Scholarly Research: English Vocabulary List

based upon observations or experiments instead of theories or ideas

"The evidence is empirical."

"The scientist relied on empirical evidence gathered from experiments rather than on theories or opinions that could not be tested."

relating to or involving scientific experiments, especially those designed to test hypotheses or explore new ideas

"The drug is experimental."

"The experimental drug showed promising results in clinical trials and the researchers hope to make it available to patients soon."

occurring before a more important thing, particularly as an act of introduction

"The results are preliminary."

"The preliminary results suggest that the new teaching method is effective but more research is needed to confirm the findings."

related to or involving quality of something, not numbers or amounts

"The research is qualitative."

"The qualitative study focused on understanding people's experiences and feelings rather than measuring numerical data or statistics."

related to or involving numbers or amounts, not quality

"The data is quantitative."

"The quantitative analysis involved measuring the exact amount of pollution in the water sample and comparing it to safety standards."

related to or involving serious academic study

"He is scholarly."

"The professor published a scholarly article in a prestigious journal and his research was cited by other academics who were working on similar topics around the world."

to show that something is false or incorrect

"Scientists disprove the old theory with evidence."

"The scientist conducted a series of experiments to disprove the popular but incorrect theory about the cause of the disease."

to freely provide information about oneself, often related to personal experiences, behaviors, etc.

"Patients self-report their symptoms to the doctor."

"Participants in the study were asked to self report their daily exercise habits and calorie intake for the research."

tools or machines that are designed for a specific purpose

"The apparatus is complex."

"The laboratory apparatus included beakers test tubes and a Bunsen burner for experiments."

a method used for measuring how old an organic material is by calculating the amount of carbon they contain

"Scientists used carbon dating on ancient bones"

"Carbon dating revealed that the ancient artifact was over three thousand years old."

a controlled scientific experiment in which the effectiveness and safety of a medical treatment is measured by testing it on people

"The new drug is undergoing a clinical trial."

"The new drug showed promising results during the clinical trial with minimal side effects reported."

a set of practices or beliefs that are claimed to be scientific when in reality they have no scientific basis

"Astrology is considered a pseudoscience."

"Pseudoscience is a belief system that presents itself as scientific but lacks the rigorous empirical evidence and testable methodology required by the scientific method."

a long and formal piece of writing about a specific subject

"The treatise explains theory."

"The philosopher published a lengthy treatise on the nature of justice and human rights."

(of a form of art) showing forms, colors, or shapes that do not represent real-world objects, focusing on ideas or emotions instead

"The painting is abstract."

"The artist's abstract paintings use bold colors and unusual shapes to express emotions rather than depicting realistic scenes from everyday life."

(usually plural) anything that limits something

"The limitation is clear."

"Every study has limitations and researchers should acknowledge them honestly in their conclusions."

a series of methods by which a certain subject is studied or a particular activity is done

"The research methodology was carefully planned"

"The researcher's flawed methodology cast doubt on the validity of the entire experiment's results."

an arrangement done in an intentionally random manner to yield unbiased results

"Randomization improved the experiment's reliability significantly"

"Randomization of participants helps eliminate bias in clinical trials and ensures reliable data."

an assessment made of a scientific or academic research by people who are engaged in the same subject area

"The article passed peer review successfully"

"The article was published only after passing rigorous peer review by independent experts."

the action of spreading information or news

"The dissemination of information happened quickly"

"The rapid dissemination of false information on social media poses a serious societal problem."

able to be noticed or discovered

"The signal is detectable."

"The virus was barely detectable in his blood after treatment and the doctors were hopeful that he would make a full recovery."

relating to or based on theory or logical reasoning rather than practical experience or application

"The idea is theoretical."

"The theoretical model predicts that the economy will grow by three percent but actual results may differ depending on many factors."

to be closely connected or have mutual effects

"Smoking correlates with several lung diseases."

"The study found that high levels of stress correlate with an increased risk of heart disease among middle aged adults."

to examine the truth or accuracy of something

"Please verify your email address online now."

"The bank will contact your employer to verify your income before approving your loan application."

someone or something that is used as a standard of comparison in a scientific experiment to evaluate the results

"This is the control."

"In the experiment, the group receiving the placebo served as the control to measure the drug's effectiveness."

someone on whom scientific experiments are tested

"He was a guinea pig."

"Unwittingly, the volunteer became a guinea pig for a highly experimental and untested medical procedure."

someone or something on which a study or experiment is performed

"The subject is tired."

"The scientist carefully observed the subject's reaction to the new medication over several weeks."

a brief summary that presents the key points of a book, speech, etc.

"Please write an abstract for the paper."

"The scientist read the abstract before deciding to review the full manuscript."

a statement that someone presents as a topic to be argued or examined

"Her thesis was clear."

"The author's thesis argued that technological advancements have significantly impacted social interactions."

writings or books on a specific subject

"Read this literature."

"The extensive literature on astrophysics provides a comprehensive overview of current theories and research."

a line or sentence taken from a book or speech

"The paper needs a citation for that fact."

"A proper citation gives credit to the original author and allows readers to find the source material that was used in the research paper."

a limit that controls or defines how something should be done

"The parameter is set."

"We need to define the specific parameter that will guide our decision-making process effectively."