The phrase "are only partially understood" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing concepts, phenomena, or ideas that are not fully comprehended or grasped.
Example: "The complexities of human emotions are only partially understood by psychologists."
Alternatives: "are not fully understood" or "are only somewhat comprehended."
The functions of the whiskers (vibrissae) are only partially understood; however, it is known that, if they are cut off, the cat is temporarily incapacitated.
The rates and mechanisms governing this process are only partially understood despite numerous experimental studies of pyrite oxidation [14 22].
Fabrication of materials with application-specific microstructures is possible via freeze casting, however, the templating process is highly complex and the underlying principles are only partially understood.
Fractures of the outlet struts of the valves began to appear in the early 1980s and have continued to the present, but their causes are only partially understood.
The physical cues that guide functional cell alignment in vitro and the impact of substrate-imposed alignment on cell phenotype, however, are only partially understood.
In natural systems, these capabilities are controlled by complex genetic regulatory circuits, which are only partially understood and not readily accessible for use in engineered systems.
In particular metal films on harder substrates are emphasized where it is shown that dislocation nucleation and arrest are only partially understood.
However, previous research has shown that the actual self-interference signal is a complicated function of the baseband transmitted signal, which is altered through many effects that are only partially understood or known [2].
Roles for the Organic Anion Transport (OAT) proteins OAT-1, -3, -4, 10, ABCG2, NPT1/4, MRP4, URAT1, and GLUT9 in renal UA homeostasis and extra-renal distribution are only partially understood.
And, on the production side, there is experimental evidence that orangutans repeat a gesture when they are only partially understood, and will use different gestures when a message is misunderstood (Cartmill & Byrne 2007).
The mechanisms by which ECM hydrogels direct cell behavior and influence remodeling outcomes are only partially understood, but likely include structural and biological signals retained from the native source tissue.
