Researchlike

Researchlike is an adjective used to describe processes, outputs, or approaches that resemble formal research in their mindset or methods. Specifically, something is described as researchlike when it involves systematic inquiry, collection and analysis of data, explicit questioning, and critical evaluation of evidence, but may not meet formal research standards or institutional requirements. The term signals an emphasis on evidence-based reasoning and reproducibility, while leaving room for applied, iterative, or exploratory work.

Origin and usage: The term is a modern neologism created by combining "research" with the suffix "-like." It appears across scholarly and professional writing to characterize methods or outputs that are methodical but not necessarily peer reviewed or formally planned as research projects. In practice, "researchlike" can describe design processes, case studies, or prototypes that incorporate user observation, hypothesis testing, and data interpretation in a way that mirrors research practice.

Examples: A product team might adopt a researchlike approach to validate user needs through qualitative interviews and small-scale experiments before committing to development. A journalism project might pursue researchlike inquiry by triangulating sources, examining bias, and documenting uncertainties. In critique, calling something researchlike can imply rigor, but it may also reflect partial or preliminary analysis rather than full scientific evidence.

See also: evidence-based, empirical, data-driven, research methodology, design research.