indagine

Indagine is a noun in Italian that denotes the act of inquiring into a matter to uncover facts. It can refer to a formal investigation into a wrongdoing, a systematic inquiry by researchers, or a statistical or market research project. The term is widely used in legal, journalistic, academic, and professional contexts. In legal usage, indagine refers to investigative activities aimed at establishing facts; in Italy these activities are typically carried out by judicial authorities with the police. In criminal procedure, the indagine preliminare is the initial phase intended to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to prosecute and to collect evidence.

In non-legal contexts, indagine covers research activities and studies, including market research (indagine di mercato), statistical surveys (indagine statistica), and social research (indagine sociale). Common methods include interviews, questionnaires, document analysis, field observations, and, in some cases, experiments. The term often appears in journalism and policy work when a thorough, evidence-based examination of a topic is required.

Etymology and usage: indagine derives from Latin indagatio, from indagare, meaning to search into or inquire deeply. The word has parallel uses in many Romance languages and is related to other terms such as inchiesta or ricerca, depending on nuance and context. In everyday language, indagine can refer to any careful process of investigation or inquiry, from scientific studies to administrative inquiries.