Lähdeperustaisessa

Lähdeperustaisessa is the inessive form of the Finnish adjective lähdeperustainen, meaning “source-based.” It is used to describe approaches, analyses, or activities that are grounded in documentary or empirical sources rather than personal opinion or conjecture. The term appears primarily in academic, educational, and journalistic Finnish, signaling an emphasis on verifiability and traceability of information.

In practice, a lähdeperustaisessa approach requires citing primary and secondary sources, evaluating their credibility, and explicitly linking conclusions to the evidence found in sources. It is a common feature of scholarly writing, historiography, and rigorous journalism, where claims are anchored in quotations, citations, or data. Lähdeperustaisessa pedagogy or learning emphasizes students locating, assessing, and integrating sources to support arguments.

The concept contrasts with more opinion-based or theory-driven approaches, where the emphasis may be on interpretation or hypothesis rather than explicit sourcing. It also connects to broader ideas such as source criticism (lähdekritiikki) and evidence-based reasoning in Finnish discourse.

Examples: In a research report, a lähdeperustaisessa method shows how each claim is backed by a citation to a source; in teaching, students demonstrate a lähdeperustaisessa writing process by grounding statements in evidence. See also: lähde, lähdeviite, lähdekritiikki.