ambiguous reports

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ambiguous reports" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to reports or information that are unclear or open to multiple interpretations. Example: "The investigation was hampered by ambiguous reports from witnesses, making it difficult to determine what actually happened."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

If we compose unnecessarily vague or ambiguous reports, we do a disservice to our patients and to ourselves [26].

Insights into Imaging

Still, regarding this respect, Menezes e Lopes (2014) found ambiguous reports on fear of death, showing that old people, who are closer to death, bring a dynamic of feeling that, within the same person, oscillate constantly between fear and resignation.

Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica

Perceived advantages of SR were facilitation of research, easy comparison, discouragement of ambiguous reports, embedded links to images, highlighting important findings, not having to dictate text nobody will read, and automatic translation of teleradiology reports.

Insights into Imaging

Billy Joe emphatically denies other, more ambiguous reports of his behavior ("Nobody tells me to shut up," one witness quoted him as saying), and Kinky Friedman says violence of that kind is not in his nature.

Huffington Post

The total number was based on a conservative, cumulative tabulation of fossil taxonomic entries such that ambiguous reports were kept to a minimum.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The recently published systematic review by Castien et al. [1] is summarising data in a field of highly ambiguous reporting.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Three males and two females were removed from this analysis because of ambiguous reported strategies.

Plosone

The reports were in these cases ambiguous, reporting 'not measurable because of scattered enhancement' or 'not measurable tumour with benign enhancement pattern'.

European Radiology

Staging was based on TNM-International Union Against Cancer (UICC, sixth edition) selecting the highest stage in case of ambiguous report.

Clinical Proteomics

Data on the functional status of the myocardium in advanced obesity are ambiguous reporting either normal or impaired diastolic, some even impaired systolic function in different cohorts [ 2].

Basic Research in Cardiology

Incomplete reporting might partly be due to limited space in journal articles, but space is often wasted on vague or ambiguous reporting that is particularly noticeable in the reporting of search strategies.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "ambiguous reports", ensure the context clearly indicates what aspect of the reports is ambiguous. For instance, specify if it's the data, interpretation, or methodology.

Common error

Avoid using "ambiguous reports" without providing specific examples of the ambiguity. Failing to do so can leave your audience confused and unsure of the actual issues within the reports.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ambiguous reports" functions as an adjective-noun phrase, where "ambiguous" modifies the noun "reports". It describes the quality or characteristic of the reports, indicating a lack of clarity or potential for multiple interpretations, as seen in Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "ambiguous reports" describes reports that are unclear or open to multiple interpretations. Ludwig confirms that this phrase is grammatically correct and usable, although relatively rare. It commonly appears in formal contexts like science, news, and business, serving to highlight concerns about the reliability and clarity of information. When using this phrase, it's best to provide specific examples of the ambiguity to avoid confusion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unclear reports

Focuses on the lack of clarity in the reports.

vague reports

Emphasizes the lack of specificity in the reports.

indistinct reports

Highlights the blurred or undefined nature of the reports.

equivocal reports

Stresses the reports' open to different interpretations or doubtful nature.

uncertain reports

Focuses on the lack of certainty conveyed by the reports.

imprecise reports

Highlights the lack of accuracy or detail in the reports.

dubious reports

Emphasizes the questionable or unreliable nature of the reports.

murky reports

Focuses on the obscure and difficult-to-understand quality of the reports.

opaque reports

Stresses the lack of transparency or clarity in the reports.

confusing reports

Highlights the reports' ability to cause misunderstanding or disorientation.

FAQs

How can I use "ambiguous reports" in a sentence?

You can use "ambiguous reports" to describe situations where the information provided is unclear or open to multiple interpretations. For example, "The investigation was hampered by ambiguous reports from witnesses."

What are some alternatives to saying "ambiguous reports"?

Some alternatives to "ambiguous reports" include "unclear reports", "vague reports", or "uncertain reports", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What makes a report "ambiguous"?

A report is considered "ambiguous" when its content can be understood in more than one way, lacks specific details, or contains conflicting information that leads to uncertainty.

Is it better to have ambiguous reports or "incomplete reports"?

Neither is ideal, but ambiguous reports can be particularly problematic because they may lead to misinterpretations and incorrect decisions, while incomplete reports at least signal that more information is needed.