Advance Payment (AP)
The buyer pays before goods are shipped. Lowest risk for seller; highest risk for buyer.
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Lexicon
A curated vocabulary of international trade. Each term defined twice: once for textbook clarity, once for Indian practitioner context. Browse by letter, filter by category, or search.
Terms
1,362
curated entries
Categories
36
thematic groupings
PDFs
299
2-page briefs
Source
ICC / WTO / WCO
+India-specific
The buyer pays before goods are shipped. Lowest risk for seller; highest risk for buyer.
A guarantee added to a bill of exchange or promissory note by a bank, making the bank co-liable for payment.
When a material obtains originating status, its full value counts as originating in further processing. Also called roll-up.
India customs scheme allowing duty-free import of inputs for manufacture of goods for export.
Additional duty on imported goods sold below their normal value (dumped) in the importing country's market.
Trusted trader status granted by customs authorities to businesses meeting compliance, security, and reliability standards.
International customs document allowing temporary importation of goods into multiple countries without payment of import duties.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority — promotes Indian agro-food exports.
A non-negotiable document issued by an airline for air cargo — receipt of goods, contract of carriage, and customs declaration.
A method of alternative dispute resolution where parties submit their dispute to arbitrators for a binding decision.
A contractual provision requiring parties to resolve disputes through arbitration rather than court litigation.
Anti-Money Laundering compliance — policies and controls to prevent use of trade transactions for money laundering.
Fulfilment by Amazon EU — Amazon's service storing sellers' products in EU warehouses and handling shipping to EU consumers.
Application Programming Interface — allows different software applications to communicate with each other.
A short paragraph at the start of a paper summarizing purpose, methods, results, and conclusion.
Supporting material placed at the end of a paper (raw data, transcripts, instruments) that supports but doesn't interrupt the main text.
Structured notes, labels, or codes added to text or data — in bibliographies, qualitative coding, or computational tagging.
A claim supported by reasons and evidence, addressing likely counterarguments.
No one, including the researcher, can link data back to an individual — distinct from confidentiality, where identity is known but protected.
A shortened form of a word or phrase (acronym, initialism, or contraction), conventionally spelled out in full on first use.
The process of finding patterns or relationships in data — statistical, thematic, or content analysis depending on data type.
A concept or principle generalised away from specific examples; the level of generality at which a claim operates.
A confident claim presented as true, forming the basic building block of an argument; must be substantiated with evidence, not merely stated.
A structured set of premises offered in support of a conclusion — distinguished from opinion by the presence of reasons and evidence.
A premise accepted for the purpose of argument rather than demonstrated independently; assumptions are empirical, normative, or conceptual — making them explicit (Toulmin's warrant) is the core move in critical analysis.
The tendency to perceive meaningful patterns in random or unrelated data — coined by Klaus Conrad (1958); relevant to conspiracy theories, pareidolia, and the critique of data-mining without hypothesis.
Indexed repository of peer-reviewed literature (OpenAlex, PubMed, Semantic Scholar, arXiv, Crossref, CORE, SSRN). Search using Boolean operators; use citation chaining (forward/backward) for mature fields.
A concise standalone summary (100–500 words) of a research paper or dissertation, covering purpose, methods, results, and conclusions.
An undertaking by a bank to pay the beneficiary if the applicant fails to perform. Types: performance, advance payment, bid, retention.
An Indian bank purchases an export bill from an exporter at a discount, providing immediate liquidity.
Finance extended by a bank in the exporter's country to the foreign buyer to pay for goods imported.
A new LC opened by an exporter using the original import LC as collateral, in favour of the exporter's supplier.
An unconditional written order by one party to another to pay a fixed amount on demand or at a future date.
Cumulation between the two FTA parties — materials from Party A treated as originating when used in processing in Party B.
EU official customs decision providing a legally binding HS classification of specific goods.
The primary import document filed by an importer with Indian customs at the port of import.
Bureau of Indian Standards — issues IS marks and manages Quality Control Orders for India domestic market.
A statement of all economic transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world.
A legal document issued by a carrier detailing the type, quantity, and destination of goods being carried.
An agreement between two countries establishing terms for private investment by nationals of each country in the other.
FDI where a company purchases or leases existing production facilities in a foreign country.
British Retail Consortium food safety and quality certification — required by UK and EU retail buyers.
Geographical Indication for Basmati rice — unique long-grain aromatic rice from specific regions of India and Pakistan.
Distributed ledger technology used in trade finance and supply chain to improve transparency and speed up document processing.
Original BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) expanded 2024-2025 to add Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE — and partner countries Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, etc. Combined ~36% of global GDP (PPP), ~46% of world population.
The list of sources used or consulted in a piece of writing, placed at the end so readers can locate them.
A reference point — baseline, comparison group, or external standard — that a result is measured against to give it meaning.
Studies systematic deviations from rational-choice predictions — loss aversion, anchoring, present bias — and their application via "nudges."
The set of associations and expectations a name evokes — distinguished into brand identity, brand image, and brand equity.
Corporate obligations beyond profit — Carroll's pyramid frames economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities as a hierarchy.
One-page tools (Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas) that make a venture's key assumptions explicit and testable before a full business plan.
Rules governing commercial activity: contract (offer/acceptance/consideration), company law (limited liability, directors' duties), employment law, competition, and IP.
Moral analysis of corporate obligations using consequentialist, deontological, and virtue-ethics frameworks; operationalised through stakeholder theory and ESG reporting.
Making do with whatever tools and materials are at hand rather than acquiring purpose-made ones; Lévi-Strauss used it to describe mythological thought; in research methods, assembling a study from available rather than ideal data sources.
Seller pays freight to named destination port. Risk transfers when goods are loaded at origin port.
Seller pays freight and minimum insurance to named destination port. Risk transfers when goods are on board at origin.
Seller pays freight to named destination place. Risk transfers at first carrier handover.
Seller pays freight and ICC-A insurance to named destination. Higher than CIF minimum insurance.
An LC confirmed by a bank in the exporter's country, adding that bank's independent payment undertaking.
Rule of origin requiring a product to change its HS code through domestic processing.
A document certifying the country of origin of goods, required to claim FTA preferential tariff treatment.
FTA provision allowing inputs from certain countries to be treated as originating materials when calculating origin content.
Additional import duty to offset subsidies provided by the exporting country's government.
Goods stored in an approved facility without payment of import duties until later declared for a customs procedure.
The uniform tariff rate applied by all EU member states to goods from non-member countries.
A financial guarantee provided by an importer or their agent to customs authorities ensuring payment of duties.
