Research Methodology Terms

adjective skilled in or characterized by careful analysis or reasoning

• The analytical report provided a detailed analysis of the company's financial performance.
• She has a very analytical mind and always looks at things from a logical perspective.
• I can't believe how analytical he is when it comes to solving problems.
• Her analytical approach to relationships helps her understand people better.

noun a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof

adjective relating to or based on an assumption

• The research study was based on the assumption that all participants were honest in their responses.
• Don't make assumptions about people you don't know well.
• I jumped to conclusions without knowing the full story.
• She built her entire argument on the shaky assumption that everyone agreed with her.

noun a citation or reference to a source of information

verb to quote or refer to (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement

• In academic writing, it is important to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism.
• Hey, can you cite where you got that information from?
• I didn't know where to cite that quote, so I just made it up.
• She always likes to cite her past experiences as a way to justify her actions.

noun the branch of biology concerned with the structure and function of plant and animal cells

• Cytology is the study of cells, their structure, function, and chemistry.
• I have a test on cytology next week, so I better start studying.
• Cytology is all about those tiny cell things.
• In the grand scheme of biology, cytology is like looking at the building blocks of life.

verb to ascertain or establish exactly, typically as a result of research or calculation

• Scientists use various methods to determine the accuracy of their findings.
• I need to determine which movie to watch tonight.
• Let's determine who's going to pay for dinner by flipping a coin.
• It can be difficult to determine the truth in a web of lies.

noun a state of balance or equilibrium

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• The researchers aimed to achieve equipoise in their study design to ensure unbiased results.
• It's important to find a balance or equipoise between work and personal life.
• I need to find my equipoise when it comes to managing my time effectively.
• The artist's use of light and shadow created a sense of equipoise in the painting.

verb to assess or determine the value, quality, importance, or extent of something

• It is important to thoroughly evaluate the data before drawing any conclusions.
• I need to evaluate my options before making a decision.
• I'll have to evaluate if I'm up for that party tonight.
• She paused to evaluate the situation before responding.

adjective relating to or involving exploration or investigation

• The researchers conducted an exploratory study to gather preliminary data on the topic.
• We're just doing some exploratory research to see what we can find out.
• We're just poking around to see what we can uncover.
• She embarked on an exploratory journey to discover her true passion.

verb to reach or gain access to something

preposition used to indicate the object of an action or effort

• It took me a while to get at the root of the problem.
• I finally figured out how to get at the information I needed.
• I can't seem to get at what she's trying to say.
• The detective tried to get at the truth behind the mysterious disappearance.

noun the first letter of a person's first name

adjective existing or occurring at the beginning

• The initial stage of the project involves conducting thorough research.
• Let's just do the initial setup and then we can relax.
• I'm just in the initial phase of figuring things out.
• The initial spark of inspiration led to a masterpiece.

noun a person who carries out a formal inquiry or investigation

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• The investigator conducted a thorough examination of the crime scene.
• The investigator is looking into the case right now.
• The investigator is on the case and will figure it out.
• She was like an investigator, always digging for the truth in every situation.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea, in this case 'preliminary' can also be used as a noun to refer to something that precedes or prepares for something else.

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case 'preliminary' describes something that comes before the main event or action.

• The preliminary findings of the study will be presented at the conference next week.
• I just got the preliminary results back from the lab, and they look promising!
• I heard some preliminary gossip about the new guy at work, but I'll wait to hear more before judging.
• The artist's preliminary sketches laid the foundation for his masterpiece painting.

noun a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information

verb to ask questions of or about

adjective pertaining to or used for questioning

preposition used in forming direct questions

• The professor posed a challenging question during the lecture.
• I have a question about the homework assignment.
• Hey, I've got a quick question for you.
• Her decision to quit her job raised a lot of questions among her colleagues.

verb A word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence. In this case, 'reported' is a past tense form of the verb 'report.'

