clear causation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "clear causation" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a direct and unambiguous relationship between cause and effect in various contexts, such as scientific research or legal matters. Example: "The study provided clear causation between the increase in pollution levels and the rise in respiratory diseases in the population."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

We have, at best, only correlations between a mother's lifestyle and her child's future health, not clear causation.

The New York Times - Books

In Dura Pharmaceuticals v Broudo, the court required plaintiffs to show clear causation between the actions of defendants and alleged shareholder losses.

The Economist

With a gasoline chemical, it seems as if there was a more clear causation: the companies did this, and, as a result, a very tangible thing happened.

Vice

Quality of life among cancer patients was shown to correlate with psychosocial variables, whereas no clear causation was seen in the work of Shapiro and associates [ 35].

BMC Family Practice

Until larger randomized studies demonstrate clear causation, physicians prescribing testosterone therapy to elderly men with co-morbidities should use it prudently with close follow-up.

F1000Research

Overall there appears to be a paucity of evidence on how postgraduate training in general practice (or lack of) may have a visible and negative impact on the safety of patients – arguably it may be impossible to ever demonstrate clear causation.

BMC Family Practice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

The overall sense is of the war as a mass of coincidence rather than one with clear causations.

The Washington Post

Hume also makes clear that causation is the least understood of the associative principles, but he tells us, "we shall have occasion afterwards to examine it to the bottom" (T 1.1.4.2/11).

SEP

Sorting between these alternative accounts is an empirically tractable issue, and researchers consider all these possibilities precisely because it is clear that causation is reciprocal.

Biology and Philosophy

Instead he will try to pinpoint a clear chain of causation that leads someone to lose a sense of identity and then become fully radicalised.

The Guardian

It's hard to draw a clear line of causation between health warnings and numbers smoking in a country, as they are usually introduced together with other measures such as tax increases and ad campaigns.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for scientific precision, supplement "clear causation" with specific details about the mechanism or pathway involved. Instead of just stating "there's clear causation", elaborate on how the cause leads to the effect, referencing supporting evidence.

Common error

Avoid assuming that because two events are correlated, there is "clear causation". Always rigorously establish the underlying mechanisms and rule out confounding variables to ensure the relationship is truly causal and not coincidental.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "clear causation" functions as a noun phrase. It refers to a relationship where the cause and effect are distinctly identifiable and directly linked. Ludwig AI shows its use in academic papers, news articles, and other forms of writing.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "clear causation" denotes a direct and unambiguous relationship between a cause and an effect. As Ludwig AI indicates, this phrase is grammatically correct and appears in various contexts, including science, news, and academia. While not exceptionally common, its usage is generally formal or neutral, demanding precision and substantiated claims. When using "clear causation", it's crucial to avoid the common pitfall of confusing correlation with causation. Instead, ensure you can articulate the mechanism through which the cause leads to the effect. Alternatives like "unambiguous causality" or "evident causation" can offer similar meanings with nuanced emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unambiguous causality

Replaces "clear" with "unambiguous" and "causation" with "causality", emphasizing lack of doubt in the causal relationship.

evident causation

Substitutes "clear" with "evident", highlighting the obvious nature of the causal link.

demonstrable cause-and-effect

Replaces "causation" with a more explicit "cause-and-effect", emphasizing the ability to show the connection.

direct causal link

Uses "direct causal link" to convey a straightforward and immediate connection between cause and effect.

obvious causal relationship

Replaces "clear" with "obvious" and "causation" with "causal relationship", indicating an easily perceived connection.

proven causality

Emphasizes that the causation has been established and verified.

established causation

Indicates that the causation is not new and has been confirmed or agreed upon.

well-defined cause

Focuses on the cause being clearly identified and understood rather than the causation itself.

explicit causal mechanism

Highlights the details of how the cause leads to the effect are known

definite causal connection

Uses "definite" to strengthen the certainty of the connection

FAQs

How is "clear causation" used in academic writing?

In academic writing, "clear causation" is used to assert a direct and demonstrable relationship between a cause and an effect. It's crucial to provide evidence and logical reasoning to support claims of "clear causation", differentiating it from mere correlation.

What are some alternatives to using "clear causation" in a sentence?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "unambiguous causality", "evident causation", or "demonstrable cause-and-effect" to convey a similar meaning with slightly different emphasis.

What does it mean when researchers say there is no "clear causation"?

When researchers state that there is no "clear causation", it means they haven't found enough evidence to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the factors being studied. This could be due to confounding variables, reverse causation, or simply a lack of sufficient data.

How does "clear causation" differ from correlation?

"Clear causation" implies that one event directly causes another, while correlation simply indicates that two events occur together. Establishing "clear causation" requires demonstrating the mechanism through which the cause leads to the effect and ruling out other potential explanations.