Mandatory EU conformity marking indicating compliance with EU health, safety, and environmental protection standards.
Certificate issued by EDQM confirming an API meets requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation — India's national regulatory body for pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism — EU carbon price on imports of steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity, hydrogen.
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive — EU law requiring large companies to report on sustainability impacts.
When a country's total imports of goods, services, and transfers exceed total exports.
An assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower — country, corporate, or financial instrument.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs — India's apex customs authority administering customs duty, GST, and customs procedures.
Confederation of Indian Industry — industry-led non-profit with 9,000+ members and 10 overseas offices.
The total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organisation, event, or product.
An economic model eliminating waste by keeping materials in use through reuse, repair, and recycling.
Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive — EU law requiring large companies to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence throughout their value chains.
A licensed professional in India handling customs formalities on behalf of importers or exporters.
The designation in a contract of the court, tribunal, or arbitral body with jurisdiction over disputes.
An agreement to exchange principal and interest payments in one currency for those in another.
The exclusive right of an author or creator to reproduce, distribute, and display their original works.
A government-authorised licence allowing use of a patented invention without consent of the patent owner, typically for public health.
The transfer of data across national borders, governed by data privacy and protection laws.
Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors Act 2022 — $52B USA federal incentive package to bring semiconductor manufacturing onshore. Includes $39B manufacturing grants, $13B R&D, 25% advanced manufacturing investment tax credit.
EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (Regulation 2023/956) — carbon tariff on imports of cement, iron-steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity, hydrogen. Definitive period from January 2026 — importers buy CBAM certificates priced to EU ETS.
A reference inside a text pointing to the source of an idea, fact, or quote, matched to an entry in the bibliography.
A large, organized collection of texts or data assembled for systematic research analysis.
The closing section that returns to the thesis, recaps findings, and explains their broader significance.
An unobservable concept (e.g. motivation, trust) studied indirectly via measurable indicators — the process is called operationalization.
A reasonable objection to your position, engaged with to show your argument has been considered from multiple angles.
The systems by which companies are directed and controlled — board structure, executive pay, shareholder rights, and agency theory.
A group sharing a starting point (e.g. a year group) — or, in research, a group followed over time in a "cohort study."
The surrounding circumstances that give something meaning — necessary for interpreting quotations, sources, and findings accurately.
Standards used to judge, select, or evaluate something — plural of 'criterion', central to inclusion/exclusion decisions in reviews.
A large, organized collection of texts assembled with a purpose and sampling logic, used to study language patterns at scale.
The quality of an argument or text in which ideas connect logically and build progressively, distinct from surface-level cohesion.
The study of how individuals select, purchase, and use goods and services; informed by psychology, sociology, and behavioural economics.
Dependent on circumstances; conditional rather than inevitable. A historically contingent outcome could have been otherwise.
The system of rules and practices directing and controlling a company, balancing shareholder value, management accountability, and stakeholder interests.
Structured approaches (Lewin, Kotter, ADKAR) for transitioning individuals and organisations from a current to a desired future state while managing resistance.
Balanced, criteria-based evaluation of a text, method, or theory — identifying strengths and weaknesses rather than simply approving or rejecting.
Study of cell structure and function from prokaryote/eukaryote basics (school) through signal transduction and the cell cycle (undergraduate) to cryo-EM, single-cell genomics, and phase separation (postgraduate).
Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding at school level; molecular orbital theory and electronegativity at undergraduate; DFT and crystal-field theory at postgraduate.
Three decisions: invest (NPV > 0), finance (debt/equity mix — Modigliani-Miller, trade-off theory, pecking order), and pay out (dividends/buybacks vs retention). WACC = blended cost of capital used to discount cash flows.
Why, when, and how people buy: Kotler's 5-stage decision process (need → search → evaluate → purchase → post-purchase); dual-process theory (Kahneman) shows most decisions are heuristic, not rational; nudge theory shapes choices via architecture.
The misuse or strained extension of a word or metaphor; in rhetoric, a figure that applies a term to something it does not literally fit (e.g., "the legs of a table"); in critical theory, a strategic misappropriation of dominant terms to subversive ends (Spivak).
The mental operations through which the brain encodes, stores, transforms and retrieves information — including attention, perception, memory, language, problem-solving and decision-making.
The methodological and normative principle that a culture's practices should be understood and evaluated on their own terms rather than judged by the standards of another culture.
A research strategy that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth within its real-world context, using multiple sources of evidence.
The web of citation links connecting academic papers — backward citation chaining follows references to foundational work; forward chaining finds papers that have cited a given work.
Seller delivers goods ready for unloading at named destination. Buyer pays import duties.
Seller delivers goods unloaded at named terminal. New in Incoterms 2020 — replaced DAT.
Seller delivers goods customs-cleared with all duties paid at the named destination. Maximum seller obligation.
Documentary collection where shipping documents are released only against cash payment by the buyer.
Documentary collection where documents are released against buyer's acceptance of a bill of exchange payable at a future date.
Documents presented under an LC that do not comply with its terms. The issuing bank can refuse payment.
An LC where payment is deferred for a specified period after presentation of complying documents. No bill of exchange used.
Cumulation across multiple countries sharing the same rules of origin framework (e.g., PEM Convention).
FTA requirement that goods be shipped directly between partner countries without manipulation in third countries.
Textile rule of origin requiring yarn-to-fabric AND fabric-to-garment transformation in the exporting country.
A refund of customs duties paid on imported materials subsequently used in the manufacture of exported goods.
Manufacturer's declaration that a product meets requirements of relevant EU directives and regulations.
EU requirement under ESPR for a digital record of a product's sustainability attributes, materials, and end-of-life instructions.
Directorate-General for Trade — the European Commission department responsible for EU trade policy and FTA negotiations.
Directorate General of Foreign Trade — India's primary export-import policy body issuing IEC and administering FTP schemes.
Goods presenting a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment during transportation.
Checking potential trade partners against government-maintained lists of sanctioned entities and embargoed countries.
Goods, software, and technology that can be used for both civil and military purposes — subject to export controls.
A period during which regulatory authorities cannot use originator clinical test data to approve generic versions.
Geographical Indication for tea grown in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.
The exchange of goods and services enabled by digital technologies including e-commerce, digital services, and data flows.
A business model where manufacturers sell directly to consumers without retail intermediaries.
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 — India's national data protection law governing processing of digital personal data.
A working version of a piece of writing, expected to be revised through multiple passes before final.
Information collected to answer a research question — qualitative, quantitative, or mixed, and "raw" before cleaning/processing.
