Research — TOEFL Academic Vocabulary
Research Five high-utility words with the full apparatus: pronunciation, both definitions, natural + academic examples, collocations, family, mistakes — then a 10-question set quiz.
conduct /kənˈdʌkt/ verb B2
Meaning: to organize and carry out an activity, especially research
Academic meaning: to plan and perform a study, experiment, or survey following a defined procedure
Natural example: She conducted the interview in a calm, friendly way.
Academic example: The team conducted a survey of 2,000 households across the region.
Collocations: conduct research · conduct an experiment · conduct a survey
Synonyms: carry out, perform, undertake
Word family: conduct (verb) · conduct (noun) · conductor (noun)
⚠ Common mistake: Saying 'make a survey' or 'do an experiment' — academic English uses 'conduct' or 'carry out' with research nouns.
Register: formal; academic and professional · Usage: The standard verb for studies, experiments, surveys, interviews, and reviews in research writing.
data /ˈdeɪtə/ noun B1
Meaning: facts and numbers collected for study
Academic meaning: the observations, measurements, or responses systematically collected and analyzed in a study
Natural example: My phone plan gives me ten gigabytes of data each month.
Academic example: The data suggest a strong link between income and life expectancy.
Collocations: collect data · data suggest that · analyze the data
Synonyms: information, evidence, figures
Word family: data (noun) · datum (noun, singular, rare) · database (noun)
⚠ Common mistake: Saying 'datas' or 'informations' — these words do not take a regular plural; also note that formal academic style often uses plural verbs with 'data': 'the data show'.
Register: neutral; a core academic noun · Usage: In academic writing, prefer plural agreement ('the data indicate'); singular agreement is common in everyday and computing contexts.
method /ˈmeθəd/ noun B1
Meaning: a way of doing something, especially a planned and ordered way
Academic meaning: the systematic procedure or technique used to collect and analyze data in a study
Natural example: Her method for learning vocabulary is to review a few words every morning.
Academic example: The methods section describes how participants were selected and measured.
Collocations: research methods · the scientific method · a method of analysis
Synonyms: approach, technique, procedure
Word family: method (noun) · methodical (adjective) · methodology (noun) · methodically (adverb)
⚠ Common mistake: Confusing 'method' (the specific procedure used) with 'methodology' (the overall approach a study follows and its justification).
Register: neutral; academic · Usage: In research reports, 'Method' is a standard section heading describing exactly what was done.
survey /ˈsɜːrveɪ/ noun B2
Meaning: a set of questions asked to many people to learn their opinions or behavior
Academic meaning: a research instrument that gathers self-reported data from a sample, usually through standardized questions
Natural example: A survey found that most students prefer studying in the morning.
Academic example: According to a national survey, 62 percent of adults reported exercising at least once a week.
Collocations: conduct a survey · a survey of 1,000 adults · survey results
Synonyms: questionnaire, poll, investigation
Word family: survey (noun) · survey (verb)
⚠ Common mistake: Using 'survey' for any kind of study — a survey specifically collects answers to questions; it is not an experiment.
Register: neutral; academic and media · Usage: Watch the stress: the noun is a SURvey, while the verb is surVEY, as in 'to survey the land'.
findings /ˈfaɪndɪŋz/ noun B2
Meaning: the results that a study discovers
Academic meaning: the principal results of an investigation, presented as the outcome of systematic data analysis
Natural example: The findings of the report surprised everyone in the office.
Academic example: The findings indicate that bilingual children develop stronger attention control.
Collocations: research findings · findings suggest that · key findings
Synonyms: results, outcomes, conclusions
Word family: findings (noun, plural) · finding (noun, singular) · find (verb)
⚠ Common mistake: Using 'a finding' for the whole set of a study's results — the outcomes are normally reported as 'findings' (plural).
Register: formal; academic · Usage: Almost always plural in research contexts, and typically paired with reporting verbs: 'the findings show / suggest / indicate'.