• The news outlet reported on the latest economic data.
• I heard on the grapevine that they reported a record-breaking sales quarter.
• Did you catch that TikTok video where they reported the drama at the party?
• Her expression reported a mix of surprise and disbelief.

noun a person who conducts research, especially as a profession

• The researcher presented their findings at the academic conference.
• The researcher shared their results with the team during the meeting.
• The researcher spilled the tea on their latest study.
• The researcher was digging deep into the data, like a detective solving a mystery.

noun a thing that is not what it is purported to be

verb to falsely present oneself as something; to pretend

• The company was accused of engaging in a sham transaction to inflate their revenue.
• I can't believe they tried to pull off that sham deal.
• That whole situation was just a big sham.
• His promises turned out to be nothing but a sham.

noun a written or printed version of material originally presented in another medium

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The student requested a copy of his academic transcript from the university.
• I need to get a copy of my transcript for my job application.
• I gotta grab my transcript for the scholarship application.
• The transcript of the meeting revealed key insights into the company's future plans.

adjective describing a lack of bias or prejudice; fair and impartial

• The research study was conducted in an unbiased manner to ensure accurate results.
• I always try to give unbiased opinions when my friends ask for advice.
• It's hard to find unbiased news sources these days.
• She approached the situation with an unbiased perspective, seeing all sides of the argument.

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'unnoteworthy' is an adjective that means not worthy of notice or attention.

• The committee deemed the proposal unnoteworthy and decided not to pursue it further.
• I found the movie to be quite unnoteworthy, nothing really stood out to me.
• Honestly, that party was so unnoteworthy, I wish I hadn't even gone.
• Her presence in the room was so unnoteworthy, she blended into the background effortlessly.

verb to describe inaccurately or falsely

• It is important not to misdescribe the data in your research paper.
• Don't misdescribe what happened at the party, just tell the truth.
• I can't believe you misdescribed the situation to your boss!
• Her painting beautifully misdescribes the chaos of the city streets.

adjective describing a state or condition that is not depressive

• The patient was diagnosed with a nondepressive disorder.
• She's in a much better mood now that she's nondepressive.
• I'm so glad he's feeling nondepressive today.
• His mind was like a clear sky, nondepressive and calm.

verb to analyze or examine (something) in great detail or to an excessive degree

• It is important not to overanalyse every detail when conducting a research study.
• Don't overanalyse your text messages, sometimes a simple response is all that's needed.
• Stop overthinking and overanalysing everything, just go with the flow.
• She tends to overanalyse situations, always looking for hidden meanings and motives.

noun a statement or proposition that demonstrates or illustrates the truth or validity of something

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

• The experiment provided a clear proof of principle for the new theory.
• The test showed that the idea works in practice, so it's a proof of principle.
• The trial run was successful, so that's the proof of principle right there.
• Seeing the prototype in action was a solid proof of principle for the project's feasibility.

adjective relating to or involving the formulation of general laws or principles, as distinguished from idiosyncratic or particular instances

• The nomothetic approach in psychology aims to establish general laws or principles that apply to a group of individuals.
• Researchers using the nomothetic method study large groups of people to find common patterns or trends.
• Nomothetic research is all about finding the 'big picture' in a scientific study.
• In a nomothetic sense, we can see how certain societal norms shape our behaviors and beliefs.

noun the state or quality of being hesitant or uncertain

• The scientist approached the new theory with tentativeness, carefully considering all possible outcomes before drawing any conclusions.
• She showed a bit of tentativeness when trying out the new dance move, but eventually got the hang of it.
• His tentativeness in asking her out on a date was endearing, showing his nervousness and shyness.
• The artist painted with a tentativeness that added a sense of mystery and intrigue to the final piece.

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

• The student submitted their process folio as part of their final project assessment.
• I need to work on my process folio for class tomorrow.
• I totally forgot to include that in my process folio, oops!
• Creating a process folio is like documenting the journey of a project from start to finish.