The section that interprets results — what they mean, how they relate to prior literature, and what alternative explanations exist.
The submission date for an assignment — best used as an anchor for backward planning across drafting, feedback, and revision stages.
Promoting products online via search, content, and social channels — SEO covers on-page and off-page factors that affect search ranking.
A structured body of language through which meaning is produced; in Foucauldian terms, a system of statements that constructs knowledge within a domain.
Descriptive → diagnostic → predictive → prescriptive analytics; BI tools (SQL, Tableau, Power BI); KPIs; governed by data quality and GDPR/CCPA constraints.
Finding the rate of change (derivative) of a function — from power/chain/product rules (school) through partial derivatives and gradient descent (undergraduate/professional) to the Fréchet derivative on Banach spaces (postgraduate).
Summarising data with measures of centre (mean, median, mode) and spread (SD, IQR) — with EDA and kernel density estimation at higher levels; the precursor to all inferential modelling.
Making the familiar seem strange so that it can be seen anew; coined by Viktor Shklovsky (ostranenie, 1917) as the defining function of literary art; adopted in sociology and anthropology to describe the analytic move of treating the taken-for-granted as puzzling.
Confirming a Digital Object Identifier resolves and retrieving full metadata via Crossref API (api.crossref.org/works/DOI). Unpaywall finds legal open-access PDF. Use the purposed.in DOI Explorer for one-step verification.
A system of government in which political authority derives from the people, typically expressed through free elections, rule of law, separation of powers, and protection of rights.
A structured presentation of contested positions on a policy or empirical question, with evidence and key theorists for each side.
A node type linking to live open datasets, APIs, and visualisation tools for a quantitative topic — e.g. GDP series, inequality metrics.
Directory of Open Access Journals — a community-curated index of 20,000+ peer-reviewed open access journals, searchable by subject and ISSN.
Seller makes goods available at their premises only. Buyer bears all costs and risks from that point.
Government-backed institution providing loans, guarantees, and insurance to support domestic exporters.
Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India — provides export credit insurance covering 60-90% of loss from buyer default or political risk.
Export Promotion Capital Goods scheme — duty-free import of capital goods against an export obligation.
EU Medical Device Regulation 2017/745 — enhanced requirements for medical devices placed on the EU market.
EU standards for pharmaceutical manufacturing under Directive 2001/83/EC, enforced by national competent authorities.
EU Deforestation Regulation — requires products sold in EU to be deforestation-free with due diligence documentation.
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation — new EU regulation covering all product categories with sustainability requirements.
The price at which one currency can be exchanged for another.
Euro Interbank Offered Rate — benchmark rate for EUR-denominated contracts replacing EUR LIBOR.
The European Union area in which goods, services, capital, and people move freely without internal border controls.
The arrangement among EU member states to apply a common external tariff on goods from non-member countries.
Value Added Tax — a consumption tax applied to goods and services in the EU, typically 20-25% depending on country.
One Stop Shop — EU VAT simplification allowing registration in one EU country for all EU VAT reporting.
Union Customs Code — the modernised customs code governing all customs procedures in the EU since 2016.
General Data Protection Regulation — EU law governing the processing of personal data of EU residents.
EU's roadmap to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050, covering energy, industry, agriculture, and circular economy.
EU framework defining which economic activities are environmentally sustainable for investment and reporting purposes.
Area of free trade between EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. EEA countries apply most EU single market rules.
EU Emissions Trading System — the EU's cap-and-trade carbon market for greenhouse gas emissions from large industrial installations.
European standards for medicines and pharmaceutical substances published by the Council of Europe.
European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines — issues Certificates of Suitability (CEP) for APIs sold in EU.
European Medicines Agency — EU regulatory body approving medicines for the EU market.
European Chemicals Agency — administers REACH, CLP, biocides, and other chemical legislation in the EU.
European Food Safety Authority — provides scientific opinions on food and feed safety underpinning EU MRLs.
EU initiative to allow traders to submit all import/export information through a single EU digital portal by 2025.
Export Import Bank of India — apex financial institution for India's international trade and investment financing.
Engineering Export Promotion Council — apex body for Indian engineering goods exports. Issues COO for engineering goods.
Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India — government export credit insurer covering buyer default and political risk.
A framework evaluating a company's performance on environmental, social, and governance criteria.
Government seizure of an investor's assets — can be direct or indirect (regulatory measures diminishing investment value).
A financial arrangement where a neutral third party holds funds until obligations of both parties are fulfilled.
Restrictive measures imposed by the EU against specific countries, entities, and individuals.
A certificate from the buyer confirming goods will not be re-exported to prohibited destinations or used for prohibited purposes.
Regional patent authority providing patent protection across 44 European countries under a single application.
European Union Intellectual Property Office — the EU agency for trademark and design registration across all EU member states.
Maximum Residue Level — maximum permitted level of pesticide residue in or on food in the EU.
EU Regulation 848/2018 governing production, labelling, and certification of organic products in the EU.
EU Regulation 2015/2283 governing foods not widely consumed in EU before May 1997 — requires safety assessment.
EU Deforestation Regulation — agricultural commodities must be deforestation-free with supply chain due diligence documentation.
The buying and selling of goods and services over the internet.
Data, examples, or sources used to support a claim — evaluated for relevance, sufficiency, and credibility.
How new ventures start and grow, and how new ideas/products emerge — lean startup (MVP, iteration) and disruptive vs. sustaining innovation (Christensen).
Based on observation, measurement, or experiment rather than pure theory or argument — can be qualitative or quantitative.
Identifying an opportunity and organising resources to exploit it through a new venture or organisational transformation; associated with creative destruction (Schumpeter).
Buying and selling via digital networks; platform business models, network effects, omnichannel strategy, and last-mile logistics are the defining operational challenges.
The branch of philosophy concerned with what can be known and how — positivist (objective, measurable) vs interpretivist (constructed, context-dependent).
Identifying opportunity and building a venture under uncertainty; effectuation (Sarasvathy) — expert entrepreneurs reason from means, not fixed goals; lean startup (Ries) — MVP + Build-Measure-Learn loop; VC evaluates TAM, team, traction, defensibility.
The deliberate omission of a sound, syllable, or section of text; in academic writing, the glossing-over of a step in an argument — an elision that appears as continuity but conceals a logical gap requiring scrutiny.
Using the same term with two different meanings within a single argument, making the conclusion appear to follow when it does not; a classic informal fallacy — e.g., "laws of nature are laws; laws require a lawmaker; therefore nature requires a lawmaker."
