Final answer:
The term 'accredited' defines something that has been investigated and confirmed to meet established standards. This is a key element in scientific research and is part of a system to ensure quality and consistency across studies, such as through peer review and following protocols defined by professional organizations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word that means "investigated and identified by a designated testing organization as conforming to recognized standards, requirements, or accepted test reports" is accredited. For example, undergraduate engineering programs are accredited when they meet the standards of a national board such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Accreditation is a standardization method of testing where administration, scoring, and interpretation of results are consistent. In the context of scientific research, this process is sometimes part of what is known as peer review, which is the formal process through which scientific research is checked for originality, significance, and quality before being accepted into scientific literature.
Professional organizations, like the American Statistical Association, have clear definitions and expectations for the quality of research. Conforming to recognized standards often includes accounting for uncertainty in results and using consistent units of measurement. Through these rigorous processes, conclusions drawn from research can be seen as credible, being something that can be verified by compelling evidence rather than just an opinion or unverified claim.