preliminary scan

USAGE SUMMARY

"preliminary scan" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to an initial examination or assessment of something, often in contexts like medical imaging or research. For example, "The doctor ordered a preliminary scan to assess the patient's condition." Alternative expressions include "initial scan" and "first scan."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Even if the dogs are accurate in repeat experiments, Dr. Gansler of the American Cancer Society said, it will be useful only as a preliminary scan.

The New York Times

The proposed method consists of a preliminary scan of a given product or process in order to disclose all involved flows of material and energy, and to assess its environmental impact by means of traditional LCA indexes.

Procedia Engineering

This takes a preliminary scan of the object, achieving a digital rendering within four to five minutes that's accurate on a sub-millimeter level.

Vice

In our preliminary scan series we presented backward masked anxious and neutral faces in a typically developed independent group.

Plosone

A preliminary scan of Internet based groups revealed at least 700 groups dedicated to occupational therapy and/or occupational therapists around the world.

BMC Health Services Research

Under this assumption, we performed a preliminary scan of the sequence polymorphism of the flb region in a collection cultivated and wild grapevine genotypes.

BMC Plant Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

For example, if preliminary scans of a department targeted for change indicate that faculty within that department habitually use catalogued PowerPoint slides when preparing their courses, then, efforts to improve teaching would be well served by focusing on improving these materials.

International Journal of STEM Education

T1-weighted images are needed only if the preliminary scans suggest hemorrhage, lipoma, or dermoid.

Plosone

Preliminary scans of the coding regions (CDS) and peptide libraries of the jumping ant, Harpegnathos saltator, and the carpenter ant, Camponotus floridanus, genomes (both version 3.3 [33]) found twelve and seven OBPs respectively.

Plosone

After preliminary scanning, it was possible to set the reference line, tangent to the joint surface.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

Findings from this scoping exercise confirm our findings from preliminary scans that the majority of tools are heavily biased towards word recognition, numeracy and reading skills, rather than what this means in terms of health behaviours and service utilisation.

BMC Oral Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "preliminary scan" to describe an initial examination aimed at identifying potential issues or areas for further investigation.

Common error

Avoid presenting the findings of a "preliminary scan" as conclusive; emphasize that further, more detailed analysis may be required.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "preliminary scan" primarily functions as a noun phrase, where "preliminary" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "scan". It describes a type of scan that is initial or exploratory in nature. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

76%

News & Media

19%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "preliminary scan" is a grammatically correct and usable term to describe an initial or exploratory examination, often in scientific or technical domains. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It functions as a noun phrase with an adjective modifier, aiming to identify potential areas of interest or concern. While common in academic and news contexts, "preliminary scan" can be replaced by alternatives such as "initial assessment" or "early screening", depending on the specific nuance desired. Remember to avoid overstating the conclusiveness of a "preliminary scan", as it typically precedes more detailed investigations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

initial assessment

Focuses on the evaluation aspect rather than the specific act of scanning, suitable when a broader evaluation is intended.

initial examination

Similar to initial assessment, emphasizes a formal investigation or check.

early screening

Highlights the aspect of filtering or identifying potential issues at an early stage.

first look

More informal, suggesting a quick initial review or inspection.

cursory inspection

Implies a brief and superficial examination, possibly less thorough than a preliminary scan.

exploratory analysis

Focuses on the investigative nature of the scan, highlighting the search for initial insights.

pilot study

Emphasizes the scan as a trial run before a more extensive study.

test run

Informal term for a trial or experiment before full implementation.

pre-test

Focuses on testing something before its official use.

reconnaissance

Suggests gathering preliminary information, often in a strategic or investigative context.

FAQs

How is "preliminary scan" used in research?

In research, a "preliminary scan" is often conducted to explore a dataset or phenomenon initially, helping researchers to identify patterns, anomalies, or areas that warrant more in-depth investigation. It's an exploratory step that guides further research efforts.

What's a situation where I might use the term "preliminary scan"?

You might use "preliminary scan" when describing the first step in a process of investigation, like a doctor ordering an "initial assessment" to understand a patient's condition or a security expert performing an "early screening" of a system for vulnerabilities.

What can I say instead of "preliminary scan"?

Alternatives include "initial assessment", "early screening", or "first look depending" on the context and level of formality you need.

Is it appropriate to use "preliminary scan" in formal writing?

Yes, "preliminary scan" is suitable for formal writing, particularly in scientific, technical, and medical contexts. It clearly and concisely conveys the idea of an initial examination or assessment. Just be aware of the register according to the context.