A close, critical interpretation of a text — particularly of scripture, legal code, or canonical literary and philosophical works; distinguished from eisegesis (reading a meaning into the text rather than drawing it out).
Seller delivers to named carrier or place, cleared for export. Risk transfers at handover.
Seller places goods alongside the vessel at the named port. Buyer responsible from that point.
Seller delivers goods on board the vessel at the named port. Risk and cost transfer when goods are on board.
An exporter sells its accounts receivable to a third party (factor) at a discount for immediate cash.
Purchase of an exporter's medium-term receivables at a fixed discount rate, without recourse to the exporter.
The certificate of origin historically used under EU GSP by exporters in beneficiary developing countries. Being replaced by REX.
A designated area where goods may be imported, stored, or manufactured free from most customs duties.
Customs valuation using the price at the first sale (manufacturer to trader) rather than the last sale.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India — mandatory registration for all food businesses in India.
Investment made by a firm or individual in one country into business interests in another country.
An agreement to buy or sell a specific foreign currency amount at a predetermined rate on a specific future date.
India's quinquennial trade policy document setting out export import rules, incentives, and objectives. Current: FTP 2023.
Foreign Exchange Management Act — Indian law governing foreign exchange transactions and capital account.
Federation of Indian Export Organisations — apex body of all Indian export promotion organisations. Issues COO.
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry — India's oldest and largest apex business chamber.
Certification ensuring products were made under fair conditions including minimum prices and safe working conditions.
An agent arranging transportation of goods including booking, documentation, and customs clearance.
A shipping arrangement where the exporter uses an entire container for their shipment.
An Incoterm designating that the seller is responsible for the goods until they are on board the vessel at the port of export.
A contractual clause excusing a party from performance due to extraordinary events beyond their control.
An agreement between countries to eliminate or reduce trade barriers and promote trade and investment.
Financial Action Task Force — intergovernmental body setting standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Food Safety System Certification — GFSI-recognised food safety management system standard.
Data collection conducted directly at the site, with the people, or in the situation being studied, rather than from existing records.
A numbered note at the bottom of a page citing a source or adding an aside without interrupting the main text.
A structure, often a diagram, mapping the concepts and relationships a study examines and the assumptions behind it.
Information about performance given so you can improve — formative (on a draft, actionable) vs. summative (final, mostly a record).
Reading balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements using ratios (liquidity, profitability, leverage, efficiency) to assess company health.
Planning and controlling an organisation's money — capital budgeting (NPV/IRR), capital structure, working capital, and variance analysis.
The production of income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements under IFRS or US GAAP; governed by the accrual principle.
An organised set of concepts or principles used to analyse a topic; must be applied throughout an analysis, not merely named in the introduction.
Attributing intrinsic, quasi-magical power to an object or concept — in Marxist theory, commodity fetishism (Marx) describes how social relations between people appear as relations between things; in cultural studies, uncritical over-valuing of a particular object or category.
Preferential tariff scheme offered unilaterally by developed countries to developing countries.
A sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation due to that origin.
The total monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country in a specific time period.
Goods and Services Tax Identification Number — unique 15-digit number assigned to each GST-registered business in India.
Indian exporters are entitled to refund of GST paid on inputs used in exported goods — exports are zero-rated under Indian GST.
Global Organic Textile Standard — leading processing standard for organic fibres including ecological and social criteria.
The legal system designated in a contract to govern interpretation and enforcement of its terms.
FDI where a parent company starts a new venture in a foreign country by constructing new operational facilities.
General Data Protection Regulation — EU law governing the processing of personal data of EU residents.
Captive offshore service centres of multinational corporations — primarily USA-headquartered firms with operations in India. ~1,700 GCCs in India employing 1.9M+ engineers, ~70% serving USA HQs.
A list of specialized terms and definitions, typically placed at the end of a document for readers unfamiliar with the jargon.
How far findings extend beyond the studied sample — depends on sampling strategy and is often called external validity.
Standardised international system of names and numbers for classifying traded products. Maintained by WCO.
A risk management strategy using financial instruments to offset potential losses from price or exchange rate movements.
Certification confirming products comply with Islamic law requirements for permissible consumption.
A specific, testable, falsifiable prediction about a relationship between variables, made before data collection.
Recruitment, performance management, compensation, training, and employee relations — linking organizational strategy to employee experience.
Strategic management of people across the employee lifecycle; balances hard HRM (cost control) and soft HRM (engagement, development).
A practical mental shortcut that produces a good-enough answer efficiently, at the cost of possible error; in cognitive psychology (Kahneman & Tversky), heuristics explain systematic biases; in research methods, a heuristic device is a framework used to guide inquiry rather than to produce definitive conclusions.
The dependence of a system's current state on its history — in physics, the lag between cause and effect (e.g., magnetic lag); in economics, the persistence of unemployment after a recession beyond what equilibrium models predict; in Bourdieu, the "hysteresis effect" when habitus is out of sync with field.
11-rule set published by ICC governing delivery, risk transfer, and cost division in international trade contracts. Current edition.
An LC that cannot be amended or cancelled without agreement of all parties.
Sale of an invoice to a lender at a discount in exchange for immediate cash.
Customs procedure allowing goods to be imported duty-free for processing, provided finished goods are re-exported.
Mandatory 10-digit identification number issued by DGFT required for any import or export from India.
Indian Customs Electronic Data Interchange Gateway — India's national customs portal for shipping bills and bills of entry.
The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services rises, eroding purchasing power.
Import One Stop Shop — EU VAT scheme for goods imported in consignments not exceeding EUR 150.
Import Export Code — mandatory 10-digit identification number issued by DGFT for any import or export from India.
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code — IMO regulations governing transportation of hazardous materials by sea.
An off-dock facility for handling and temporary storage of import/export containers.
The most comprehensive marine cargo insurance cover — equivalent to all risks except war, strikes, inherent vice.
An obligation by one party to compensate another for losses or liabilities from specified events.
Intermediate marine cargo insurance covering named perils including fire, explosion, stranding, sinking, and collision.
Basic marine cargo insurance covering only major casualty perils like vessel sinking, stranding, fire.
Trade settled in Indian Rupees rather than USD — India's push to internationalise INR for bilateral trade.
International standard for quality management systems for medical devices. Required by EU MDR.
International standard for food safety management systems throughout the food chain.
International Featured Standards for food safety — required by German and French retail buyers.
International automotive quality management system standard — required by automotive OEMs for their suppliers.
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 — regulates wood packaging material to prevent pest spread.
