tutkivan

Tutkivan is a Finnish present active participle derived from the verb tutkia, meaning investigating or investigative. In Finnish, tutkiva functions as a modifier that describes ongoing inquiry or examination. It is commonly used in everyday language as well as in specialized contexts such as journalism, law, and science to denote methods, processes, or roles that involve investigation.

As a grammatical form, tutkiva is used before a noun in the nominative singular to indicate an attributive meaning, for example tutkiva toimittaja meaning an investigative journalist. The form tutkivan appears in inflected phrases and compounds where the word needs to agree with the case and number of the accompanying noun, such as in phrases that express possession or relation (for instance, a phrase like tutkivan journalismin, meaning “investigative journalism” in the genitive). The term thus often appears in discussions of methodology, standards, or genres related to inquiry.

Semantically, tutkiva emphasizes process and inquiry rather than completed results. It contrasts with tutkittu, the past passive participle meaning "investigated" or "investigated/ studied." The word is widely used in media, academia, and public discourse to characterize approaches or work that centers on examining evidence, uncovering facts, or scrutinizing systems.

Related terms include tutkia (the verb “to investigate”), tutkija (an investigator), tutkittava (something to be investigated), and journalismi (journalism). The English equivalents are investigative or investigating, depending on the context.