investigative
Dedicated to inquiry
Investigative describes work that involves systematic inquiry or examination, especially to uncover hidden facts.
Most often applied to journalism or reporting that digs beneath official accounts: investigative journalism, an investigative reporter.
Also describes agencies or procedures focused on inquiry: investigative powers, investigative techniques.
The work implies persistence, skepticism, and following evidence wherever it leads.
Request for information
- probeThorough examination or tool
- auditFormal accounts examination
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
- reviewCritical written assessment
oversight · vetting · screening · verification · fact-finding · examination · assessment · evaluation
Facts supporting truth
- dataFacts for analysis
- methodologyFormal procedural framework
- systematicFollowing ordered procedures
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
deductive · inductive · reasoning · patterns · conclusions · correlation · critical · thorough
Professional crime investigator
- sleuthPrivate investigator
- caseContainer or instance
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- cluesHints toward answers
suspect · culprit · whodunit · solve · trail · leads · breakthrough · uncover
Eager to learn more
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- delvingResearching intensively
- exploringTraveling to learn firsthand
skeptical · persistent · tenacious · dogged · relentless · determined · shrewd · perceptive
One who gathers news
- exposéInvestigative journalism piece
- muckrakingInvestigative reporting on corruption
- Watergate1970s political crisis
- scoopFirst-reported story
whistleblower · sources · deep-dive · undercover · watchdog · accountability · corruption · scandal
Location of an offense
- fingerprintsRidge patterns identifying individuals
- DNAHereditary code molecule
- autopsyMedical examination after death
- ballisticsProjectile motion science
toxicology · pathology · blood spatter · trace evidence · coroner · laboratory · samples · chain of custody
inquiry
Request for information
- probeThorough examination or tool
- auditFormal accounts examination
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
review · oversight · vetting · screening · verification · fact-finding · examination · assessment · evaluation · monitoring
evidence
Facts supporting truth
- dataFacts for analysis
- methodologyFormal procedural framework
- systematicFollowing ordered procedures
hypothesis · deductive · inductive · reasoning · patterns · conclusions · correlation · critical · thorough · meticulous
detective
Professional crime investigator
clues · suspect · culprit · whodunit · solve · trail · leads · breakthrough · uncover · reveal
inquisitive
Eager to learn more
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- delvingResearching intensively
exploring · skeptical · persistent · tenacious · dogged · relentless · determined · shrewd · perceptive · observant
reporter
One who gathers news
- exposéInvestigative journalism piece
- muckrakingInvestigative reporting on corruption
- Watergate1970s political crisis
scoop · whistleblower · sources · deep-dive · undercover · watchdog · accountability · corruption · scandal · breaking
crime scene
Location of an offense
- fingerprintsRidge patterns identifying individuals
- DNAHereditary code molecule
- autopsyMedical examination after death
ballistics · toxicology · pathology · blood spatter · trace evidence · coroner · laboratory · samples · chain of custody · reconstruction
- journalismreporters, interview, editors, student editors, school paper
- newspapersnewspaper, headlines, headline, news, articles
- articlesarticle, magazine article, features, feature stories, columns
- documentary typesdocumentaries, cinema verite, observational, fly on the wall, expository
- interviewsjob interview, interviewer, panel interview, interviewee, group interview
- newspaper sectionsnews, sports, editorial, business, classifieds
investigativeaccepting
Willing to receive
credulous · uninquisitive · uncritical · trusting · unquestioning
investigativesuperficial
Lacking depth or substance
cursory · shallow · perfunctory · surface-level · casual
investigativeconcealing
Keeping something secret
suppressive · obfuscating · whitewashing · propagandistic · promotional
- congressional investigationLawmakers probing governmental matters
- under investigationSubject to formal inquiry
- criminal investigationOfficial probe into lawbreaking
- police investigationOfficial probe into wrongdoing
- preliminary investigationInquiry before formal proceedings
- federal investigationOfficial government criminal inquiry
investigation, investigating, investigations, reinvestigation, investigational