IRA 2022 — $369B USA climate + clean energy package. Section 45X advanced manufacturing PTC, Section 30D EV credit ($7,500), Section 45W commercial vehicle credit, Section 45V hydrogen PTC, Section 45Q CCS credit.
Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies — USA-India cooperation track on semis, AI, quantum, biotech, defence-industrial. Launched May 2022. iCET 2.0 agenda announced 2024.
Whether a journal or paper is cataloged in major databases (Scopus, PubMed, OpenAlex) — a practical signal of legitimacy and discoverability.
A conclusion reached by reasoning from evidence or premises — deductive (certain if premises true) or inductive (probable).
The actual tool used to collect data — survey, interview guide, test, or sensor — standardized or researcher-developed.
One cycle of drafting, feedback, and revision; research and writing typically improve through iteration rather than a single attempt.
Something that follows from a finding without being directly stated — split into theoretical and practical implications in a discussion section.
How firms operate across borders — market entry modes trade off control against risk, and 'distance' between countries still shapes trade patterns.
A conclusion drawn by reasoning from evidence rather than direct observation; may be inductive or deductive.
Commercial activity crossing national borders; governed by Dunning's OLI paradigm, CAGE distance framework, and the integration-responsiveness trade-off.
A conclusion reached by reasoning from evidence (deductive: guaranteed; inductive: probable; abductive: best explanation); statistical inference generalises from sample to population using probability theory.
Occupying or relating to the small gaps or spaces between things; in social science, interstitial spaces (between institutions, disciplines, or identities) are often sites of innovation and boundary-crossing; in biology, the tissue or fluid filling spaces between cells or organs.
A business arrangement where two or more parties pool resources for a specific task, remaining independent entities.
Terms attached to a paper to aid discoverability in databases and search, chosen to match how readers search.
The purposed.in / AllFrontierGlobal / Travelogue / Uuka network of linked academic and professional resources. Progression: Curious → Student (purposed.in) → Practitioner (AFG) → Connected (Travelogue).
A bank's written undertaking to pay the seller a specified amount upon presentation of complying documents within a stipulated time.
Declaration by an Indian exporter to claim zero-rated export status under GST without paying IGST.
A technique to assess environmental impacts of a product from raw material extraction through production, use, and disposal.
A shipping arrangement where cargo from multiple shippers is consolidated into one container.
A non-binding document expressing the intent of parties to enter into a future agreement.
A sum specified in a contract as the agreed penalty for breach of a specific term, typically for late delivery.
A synthesis of prior research organized by theme or debate, identifying what is known and where a research gap exists.
Factors constraining how far findings can be trusted or generalized — sample size, measurement validity, context.
A gap or missing section in a manuscript, argument, or body of knowledge; identifying a lacuna in the literature is a canonical move in research proposals — it establishes that existing scholarship has not addressed the specific question being studied.
Of or relating to a threshold — a transitional state between two conditions; from Latin limen (threshold); anthropologist Arnold van Gennep used it for rites of passage; Victor Turner developed "liminality" to describe the ambiguous, betwixt-and-between phase in which social structures are suspended and transformation becomes possible.
Critical synthesis of existing scholarship that maps agreements, debates, gaps, and tensions — not a summary of each source in turn. CARS model: establish territory → find niche → occupy niche (Swales).
WTO principle requiring tariff concessions to one WTO member to be extended to all WTO members unless FTA exception applies.
Cross-border supply of services delivered from one country to another without movement of persons — e.g., IT services remotely.
Movement of natural persons — service providers travel temporarily to supply services in another country.
The regulatory approval required for a pharmaceutical product to be placed on the EU market.
The maximum legally permitted level of a pesticide residue in or on food and animal feed in the EU.
Indian government initiative to encourage foreign and domestic companies to manufacture in India.
Transportation of goods using more than one mode of transport under a single contract.
A non-binding agreement outlining the intentions and preliminary terms agreed between parties.
Insurance covering goods transported by sea, air, road, or rail against loss or damage during transit.
The section explaining how research was conducted, in enough detail to be replicable, and why that approach fits the question.
The submitted version of a paper at any stage before formal publication, distinct from a preprint or the final version of record.
Product, Price, Place, Promotion — the classic framework for marketing decisions; extended to 7Ps for services and critiqued by the 4Cs.
The overall approach and justification behind a study's design — distinct from 'methods', which are the specific techniques used.
STP (segmentation, targeting, positioning) plus the marketing mix (4Ps/7Ps) — the plan by which an organisation reaches target markets and builds competitive position.
Study of the economy as a whole — GDP, inflation, business cycle, monetary policy (interest rates), and fiscal policy (taxation/spending) as the business environment.
Theory about theory — an analysis of the assumptions, methods, and logic that underpin theoretical frameworks within a discipline; metatheoretical awareness is required in literature reviews that compare competing paradigms rather than merely summarising their conclusions.
Literally: short-sightedness; in academic and policy analysis, a failure to consider long-term consequences or broader systemic effects — marketing myopia (Levitt 1960) describes firms focused on products rather than customer needs; temporal myopia in policy-making privileges short electoral cycles over long-term societal wellbeing.
The specific location referenced in an Incoterm designation, e.g., FOB Mumbai, CIF Rotterdam, DAP Frankfurt.
An account held by Bank A in foreign currency at Bank B in another country. From Bank A's perspective.
An LC allowing the nominated bank to purchase (negotiate) the draft or documents from the exporter for immediate payment.
Trade barriers other than tariffs — standards, regulations, customs procedures, licensing requirements, SPS measures.
The country of origin determined for non-FTA purposes — for applying anti-dumping duties, safeguards, or labelling requirements.
Organisation designated by an EU member state to assess conformity of regulated products before EU market placement.
An investment or transaction that reduces a currency or price risk by being naturally offsetting in structure.
A state in which greenhouse gas emissions are balanced by removals — achieving carbon neutrality.
A B/L that can be transferred by endorsement, allowing the holder to claim the goods at destination.
UN Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (1958) — allows enforcement across 172 countries.
A legal contract creating a confidential relationship, protecting proprietary information from disclosure.
An obligation that foreign investors be treated no less favourably than domestic investors.
An account of events arranged in sequence to carry meaning — spans personal statements, narrative literature reviews, and narrative analysis of interview data.
Reaching agreement between parties with different interests — BATNA, ZOPA, and the distinction between positions and interests are core concepts.
A subtle distinction or qualification that prevents oversimplification; specifying conditions under which a claim holds.
Three laws of motion (inertia; F=ma; action-reaction) that form the foundation of classical mechanics and underpin structural, mechanical, and aerospace engineering.
