Academic Research Terms

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What is evidence?

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Evidence refers to the information or facts that support a claim or argument, establishing a logical connection to prove or disprove a point.

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What does it mean to summarize?

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To summarize means to reduce large sections of text to their important points, capturing the main ideas in a concise form.

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What is paraphrasing?

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Paraphrasing is expressing the meaning of a writer or speaker using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity, while including a citation.

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What is a primary source?

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A primary source is a document or physical object created during the time under study, providing direct evidence or firsthand accounts.

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What is logos in rhetoric?

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Logos is a rhetorical device that appeals to logic and reason, using facts and logical arguments to persuade an audience.

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What is a secondary source?

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A secondary source is a document or recording that relates or discusses information originally presented elsewhere, often analyzing or interpreting primary sources.

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What is a tertiary source?

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A tertiary source is a compilation of primary and secondary sources, providing a summary or overview of a topic, such as encyclopedias or textbooks.

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What is bias?

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Bias refers to a tendency to favor one perspective or outcome over others, which can affect the objectivity of research or arguments.

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What is a citation?

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A citation is a reference to a source of information, providing credit to the original author and allowing readers to locate the source.

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What is a thesis statement?

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A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay or research paper, guiding the direction of the argument.