Ten words structure an academic paragraph: 研究, 数据, 分析, 实验, 理论, 结论, 证据, 学术, 论文 and 课题.

论 and 据 are the two spines

论 means to discuss, or a doctrine, and it runs through 理论, 结论 and 论文 here as well as 讨论 and the 无论 of 无论如何. 据 means a basis, or according to, and it gives you 数据 and 证据 on this sheet plus the 根据 that opens half the sentences in an argument. Learning the morphemes rather than ten isolated words is what makes an unfamiliar academic compound guessable on sight.

Near-synonyms that are not interchangeable

数据 is numerical data; 资料 is materials, documents and background of any kind; 材料 is raw material. 实验 is a controlled experiment in a lab, while 试验 is a trial or a field test. And 课题 is the trap on this page: it shares 课 with 课本 and 上课, but it means a research topic or a funded project, not homework, which is 作业. 研究 works as both noun and verb, and it takes a person the usual way in 研究生.

Trace each guided row, then write it from memory. Handwriting matters more here than it looks: HSK 6 reading rewards recognizing a compound instantly, and copying is what builds that recognition. Carry on to the HSK 6 lessons hub, or run a journal abstract through the Chinese text analyzer to pull out the words you still need.

Words on this worksheet: 研究 (yánjiū) — research; 数据 (shùjù) — data; 分析 (fēnxī) — Analysis; 实验 (shíyàn) — Experiment; 理论 (lǐlùn) — theory; 结论 (jiélùn) — conclusion; 证据 (zhèngjù) — evidence; 学术 (xuéshù) — learning; 论文 (lùnwén) — paper; 课题 (kètí) — topic. Hear these words in beginner Mandarin songs.

Frequently asked questions

Does 课题 mean homework?

No. Despite sharing 课 with 课本 and 上课, 课题 is a research topic, task or funded project. Homework is 作业. The overlap in the first character makes this one of the more persistent false friends in academic reading.

What is the difference between 数据 and 资料?

数据 is numerical data: measurements, figures, results. 资料 is materials in the broad sense, covering documents, background reading and reference information. A paper reports 数据 and cites 资料, and 材料 is a third word meaning raw material.

How do 实验 and 试验 differ?

实验 is a controlled experiment, the kind run in a laboratory to test a hypothesis. 试验 is a trial or test of something in practice, such as a field trial of equipment. Both are pronounced with a fourth-tone second syllable and are easily confused in writing.

Which characters recur across these ten words?

论 appears in 理论, 结论 and 论文; 据 appears in 数据 and 证据; 学 appears in 学术. Tracking those shared morphemes is more efficient than memorizing each compound separately, because they recur across most academic writing.