We Use the Same Terms, but Do We Mean the Same Thing? Mapping Conceptual Variability in Research Terminology with Re-SearchTerms

• Di, 02.06.2026 16:30 Uhr - 17:30 Uhr
• Interim Bibliothek Bergstraße/Open Science Lab, Zellescher Weg 21–25, 01217 Dresden
• Open Science Initiative der Fakultät Psychologie (OSIP)

Lecturer: Ms. Anna Yi Leung

The rapid expansion of psychology, open science, and metascience has led to a growing set of concepts that are often newly coined or adapted across contexts. This gives rise to both jingle (same term, different meanings) and jangle (different terms, similar meanings) fallacies. At the same time, some concepts show substantial agreement in how they are defined, reflecting emerging shared understandings. These observations highlight the need for tools that allow researchers to systematically examine how terms are defined across contexts to support clearer scientific communication. This seminar introduces Re-SearchTerms, an interactive, web-based platform that addresses this need by mapping how terms are defined across sources. It currently integrates an expanding dataset of over 2,100 definitions covering more than 250 concepts in psychology, metascience, and open scholarship, curated from the FORRT glossary, Wiktionary, and academic dictionaries. The platform applies natural language processing techniques to visualise relationships between definitions, compare wording across sources, and identify patterns of semantic consistency. By making terminological variations visible and comparable, Re-SearchTerms supports more transparent and deliberate use of research terminology across disciplines. Developed in collaboration with FORRT, this project is evolving into a community-driven infrastructure, with new features supporting collaborative contributions and dataset expansion. This seminar will include live demonstrations of Re-SearchTerms and outline opportunities for contribution.

The lecture will be held in English.

You can participate either in person at OSL 3 or online.

Zoom link
Passcode: !$X418?U

This event is part of the lecture series “Fifteen Years of the Replication Crisis: Progress and Future Challenges” organized by the Open Science Initiative in Psychology (OSIP). For information on other events, please visit: https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/osip/initiative/news/vortragsreihe-zehn-jahre-replikationskrise-fortschritte-und-weitere-herausforderungen?set_language=en.