Scientific research credibility depends not only on innovative findings but also on methodological rigor, and studies gaining widespread acceptance in...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Scientific research credibility depends not only on innovative findings but also on methodological rigor, and studies gaining widespread acceptance in academic communities require researchers to ______ their experimental claims through comprehensive peer review and replication protocols.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
substantiate
circumvent
dispute
delegate
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Scientific research credibility depends not only on innovative findings but also on methodological rigor," |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| "and studies gaining widespread acceptance in academic communities require researchers to _______ their experimental claims" |
|
| "through comprehensive peer review and replication protocols." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Scientific research gains credibility and acceptance when researchers support their experimental claims through rigorous validation processes.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that research credibility requires both innovation and rigor, then specifies that academic acceptance demands researchers take a particular action with their claims, which is accomplished through established validation protocols.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The missing word describes what researchers must do with their experimental claims to gain academic acceptance
- Based on our analysis, researchers need to support, back up, or validate their claims through these rigorous processes
- The word should convey the idea of providing evidence or proof for their experimental claims
substantiate
- "Substantiate" means to support with evidence or proof
- Fits perfectly with the context of using peer review and replication to back up experimental claims
- Aligns with the passage's emphasis on methodological rigor for research credibility
circumvent
- "Circumvent" means to go around or avoid something
- Makes no logical sense - researchers wouldn't avoid their own experimental claims
dispute
- "Dispute" means to argue against or challenge
- Illogical for researchers to argue against their own experimental claims
delegate
- "Delegate" means to assign responsibility to someone else
- Doesn't work with the preposition "through" and contradicts the active validation process described