Scientific Research: English Vocabulary List

describing a method for understanding things through the use of logic and detailed thinking

"She has an analytical mind."

"She has an analytical mind and can break down complex problems into smaller manageable parts easily."

providing detailed information about how something looks, feels, sounds, or behaves

"The essay is descriptive."

"The descriptive essay painted a vivid picture of the beach with words that made me feel like I was there."

to notice or discover something that is difficult to find

"Dogs can detect drugs at airports."

"The advanced security system is designed to detect even the smallest movement inside the building during the nighttime hours when it is dark."

a recorded analysis of a person, group, event or situation over a length of time

"We read interesting case study."

"The case study showed how the method worked in real life."

a graphic design intended to explain something

"The diagram shows the process clearly."

"The teacher drew a simple diagram on the board to explain the complex scientific concept clearly."

a judgment on the quantity and quality of something after careful consideration

"The evaluation was fair."

"A heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method where a few expert evaluators examine an interface to judge its compliance with a set of recognized and proven usability principles."

an explanation based on limited facts and evidence that is not yet proved to be true

"Test the hypothesis now."

"The scientist formulated a testable hypothesis to explain the observed phenomenon."

a paper containing a series of questions that is given to people to collect information for statistical reasons

"Please complete this questionnaire now."

"The company sent a detailed questionnaire to all employees to gather feedback about their satisfaction with working conditions."

the process of testing a method, an idea, etc. in several ways to achieve the desired outcome

"We learned this by trial and error."

"Learning a new skill often requires trial and error before you finally get it right."

relating to or including the evaluation of similarities and differences between two or more things

"It is a comparative study."

"The comparative analysis revealed significant differences between the two economic models."

to refer to something as an example or proof

"Cite your sources in the bibliography."

"You must cite your sources correctly in your research paper to avoid accusations of plagiarism."

to put people or things in different categories or groups

"Biologists classify animals into different groups."

"The library uses a special system to classify books by genre so that patrons can find them easily."

to gather information in order to produce a book, report, etc.

"She will compile the research data."

"The researcher spent months compiling data from hundreds of different sources to support her academic thesis."

to direct or participate in the management, organization, or execution of something

"They conduct the meeting."

"The orchestra conductor will conduct the symphony with precision and passion."

to show clearly that something is true or exists by providing proof or evidence

"The teacher will demonstrate the experiment."

"The technician will demonstrate how to operate the new machine safely during the training session tomorrow morning."

to figure out or establish something through logical analysis or reasoning

"We derive the answer."

"Scientists often derive new theories from careful observation and extensive experimentation."

to support an argument, claim, etc. by providing facts and evidence

"Researchers document their findings carefully."

"The researcher spent years documenting the lives of the indigenous tribe before their culture disappeared completely."

to guess the value, number, quantity, size, etc. of something without exact calculation

"She estimates the cost of repairs."

"The contractor estimated that the repairs would cost approximately five thousand dollars and take two weeks to complete."

to calculate or judge the quality, value, significance, or effectiveness of something or someone

"The manager will evaluate employee performance."

"The manager will evaluate each employee's performance annually to determine promotions and salary increases fairly."

to suggest that one thing is the logical consequence of the other

"It does imply something."

"His hesitant response seemed to imply that he was not entirely truthful."

to explain what something means

"It is difficult to interpret his silence."

"It can be difficult to interpret the meaning of abstract paintings without some background information about the artist's intentions."

to carefully watch something in order gain knowledge or understanding about the subject

"The scientist observed the cells dividing."

"The biologist spent several weeks in the rainforest to observe the behavior of a rare species of monkey in its natural habitat."

to give a brief description of something excluding the details

"He outlines the main points clearly."

"The professor asked the students to outline their essays before writing the full draft to organize their ideas clearly."

to collect information about a subject from a group of people by asking them questions

"They survey the land."

"The company sent out a team to survey the land before beginning construction on the new shopping center."

an information sheet in the form of a graph, diagram, or table that is easy to understand

"This is a helpful chart."

"The company provided a colorful chart to illustrate the sales figures for the last quarter."

a computer file, book, piece of paper etc. that is used as evidence or a source of information

"This is a document."

"The historical document provided crucial evidence for the ongoing legal case."

a test done to prove the truthfulness of a hypothesis

"The science experiment was a success."

"The controlled experiment yielded groundbreaking results that challenged existing theories."

a randomly selected part of a larger group, put to study in order to gain knowledge or to draw conclusions about the larger group

"They took a water sample."

"The scientist collected a soil sample from the forest floor to analyze its microbial composition and nutrient levels."

something that is subject to change and can affect the result of a situation

"This is a variable."

"The unpredictable variable in the experiment caused a significant deviation from the expected results."

a device or tool that requires specific knowledge on how to be used

"The violin is a beautiful instrument."

"The surgeon carefully placed the delicate instrument back on the sterile tray after the operation."

a short note in a book giving information about the source of its subject

"This reference is very helpful."

"Every reference in the research paper must include the author's name, the title, and the year of publication."

a process conducted in order to decide on how effective, safe, etc. someone or something is

"It was a drug trial."

"The clinical trial demonstrated the new medication's remarkable efficacy and safety profile."

a piece of information discovered as a result of a research

"The finding surprised all scientists."

"The finding of the research showed that children who read more books tend to perform better in school."

a scientific principle or rule that describes something scientific or natural always being the same or occurring in the same way, given specific conditions are met

"Gravity is a law."

"The fundamental law of thermodynamics dictates the conservation of energy within a closed system."

a description of a process or system that is simplified to demonstrate how it works under specific circumstances, especially in mathematics

"It is a model."

"The mathematical model accurately predicted the complex weather patterns over the next decade."

a fundamental rule that is considered to be true and can serve as a basis for further reasoning or behavior

"This principle is very important."

"The basic principle of democracy is that citizens have the right to choose their leaders through free and fair elections."

a particular set of actions conducted in a certain way

"This is the procedure."

"Following the established procedure is crucial for ensuring the integrity of the scientific investigation."

information or evidence that proves the truth or existence of something

"We need strong proof."

"He showed proof of his identity."