OK - I'm stuck already :-( on my title to a section :-(

Its about the key factors that influence my research problem and I don't know which word to use (e.g. *factors* affecting dog barking) . I want to say something like

Influencers
Factors
predictors

but none of them sit right :-(

my favourite was 'antecedents' but I looked it up in the dictionary and don't think it means what I thought it meant :p

any posh words I haven't thought about?

Indicators of dog barking // Dog barking proclivity??

Def not sure about 'influencers'

yeah, 'influencers' isn't even a word is it?? d'oh! its what I want to say though :-(

I've settled for 'factors influencing [dog barking]' but its not really as snappy as I wanted it to be.

Determinands? Not sure if that is a word, or it fits.

Key imperatives? considerations? determinants?

======= Date Modified 28 Mar 2011 15:56:13 =======
influence, feature, aspect, reason, cause, dynamic, element, thing, consideration, circumstance, component, part

courtesy of http://encarta.msn.com/thesaurus_561573197/factor.html

8-)

'Factors Contributing to Dog Barking'? Or 'Factors that Promote Dog Barking'? Maybe 'Factors Influencing Dog Barking'? Am pretty sure "influencers" isn't a real word.

Mediators? Mediatory?

I still like antecedents :-( my supervisor gave me a funny look when I suggested it though :p

I think its going to stay 'factors influencing [......]' which I don't really like as it doesn't sound scientific enough, but hey ho