research Writing · View all words

an idea that may explain something and can be tested

“The study tested the hypothesis with survey data.”

the system of methods used in a study

“The methodology section explains how data was collected.”

important or large enough to be noticed

“The results showed a significant improvement.”

to explain the meaning of something

“Researchers must interpret the data carefully.”

where information comes from

“Use reliable sources in academic essays.”

a reference to a source of information

“Every quotation needs a citation.”

the quality of being logically or factually sound

“The researcher questioned the validity of the survey.”

a weakness or restriction

“The study has one important limitation.”

a short summary of a research paper

“The abstract at the beginning of the paper summarized the main findings in just a few sentences.”

the main argument of an essay or study

“The thesis of his paper was that social media has weakened face-to-face communication.”

a summary and evaluation of existing research

“Her literature review covered every major study published on the topic in the last decade.”

a structure of ideas used to analyze something

“We used a theoretical framework to organize the different concepts in our paper.”

facts or information used for analysis

“The researcher collected data from over a thousand participants.”

a smaller group studied to understand a larger group

“The research used a sample of five hundred students from the university.”

a set of questions used to collect information

“We sent out a survey to learn what customers really think.”

a written set of research questions

“Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their sleeping habits.”

a conversation used to collect information

“The researcher conducted an interview with each participant about their experience.”

a result discovered through research

“The key finding of the study was that exercise improves mental health.”

careful study of information

“The analysis of the survey results revealed interesting patterns.”

a reasoned position supported by evidence

“Her argument was backed by solid statistical evidence.”

a statement that needs support or proof

“The main claim of the article is that social media affects teenage mental health.”

information that supports a claim

“The study provided strong evidence that exercise improves memory.”

details of a source used in writing

“He added a reference at the end of the paragraph to credit the author.”

a list of sources used in a piece of work

“The bibliography at the end lists all the books and articles I used for my research.”

using someone else’s work without credit

“He was expelled after the university found clear evidence of plagiarism in his final paper.”

a restatement of an idea in different words

“His paraphrase captured the author's main point without copying the exact words.”

exact words taken from a source

“The essay opened with a powerful quotation from the author.”

the final part giving the main result or judgment

“In the conclusion, the author summarized the main findings of the study.”

to study something carefully to discover facts

“The police investigated the crime scene for clues.”

to look at something closely

“I examined the data carefully to find any patterns.”

to study similarities and differences

“The report compares the results from the two experiments.”

to show differences

“The paper contrasts traditional methods with modern approaches.”

to mention a source of information

“Make sure to cite the original article whenever you quote it directly.”

to repeat exact words from a source

“She decided to quote the author directly in her essay.”

to give reasons for a position

“She argued that climate change requires immediate government action.”

to provide evidence for an idea

“The study's findings support the theory proposed earlier.”

to improve writing by changing it

“I revised my essay three times before submitting it to the professor.”

based on observation or evidence

“Her claims were backed by empirical data from a five-year study.”

based on ideas and concepts

“His theoretical framework helped explain why the experiment produced those results.”

able to be trusted or believed

“That source is credible because it comes from a well-known university.”

consistent and trustworthy

“She's a reliable source who always double-checks her facts before publishing.”

based on facts rather than feelings

“The journalist tried to report the news in an objective way without bias.”

based on personal feelings or opinions

“My opinion about the film is subjective, but I really didn't enjoy it.”

using careful examination of parts

“Her analytical skills helped her break down the complex problem into smaller parts.”

clear and logically connected

“The essay was coherent and easy to follow from beginning to end.”

using few words clearly

“Good writing should be concise and avoid unnecessary words.”

checked by experts before publication

“The peer-reviewed journal article had been approved by experts in the field.”

based on qualities, meanings, or descriptions

“The qualitative interviews revealed how employees actually felt about the changes.”

based on numbers or measurement

“The survey used quantitative data to measure customer satisfaction.”