The system of names and terms used within a particular discipline or field; consistent nomenclature is essential for reproducibility — inconsistent terminology across studies makes comparison and meta-analysis difficult; in taxonomy, nomenclature is governed by international codes (ICZN for animals, ICN for plants).
Payment method where the buyer receives goods before payment, typically paying 30-90 days after shipment.
European Anti-Fraud Office — investigates fraud against the EU budget including customs fraud and smuggling.
Testing and certification system for textile raw materials and end products for harmful substances.
Office of Foreign Assets Control — US Treasury agency administering and enforcing economic and trade sanctions.
A research paper or dataset made freely available to readers without a subscription, login, or payment.
A skeleton plan of a paper's sections and points, used to check structure before full drafting.
Shared values, norms, and unwritten rules shaping behavior in an organization — Schein's model: artifacts, espoused values, underlying assumptions.
How a business produces goods/services — Lean (waste reduction), Six Sigma (DMAIC, variation reduction), and TQM (continuous improvement).
A concrete, often verb-led statement of what a study sets out to do — more specific than the overall aim.
How a company arranges reporting lines and divides work — functional, divisional, and matrix structures each trade off coordination and control differently.
Designing and managing processes that transform inputs into goods or services; lean, Six Sigma, TQM, and capacity planning are core frameworks.
Philosophical stance on the nature of reality — realist (social structures exist independently) vs constructionist (reality is constituted through interpretation and interaction).
Study of individual motivation, group dynamics, leadership style, and culture in organisations; applies psychological and sociological theory to workplace performance.
To translate an abstract concept into a specific, observable, measurable procedure; every operational definition embeds theoretical choices about what the concept means and what it excludes.
The deliberate rendering of something unclear or confusing; in academic writing, obfuscation may reflect genuine conceptual complexity or may be a rhetorical defence — using technical language to insulate a weak argument from scrutiny; plain English principles are partly a response to obfuscation in public and legal discourse.
A free, open citation index providing forward and backward citation links for any DOI via the COCI REST API — covers 1.3B+ citation links.
European open research graph aggregating publications, datasets, and projects from EC Horizon-funded research and 50+ national funders.
Pre-shipment finance from an Indian bank to fund packaging and preparation of goods for export.
Pre-Shipment Credit in Foreign Currency — concessional rate pre-export finance from Indian banks in foreign currency (USD, EUR).
Rules of origin specific to individual products or categories within an FTA schedule.
A reduced or zero import duty available to goods qualifying for FTA or GSP treatment.
Certificate confirming plants or plant products meet importing country phytosanitary requirements.
A method of comparing economic productivity and living standards between countries by adjusting for price levels.
Production Linked Incentive Scheme — India government incentive paying incremental sales-based subsidies to boost manufacturing.
Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India — promotes Indian pharma, biotech, and medical device exports.
International treaty committing countries to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
The port where goods are unloaded from the vessel. Specified in the B/L and the LC.
The port where goods are loaded onto the vessel. Specified in the B/L.
Legal liability of manufacturers or sellers for damages caused by a defective product to a consumer.
Insurance covering investors against losses caused by political events — expropriation, currency inconvertibility, political violence.
Protection and Indemnity insurance — marine liability insurance for shipowners and charterers.
A government-granted right giving an inventor exclusive rights to make, use, and sell an invention for a limited period.
Certificate from plant protection authority confirming plants or plant products meet importing country requirements.
Production-Linked Incentive — Indian federal scheme paying 4-7% of incremental sales over 5 years to manufacturers committing investment thresholds. 14 sectors covered.
A research manuscript shared publicly before formal peer review, often via servers like arXiv or bioRxiv.
Evaluation of a manuscript by independent experts before publication, checking soundness, originality, and significance.
Presenting someone else's words, ideas, or work as your own, whether by direct copying, patchwriting, or undisclosed self-reuse.
A group of sentences developing one idea, usually opening with a topic sentence and connecting smoothly to the next.
Restating someone else's idea in your own words and sentence structure, still requiring citation.
A statement assumed true that an argument builds on; a "sound" argument is logically valid AND has true premises.
A detailed written plan for a study, fixed in advance — increasingly registered publicly (pre-registration) to separate confirmatory from exploratory findings.
A framework analyzing industry attractiveness via rivalry, new entrants, supplier power, buyer power, and substitutes.
A shared set of assumptions about reality, knowledge, and method within a research community — e.g. positivist vs. interpretivist.
Coordinating tasks, people, and resources to deliver defined work on time and budget — waterfall plans upfront, agile adapts in cycles.
A truth-apt statement put forward for acceptance or rejection; the sharpened form of a topic that makes an essay arguable.
A theoretically grounded standpoint that shapes what is visible in a phenomenon; must be justified and acknowledged as having limits.
Setting prices using cost-plus, value-based, penetration, skimming, or dynamic methods; informed by price elasticity, behavioural economics, and competitive position.
A dominant framework of shared assumptions and methods in a field (Kuhn); research paradigms (positivism, interpretivism, critical realism) determine what counts as valid evidence.
Delivering a defined scope within the iron triangle (time, cost, quality); methodologies include waterfall (PMBOK), Agile (iterative sprints), and PRINCE2 (stage-gate).
A manuscript page from which earlier writing has been erased but traces remain; used metaphorically for any text, place, or identity layered with residues of earlier meanings or histories — cities as palimpsests of successive occupations; identities as palimpsests of past experiences.
Marked by economy of means — in theory and explanation, preferring the simplest account that fits the evidence (Occam's Razor); in statistics, a parsimonious model uses the fewest parameters needed to explain the data without overfitting; parsimony is a core scientific virtue, balanced against adequacy.
A strongly argued attack on or defence of a position, typically without conceding ground to opposing views; polemics drive debate and expose hidden assumptions, but must be distinguished from balanced academic argument — knowing which register is appropriate is a key academic literacy.
Anticipating and pre-emptively answering a counter-argument; in rhetoric, addressing an objection before the audience raises it strengthens the case and demonstrates intellectual honesty; also used in narratology for narrating a future event before the story has reached it (flash-forward).
Mandatory quality standards order by India requiring BIS certification for specific products imported into India.
Someone else's exact words, reproduced verbatim and marked with quotation marks or set off as a block quote, with a citation pointing to the source.
The specific moment or location at which risk of loss passes from seller to buyer under the applicable Incoterm.
Supply chain finance initiated by the buyer where a financial institution pays the supplier early based on the buyer's creditworthiness.
An LC allowing the advising or confirming bank to make pre-shipment advances to the exporter.
Criteria used to determine the national source of a product for applying FTA preferential tariff rates.
