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Academic English & Research vocabulary · Literature Review

Build on

Meaning in academic english & research, with examples

phrasal verbCommon term

In academic english & research, build on means: To use earlier work, results or ideas as a foundation and develop them further in a new study.

In Turkish: üzerine inşa etmek, temel alıp geliştirmek, -den yola çıkmak

How it is used

Used to position a study in relation to previous research and show continuity: 'This study builds on Yılmaz (2019) by adding a longitudinal component.' It is often paired with extend: 'builds on and extends'.

Example sentences

  1. Our model builds on earlier work on reading fluency.

  2. Future studies could build on these findings by including older age groups.

Common collocations

  • build on previous work
  • build on these findings
  • build on and extend
  • build on earlier research
  • draw onTo use ideas, knowledge, experience or data from a particular source to support or build your own work.
  • literatureThe body of published research and writing on a particular subject; in academic use it does not mean novels and poetry.
  • research gapA question, group, context or problem that existing studies have not yet addressed well, which a new study aims to fill.
  • seminalDescribing a work, study or idea that was highly original and has strongly influenced later research in a field.

More terms: Literature Review

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