aineiston

Aineiston is the genitive singular form of the Finnish noun aineisto, meaning material, data, or source material. In Finnish academic and professional contexts, aineisto refers to the data set or collection of materials used for analysis, documentation, or evidence. The term covers quantitative data, qualitative materials such as transcripts and field notes, as well as documentary sources used to support conclusions.

Aineisto is formed from the stem aine- meaning substance or matter, combined with the noun suffix -isto to denote a collective set. The word’s inflected forms include aineisto (nominative singular), aineiston (genitive singular), aineistot (plural), and aineistojen (genitive plural), among others.

In practice, aineisto is central to research planning and reporting. Analysts describe the dataset, the sampling frame, data collection methods, and data processing steps as part of the aineiston description. The concept is also used in archival and library contexts to refer to source materials or evidence assembled for research, journalism, or legal purposes.

Related terms include aineisto, aineistot, data, and dataset.