Rule of origin requiring a minimum percentage of a product's value to originate within the FTA region.
Registered Exporter System — EU system allowing certified exporters to self-certify origin on commercial documents.
Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products — India's WTO-compliant scheme refunding embedded taxes in export goods.
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals — EU regulation governing chemicals and their safe use.
Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed — EU's early warning network for food and feed safety risks.
Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive — restricts hazardous materials in electrical and electronic equipment in EU.
Contractual statements of fact about the goods or party, with consequences for breach.
Real-Time Gross Settlement — India's high-value domestic payment system for real-time interbank fund transfers.
Certification ensuring agricultural products are produced sustainably with high social and environmental standards.
Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products — India's WTO-compliant export incentive scheme replacing MEIS in 2021. Per-HS rates 0.3%-4.3% on FOB value, refunded as transferable e-scrip ledger credits.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership — 15-member Asia-Pacific FTA covering ~30% of global GDP. Members: 10 ASEAN + China + Japan + South Korea + Australia + New Zealand. India withdrew from negotiations in 2019.
Re-examining a draft for argument and structure, distinct from and prior to editing and proofreading.
The consistency of a measurement — would repeating it give similar results? Necessary but not sufficient for validity.
Principles and approval processes (e.g. IRB) governing informed consent, confidentiality, and honest reporting in research involving people or sensitive data.
A grading chart that breaks an assignment into named criteria (e.g. argument, evidence, structure) with descriptors at each performance level.
A suggestion for future research, practice, or policy that follows logically and specifically from the study's findings.
The reasoning behind a research topic and method choice — why this study, on this population, with this method, now.
A response to a counterargument — challenging its premise, its reasoning, or scoping your claim so the objection no longer applies.
Repeating a study with new data to check whether a finding holds — distinct from reproducibility (re-running the same analysis on the same data).
Identifying, assessing, and responding to things that could go wrong — avoid, reduce, transfer, or accept, prioritized by probability and impact.
Critical examination of how the researcher's own position, assumptions, and presence influence the research process and its findings.
Systematic examination of how the researcher's identity, position, and assumptions shape all stages of the research process; a quality criterion in qualitative research — distinct from reflection (retrospective) and positionality (static declaration).
Treating an abstract concept as if it were a concrete, independently existing thing — e.g., treating "the economy" or "society" as actors with intentions; in Marxist theory (Lukács), the process by which social relations come to appear as objective, immutable things; a logical error and a sociological phenomenon.
Structured claim supported by evidence and reasoning. Toulmin model: claim → data (grounds) → warrant (the often-implicit principle that licenses the move from evidence to claim). Every claim should be falsifiable.
A bank guarantee paying the beneficiary if the applicant fails to perform a contractual obligation.
Financial solutions allowing buyers to extend payment terms while suppliers receive early payment using the buyer's credit rating.
A bill of exchange payable immediately on presentation to the drawee.
Global Payments Innovation — SWIFT initiative providing faster, transparent international payments with end-to-end tracking.
Products excluded from tariff elimination or given limited preferences due to domestic industry sensitivity.
Processing must go beyond minimal operations — beyond mere assembly, packaging, labelling, or cutting.
Temporary import restriction to protect domestic industry from a sudden import surge causing serious injury.
Designated areas where businesses operate under more liberal regulations including customs duty exemptions.
The primary export document filed by the Indian exporter with Indian Customs at the port of export.
A facility allowing trade parties to submit information through a single entry point to fulfil import/export requirements.
Substance of Very High Concern under REACH — requires authorisation for use in EU.
Certificate confirming animal or animal-derived products meet importing country sanitary requirements.
Secured Overnight Financing Rate — the replacement for USD LIBOR in US dollar-denominated financial contracts.
Special Economic Zone — designated area in India where export-oriented units operate under special economic regulations.
Direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organisation.
Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, heat, or steam.
All indirect emissions in a company's value chain — both upstream and downstream.
Science Based Targets initiative — enables businesses to set emission reduction targets aligned with climate science.
Singapore International Arbitration Centre — the most commonly chosen arbitration centre for India-EU dispute resolution.
A promise by a surety company to pay a third party if the principal fails to perform contractual obligations.
Single Euro Payments Area — EU-wide payment integration allowing EUR transfers within EU as if domestic transactions.
A SWIFT message type for customer credit transfer — the standard international wire transfer message.
Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list — OFAC's list of entities with whom US persons cannot transact.
Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies — India's export control list for dual-use goods.
Social Accountability 8000 — an auditable certification standard for decent working conditions.
Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures — regulations protecting human, animal, and plant health from risks of pests and diseases.
Trade Expansion Act 1962 §232 — USA national security tariff authority. Used for steel (25%) and aluminium (10%) tariffs since 2018. Now expanded to include derivative products + EV transformers + select machinery.
Trade Act 1974 §301 — USA presidential authority to impose tariffs in response to unfair trade practices. Applied to ~$370B+ Chinese imports across List 1-4 (varying 7.5%-25%).
Any material information is drawn from — classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary, and evaluated for reliability.
Combining ideas from multiple sources to show how they relate, agree, or conflict, rather than summarizing each in turn.
The subset of a population actually studied; the selection method determines how far results can generalize.
Either statistical significance (unlikely due to chance, often via p-value) or practical/scholarly importance — easy to conflate.
The point in qualitative data collection where new data stops producing new themes — used as a stopping criterion instead of a pre-set sample size.
Anyone with an interest in a study or decision's outcome — stakeholder analysis maps groups by interest and influence.
Coordinating materials, information, and finances across suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers — covers procurement, inventory, and logistics.
A course document outlining objectives, assessment, readings, deadlines, and policies — best treated as an ongoing reference, not a one-time read.
A small-group, discussion-based class built around shared reading, where participation (not just listening) is expected.
The boundary of what a study covers — and, just as importantly, what it deliberately leaves out.
A framework analyzing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats as an input to strategy formulation, not a conclusion in itself.
Combining ideas from multiple sources into something new — the skill that separates an analytical literature review from a descriptive one.
End-to-end coordination of sourcing, production, and delivery to minimise cost and meet service levels; subject to the bullwhip effect.
Combining separate sources into a unified argument that reveals a pattern or position none of the sources states individually — the core move of a literature review.
Direction-setting process integrating external positioning (Porter's Five Forces) with internal resource analysis (VRIO) to achieve sustained competitive advantage.
End-to-end coordination of sourcing, production, and logistics; key trade-off: lean supply chains (low cost, fragile) vs agile supply chains (responsive, costly); bullwhip effect amplifies demand variability upstream.
