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Academic English & Research vocabulary · Academic Vocabulary

Explore

Meaning in academic english & research, with examples

/ɪkˈsplɔː(r)/verbCore term

In academic english & research, explore means: To study a topic in an open, flexible way in order to understand it better, especially when little is known about it.

In Turkish: incelemek, keşfetmek, araştırmak, irdelemek

How it is used

A typical aim verb in qualitative research: 'This study explores how teachers experience ...'. It suggests discovery rather than testing a hypothesis, so it fits interviews and case studies. The adjective is exploratory: an exploratory study.

Example sentences

  1. This study explores how first-generation students adapt to university life.

  2. Future work could explore the role of social media in this process.

Common collocations

  • explore how
  • explore the experiences of
  • exploratory study
  • explore further
  • investigateTo study a question, problem or situation carefully and systematically in order to discover facts or explain how something works.
  • qualitativeDescribing research that studies experiences, meanings and behavior through words, images or observation rather than numbers, often with smaller groups of people.
  • research questionA clear, focused question that a study is designed to answer; it guides the choice of methods, data and analysis.
  • semi-structured interviewAn interview that follows a prepared list of questions but lets the researcher change the order and ask follow-up questions.

More terms: Academic Vocabulary

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