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Academic English & Research vocabulary · Literature Review

Seminal

Meaning in academic english & research, with examples

/ˈsemɪnl/adjectiveCommon term

In academic english & research, seminal means: Describing a work, study or idea that was highly original and has strongly influenced later research in a field.

In Turkish: çığır açan, öncü, temel

How it is used

Used almost only in phrases such as seminal work, seminal study, seminal paper or seminal contribution. Literature reviews usually cite seminal works even when they are old, alongside recent studies.

Example sentences

  1. Vygotsky's seminal work on the zone of proximal development still shapes debates in education.

  2. Your review cites many recent papers but misses the seminal studies from the 1990s.

Common collocations

  • seminal work
  • seminal study
  • seminal paper
  • seminal contribution
  • literatureThe body of published research and writing on a particular subject; in academic use it does not mean novels and poetry.
  • literature reviewA critical summary of what has already been published on a topic, showing the main ideas, debates and gaps that a new study responds to.
  • citeTo mention a source, such as a book or article, in your writing to show where an idea, fact or quotation comes from.
  • build onTo use earlier work, results or ideas as a foundation and develop them further in a new study.

More terms: Literature Review

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