【英語論文の書き方】第49回　study,　investigation, research の微妙なニュアンスのちがい論文翻訳・英文校正　研究者専門の翻訳会社　ワールド翻訳サービス

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【英語論文の書き方】第49回　study,　investigation, research の微妙なニュアンスのちがい

2017年10月29日 10時00分

第48回は次の３つのテーマ、
(1) Gender-neutral language: The “singular they”
性別にとらわれない言語：単数用法のThey
(2) More on gender-neutral language
性別を表す “Sex”と“Gender”
(3) A few words on the continuous evolution of English expressions
進化する英語表現、時代とともに英語の表現は形を変えたりします。
をとりあげました。

第49回の今回は

(1) Study, investigation, research: Are they all the same?
基本的には同じ意味ですが、微妙なニュアンスの違いがあります。
科学論文ではどのように使い分けるとよいのか？
この機会にご確認ください。

(2) Some pointers on the correct use of italics
イタリック体の正しい使い方について解説します。
意外と多くの日本人が間違ってしまっているポイントでもあるので、ぜひ押さえていただきたいと思います。

(3) Recommended dictionary, thesaurus, and style guide resources
Bobさんからおすすめの辞書、シソーラス、スタイルガイドのご紹介です。

QUARTERLYREVIEW (Issue No. 12)

In this issue, first we look at subtle differences in usage of the terms study, investigation, and research, followed by a few pointers on the correct use of italics. We conclude with some recommendations for dictionary, thesaurus, and style guide resources.

(1) Study, investigation, research: Are they all the same?

The nouns study, investigation, and research (and the corresponding verbs study, investigate, and research) are basically interchangeable, and, generally speaking, you can use whichever one you prefer. Among them, study (both the noun and verb forms) is used most frequently in scientific writing. Here are two examples, showing the noun form then the verb form:
(Noun) “We conducted a study on the relationship between X and Y. . . .”
(Verb) “We studied the relationship between X and Y. . . .”
Both of these sentences are fine, although personally I prefer the sentence using the verb form (“We studied. . . .”) because it is more concise.

Now the question arises: Can we use investigation and investigate, respectively, in the above examples? Although the answer is “Yes, we can,” there is a subtle difference in nuance. Let’s look at the actual examples:
“We conducted an investigation into the relationship between X and Y. . . .”
“We investigated the relationship between X and Y. . . .”
Again, both of these sentences are fine as they are, but the difference in nuance is that the term investigation/investigate often gives a slightly “narrower” or “more focused” impression, whereas study has more of a “broader” feeling. It’s a very subtle distinction, and many people might not, in fact, feel that there is any real distinction at all. However, my advice is to use the term study as the first choice in your papers, and to use investigation/investigate when describing more focused or detailed activities within your overall study. Here are some examples to show what I mean:
“We conducted a study on the relationship between X and Y.” First, we performed an investigation into the properties of X. . .”
“We studied the relationship between X and Y. First, we investigated the properties of X. . .”
In these examples, the investigation is a more detailed activity within the overall study.

Next, let’s look at the word research. This could be considered to be the “broadest” of the three terms. Here are examples of how it could be used:
“We have been engaged in research on X, Y, and Z. In the present study, we elucidated the relationship between X and Y.” First, we performed an investigation into the properties of X. . .”
“We have been researching X, Y, and Z. In the present work, we studied the relationship between X and Y. First, we investigated the properties of X. . .”

As a final note on this topic, the terms examination (noun) and examine (verb) can also be used with a similar nuance to investigation/investigate, except that the noun form examination is mainly used in medical contexts

(2) Some pointers on the correct use of italics

When a non-English word appears the first time in a text, we write it in italics, but from the second time that it is mentioned onward, we do not write it in italics but use only the normal font. Here is an example:
“Many Japanese people regularly eat natto (fermented soybeans) with chopped negi (Welsh onion) and soy sauce. However, natto is rarely eaten by itself without the negi and soy sauce.”
Notice how natto and negi are written in italics the first time they appear, because they are Japanese (not English) words, but when they appear the second time, they are written in the normal font. To determine whether a widely used Japanese word has been incorporated into the English language, check any good English dictionary. Examples of such words include kimono (plural form: kimonos), miso, tofu, and tatami. These words that have been incorporated into English are not normally italicized. Note, however, that I have used italics when referring to them here, because we always use italics when referring to a word or expression itself (e.g., “the word study”), which is why italics appear so often in Quarterly Review.

I usually do not italicize et al. or other commonly used Latin abbreviations (again, I have only italicized et al. here because I am referring to it as an expression itself). However, if the journal to which your paper is to be submitted uses italics for such abbreviations as a standard policy, it would be better to follow that style. For other rules about the correct usage of italics, you can either refer to a style guide or the back pages of any good dictionary.

(3) A few words on the continuous evolution of English expressions

Most people have their own preferred dictionary, thesaurus, and style guide resources. The dictionary that always sits beside my desk is Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, which is currently in its eleventh edition. This is an American English dictionary. If you need to use British English, The Oxford English Dictionary is recommended (there are many different versions available). If you need to translate between Japanese and English, Kenkyusha’s New Japanese-English Dictionary and Kenkyusha’s New English-Japanese Dictionary are excellent. Roget’s International Thesaurus, currently in its seventh edition, is the most authoritative thesaurus. Finally, for a style guide, The Chicago Manual of Style is considered to be the “Bible” for editors and others who work in English in Japan. Online versions of most of these resources are also available.

I hope that the above advice is helpful to you in your scientific writing work.

Sincerely yours,

Bob Gavey
For World Translation Services, Inc.