Triple bottom line (People, Planet, Profit — Elkington); stakeholder theory (Freeman) vs shareholder primacy (Friedman); ESG reporting; Scope 1/2/3 emissions; greenwashing risk; CSRD and ISSB standards are expanding mandatory disclosure.
The quality of standing out from context — in psychology, cognitive salience biases attention and memory toward vivid, recent, or emotionally charged stimuli; in agenda-setting theory (McCombs & Shaw), media salience shapes public perception of issue importance; in policy analysis, salience determines which problems reach the decision agenda.
In phenomenology (Husserl, Merleau-Ponty), the process by which past experiences and interpretations deposit themselves as background habits, dispositions, and assumptions that operate below conscious attention; in social theory, how repeated practices become institutionalised and taken for granted.
The philosophical position that only one's own mind can be known to exist; as an extreme form of idealism it is self-undermining as a shared theory; in ordinary academic use, a criticism of arguments that fail to engage with perspectives outside the author's own experience or theoretical tradition.
A construction in which a single word governs two others in different senses — e.g., "she broke his heart and his favourite mug"; in grammar, zeugma and syllepsis overlap; as a rhetorical device, it creates a jarring or comic effect that draws attention to the figurative/literal gap.
The organised patterns of roles, institutions, norms, and stratification that shape collective behaviour and persist across individual actors.
The microeconomic mechanism by which market price is determined through the interaction of buyers' willingness to pay (demand) and sellers' willingness to supply at each price level.
An LC allowing the first beneficiary to transfer part or all of the credit to a second beneficiary (usually a supplier).
A bill of exchange payable at a specified future date, e.g., 60 days after sight or date of shipment.
Insurance covering exporters against non-payment by buyers due to buyer insolvency or protracted default.
A mechanism allowing a specified quantity of a product to be imported at a lower in-quota tariff.
The removal of an import duty on a product, typically over a phased schedule agreed in an FTA.
The physical exchange of goods between countries — the goods chapter of an FTA covering tariff schedules and NTBs.
The exchange of services across borders — Mode 1-4 coverage in an FTA services chapter.
Tariff Integre Communautaire — EU's integrated customs tariff with 10-digit commodity codes and all applicable trade measures.
The primary customs valuation basis under WTO rules — the price actually paid or payable for goods sold for export.
Customs procedure allowing goods to be imported duty-free for a specific purpose and time, on condition they are re-exported.
Higher tariff rates on processed goods than on raw materials, discouraging industrialisation in developing countries.
The difference between a country's exports and imports of goods and services.
The simplification, standardisation, and harmonisation of international trade procedures.
When an FTA causes imports to shift from a more efficient non-member to a less efficient member due to tariff preferences.
When an FTA causes trade to replace less efficient domestic production with cheaper imports from member countries.
The practice of setting prices for transactions between related entities in different countries.
The standard measure of containerised cargo capacity.
The time required for goods to travel from the point of origin to the destination.
The transfer of goods from one vessel to another at an intermediate port during transit.
Electronic transfer of funds from one bank account to another across international banking networks.
A recognisable sign or design that identifies products or services from a particular source.
Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights — WTO agreement setting minimum IP protection standards.
Either the central arguable claim of a paper (thesis statement), or the long research document submitted for a degree.
A written word-for-word record of spoken material (interviews, recordings), used as raw data for coding and analysis.
One or two sentences stating the specific, arguable position an essay or paper will defend; everything else should support it.
A well-supported explanatory system, distinct from a hypothesis (a specific testable prediction) and from the colloquial "just a theory."
Checking a finding using multiple data sources, methods, theories, or researchers to build confidence through convergence.
A productive conflict between two well-founded ideas that cannot be easily resolved; often the most analytically generative point in a literature review.
Explanation in terms of final causes, ends, or purposes — why things happen rather than how; Aristotle's four causes culminate in the final cause (telos); teleological reasoning is useful in design and ethics but is a fallacy when applied to natural processes that have no inherent purpose or goal.
The act of making contradictory statements or avoiding commitment to a clear position; excessive hedging that results in an argument making no distinguishable claim; in academic writing, tergiversation produces text that cannot be agreed with or disagreed with — a failure of intellectual commitment.
A chronologically organised presentation of key milestones in the development of a topic, technology, or scientific field.
Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits — ICC rules governing letters of credit globally. 39 articles. Current version 2007.
Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees — ICC rules governing demand guarantees and bank guarantees. In force since 2010.
An LC providing for payment at a future date (30, 60, 90, 120 days) after bill of exchange date or shipment.
UK Conformity Assessed marking — UK equivalent of CE marking required for goods placed on the GB market post-Brexit.
International principles governing commercial contracts, used when parties want a neutral legal framework.
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (replaced NAFTA in 2020). Auto RVC threshold raised to 75% (from 62.5%) + labour value content 40-45% at $16/hr+. Sunset clause: 6-year review, 16-year term.
The condition in which available evidence is insufficient to decide uniquely between competing theories or interpretations; Duhem-Quine thesis: empirical evidence always underdetermines theory choice, since auxiliary hypotheses can always be revised instead of the core theory — a central problem in philosophy of science.
An account held by a foreign bank at a domestic bank. From the domestic bank's perspective.
Anything that can change or be measured in a study; independent variables are manipulated, dependent variables are measured as outcomes.
Whether a study or measure actually captures what it claims to, and whether conclusions hold up (construct, internal, external validity).
The quality of being logically sound, or of accurately measuring what a study claims to measure (internal, external, construct validity).
A measurable characteristic that can take different values; independent (cause/predictor) vs dependent (outcome) — requires careful operationalisation.
In logic: conclusion follows from premises; in research: internal (causation established), external (findings generalise), and construct validity (measure captures the intended concept); reliability ≠ validity.
The appearance or quality of being true or real; in philosophy of science (Popper), a formal concept measuring how close a theory comes to the truth — a theory with more true and fewer false consequences has greater verisimilitude; in creative writing, the quality that makes fictional worlds believable.
Rule of origin requiring a product to be entirely produced in one country with no imported materials.
World Health Organisation Good Manufacturing Practices — international standard for pharmaceutical production.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive — EU law on collection, recycling, and recovery of electrical equipment.
Insurance covering goods against loss or damage caused by war, mines, or acts of war.
Wikimedia Foundation's free, open knowledge base of structured data — 100M+ entities with labels, descriptions, properties, and linked identifiers.
CERN's open research repository accepting datasets, software, preprints, and other outputs with guaranteed DOIs and long-term preservation.
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