Academic glossary

Academic glossary

Academic work has its own vocabulary. Consult the glossary below for definitions of words and phrases commonly used at university. Looking for more advice? Consult our interactive skills guides or have a browse of our resource bank.


abstract (n.) – a short piece of writing typically found at the top of a journal article, which describes its aims, methods, results and implications


academic integrity (n.) – the approach to university work with certain ideals and methods in mind, e.g., honesty, diligence and care, committed research and careful acknowledgement of research materials (see also ‘referencing’)


appendix (n.) – information attached to the end of a text, such as documents referred to in that text, or large data sets that cannot be incorporated into the text without disrupting its continuity


body of text (n.) – the substantial part of a piece of writing; excludes features like abstracts, reference lists, and appendices


citation (n.) – mention of a source of information in an essay, report etc.; a citation is typically short, appearing in the body of a text (see also ‘reference’)


dissertation (n.) – an extended study of a topic or related topics, carried out with clear research aims decided in advance; conducted over several months or more, and written up in distinct sections


essay (n.) – a text, usually written, though sometimes presented verbally, dedicated to a topic or related topics; unlike a report, an essay does not require an explicit structure, i.e. headings, sub-headings and a table of contents


executive summary (n.) – a short piece of writing typically found at the start of a report; describes aims, methods, results and implications


literature review (n.) – a piece of writing intended to summarise, compare and scrutinise important research relating to a particular subject; a literature review can exist on its own, though it more often forms a part of a dissertation or thesis

Source: Desmaziéres (1998)

paraphrasing (n.) – the act of describing ideas from another text in one’s own words; used extensively in academic writing (see also ‘direct quotation’)


peer review (n.) – the process by which experts in a certain field of study srutinise new texts prior to their publication


plagiarism (n.) – the act of using existing words, images, concepts, data, etc., in a new piece of work without proper acknowledgement of having done so (see also ‘referencing’)


primary research (n.) – the process of gathering new data for the writing of a report, dissertation etc.


qualitative (adj.) – refers to research that deals with non-numerical data and involves observational methods


quantitative (adj.) – refers to research that deals with numerical data and involves mathematical methods


quotation (n.) – material copied exactly from one text into another; usually words, though sometimes images


reference (n.) – mention of a source of information in an essay, report etc.; a reference typically contains extensive publication details, which help to direct a reader to that source; references often, though not always, appear at the end of a text (see also ‘citation’)


reference list (n.) – a set of references relating to all the sources used in a text; typically found at or near the end of that text


referencing (n.) – the production and presentation of citations and references in a piece of work, e.g., an essay or report


report (n.) – a piece of writing dedicated to a topic or related topics, which typically relies on distinct sections and an explicit structure, e.g. headings, sub-headings and a table of contents (see also ‘essay’)


secondary research (n.) – the process of examining existing evidence in order to offer new insights into a topic or idea; these findings are then presented in a report, dissertation etc.


source (n.) – a text, e.g. a journal article, that has influenced the creation of a new piece of work


study (n.) – the act of dedicating oneself to a subject or concept in an effort to know and understand it better


text (n.) – a broad term used to describe something that is the product of human thought and activity, and which gives expression to ideas; texts can consist of words, images and sounds, or a combination thereof


thesis 1. (n.) – an extended study of a topic or related topics, carried out with clear research aims decided in advance; conducted over several months or more, and written up in several distinct sections


thesis 2. (n.) – the central argument or claim made throughout a piece of work