preliminary assumption

USAGE SUMMARY

"preliminary assumption" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to an initial idea or supposition which is made before further evidence is taken into account. For example, "The scientists needed more data to confirm their preliminary assumption that the drug would be effective."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Formal & Business

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

All preliminary assumption checks were completed using the car package in R (Fox & Weisberg [2011]).

Large-scale Assessments in Education

Preliminary assumption testing was conducted to check normality and homogeneity of variance with no serious violations noted.

Journal of Big Data

The behavioral ecologists are making the preliminary assumption that a trait is an adaptation in order to test other hypotheses about it they "pretend as if" the trait were an adaptation, and use that assumption to detect deviations from optimality that might reveal interesting tradeoffs and constraints the nature of the deviation can suggest what might be missing from the model.

SEP

In these tests, the preliminary assumption was the existence of homogeneity of variance and not normal distribution [39].

Plosone

Preliminary assumption testing was conducted before multivariate analyses to check for normality, linearity, univariate and multivariate outliers, and for homogeneity of variance matrices, and no serious violations were noted.

Plosone

Preliminary assumption testing was conducted to check normality, linearity, univariate and multivariate outliers, homogeneity of variance-covariance matrices and muticollinearity, with no serious violations noted.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

It ensures structural and parametric identification without preliminary assumptions about the working model.

Electrochimica Acta

In this section, we give some basic notations, the preliminary assumptions throughout this paper, as well as some useful results.

Advances in Difference Equations

The paper takes its cue from the Porter hypothesis to make some broad preliminary assumptions to inform the research design.

Journal of Cleaner Production

Preliminary assumptions that are considered in the development of the models in this work are discussed in "Preliminaries to molecular propagation model".

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Given certain preliminary assumptions, this indicated to EPA that groundwater concentrations would need to be less than 1 part per billion--which would mean billions of dollars to clean up contamination.

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Clearly state your "preliminary assumption" when outlining the basis of your research or analysis. This sets the stage for your investigation and allows others to understand your starting point.

Common error

Avoid presenting a "preliminary assumption" as a definitive fact. It should be clearly identified as an initial idea that requires further validation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "preliminary assumption" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. Ludwig confirms its use in setting the stage for arguments or analysis.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

70%

Formal & Business

15%

News & Media

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "preliminary assumption" is a grammatically correct and frequently used noun phrase, especially in scientific and formal contexts. Ludwig AI validates its role in indicating an initial idea that needs further validation. When using "preliminary assumption", remember to clearly present it as a starting point rather than a definitive conclusion. Related phrases like "initial hypothesis" or "tentative premise" can offer nuanced alternatives depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

initial hypothesis

Focuses on a testable statement as the starting point.

working hypothesis

Implies a temporary assumption used as a basis for further investigation.

tentative premise

Highlights the provisional nature of the starting point.

provisional supposition

Emphasizes that the assumption is subject to change.

starting point

General term indicating the beginning of an analysis or argument.

initial conjecture

Focuses on the speculative nature of the assumption.

preliminary conjecture

Emphasizes an untested belief based on limited information.

basic postulate

Highlights the foundational aspect of the assumption.

presupposition

Focuses on something assumed in advance.

initial assessment

Focuses on an assumption derived from a preliminary stage of evaluation.

FAQs

How is "preliminary assumption" used in research?

In research, "preliminary assumption" refers to an initial idea or supposition made before conducting extensive research or gathering data. It serves as a starting point for investigation and helps frame the research question.

What's the difference between a "preliminary assumption" and a hypothesis?

A "preliminary assumption" is a starting point, while a hypothesis is a testable statement derived from that assumption. A hypothesis is formulated to be proven or disproven through experimentation and analysis.

What are some synonyms for "preliminary assumption"?

Alternatives include "initial hypothesis", "tentative premise", or "working hypothesis", depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use the term "preliminary assumption" in writing?

Use "preliminary assumption" when you want to emphasize that the idea is not yet fully supported by evidence and is subject to further investigation or revision. Ensure it's clear that it's a starting point and not a conclusion.