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Research is an active, diligent and systematic process of inquiry in order to discover, interpret or revise facts, events, behaviours, or theories, or to make practical applications with the help of such facts, laws or theories. The term "research" is also used to describe the collection of information about a particular subject. Fact is the following: Generally a fact is something that exists or has existed, of evidence. ...
The word theory has a number distinct meanings depending on the context. ...
The word "research" derives from the Middle French (see French language) and the literal meaning is "to investigate thoroughly". French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ...
Basic and applied research
Research is best described as a "self-correcting" process; it is the foundation of the scientific method. Generally, one can distinguish between basic research and applied research. A scientific method or process is considered fundamental to the scientific investigation and acquisition of new knowledge based upon physical evidence. ...
Basic research Basic research (also called fundamental or pure research) has as its primary objective the advancement of knowledge and the theoretical understanding of the relations among variables (see statistics). It is exploratory and often driven by the researcher’s curiosity, interest or hunch. It is conducted without a practical end in mind although it can have unexpected results that point to practical applications. The terms “basic” or “fundamental” research indicate that, through theory generation, basic research provides the foundation for further, often applied research. Because there is no guarantee of short-term practical gain, researchers often find it difficult to obtain funding for basic research. Knowledge is the awareness and understanding of facts, truths or information gained in the form of experience or learning (a posteriori), or through introspection (a priori). ...
Statistics is the science and practice of developing knowledge through the use of empirical data expressed in quantitative form. ...
The word theory has a number distinct meanings depending on the context. ...
Basic research asks questions such as:
- At what point in human history did logical thought arise?
- Are living organisms the rule or the exception?
- What is the mind-body connection?
- What is the specific genetic code of the oceanic whitetip?
Applied research Applied research is done to solve specific, practical questions; its primary aim is not to gain knowledge for its own sake. It can be exploratory but often it is descriptive. It is almost always done on the basis of basic research. Often the research is carried out by academic or industrial institutions. More often an academic instituion such as a university will have a specific applied research programme funded by an industrial partner. Common areas of applied research include electronics, informatics, computer science, process engineering and applied science. Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ...
A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ...
Electronics is the study and use of electrical devices that operate by controlling the flow of electrons or other electrically charged particles in devices such as thermionic valves and semiconductors. ...
Information Science or Informatics is the science of information. ...
Edsger Dijkstra said: Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. ...
Chemical engineering is the application of science, mathematics and economics to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms. ...
Applied science is the art of applying scientific knowledge to practical problems. ...
Applied research asks questions such as:
- How can Canada's wheat crops be protected from grasshoppers?
- What is the most efficient and effective vaccine against influenza?
- How can communication among workers in large companies be improved?
- How can the Great Lakes be protected against the effects of greenhouse gas?
There are many instances when the distinction between basic and applied research is not clear. It is not unusual for researchers to present their project in such a light as to "slot" it into either applied or basic research, depending on the requirements of the funding sources. The question of genetic codes is a good example. Unravelling it for the sake of knowledge alone would be basic research – but what, for example, if knowledge of it also has the benefit of making it possible to alter the code so as to make a plant commercially viable? Some say that the difference between basic and applied research lies in the time span between research and reasonably foreseeable practical applications. Research funding is a term generally covering any funding for scientific research, in the areas of both hard science and technology and social science. ...
RNA codons. ...
Thomas Kuhn, in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, traces an interesting history and analysis of the enterprise of research. Thomas Samuel Kuhn (July 18, 1922 – June 17, 1996) was an American intellectual who wrote extensively on the history of science and developed several important notions in the philosophy of science. ...
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Thomas Kuhn, 1962) is an analysis of the history of science. ...
Research methods The scope of the research process is to produce some new knowledge. This, in principle, can take three main forms: Process (lat. ...
Exploratory research Exploratory research often represents a poorly defined problem area. ...
Constructive research is perhaps the most common computer science research method. ...
Empirical research is any activity that uses direct or indirect observation as its test of reality. ...
Research process Generally, research is understood to follow a certain structural process. Though step order may vary depending on the subject matter and researcher, the following steps are usually part of most formal research, both basic and applied: Process (lat. ...
A hypothesis (= assumption in ancient Greek) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. ...
A conceptual definition is an element of the scientific research process, in which a specific concept is defined as a measurable occurrence. ...
An operational definition of a quantity is a specific process whereby it is measured. ...
A datum is a statement accepted at face value (a given). Data is the plural of datum. ...
Maxim It is sometimes said that "Copying from one source is plagiarism, copying from several sources is research". Plagiarism refers to the use of anothers ideas, information, language, or writing, when done without proper acknowledgment of the original source. ...
Research funding Main article: Research funding Research funding is a term generally covering any funding for scientific research, in the areas of both hard science and technology and social science. ...
Most funding for scientific research comes from two major sources, corporations (through research and development departments) and government (primarily through universities and in some cases through military contractors). Many senior researchers (such as group leaders) spend more than a trivial amount of their time applying for grants for research funds. These grants are necessary not only for researchers to carry out their research but as a source of merit. Some faculty positions require that the holder has received grants from certain institutions, such as the NIH. Government-sponsored grants (e.g. from the National Institute of Health, the National Health Service in Britain or any of the European research councils) generally have a high status. A scientific method or process is considered fundamental to the scientific investigation and acquisition of new knowledge based upon physical evidence. ...
The phrase research and development (also R and D or R&D) has a special commercial significance apart from its conventional coupling of research and technological development. ...
The National Institutes of Health is an institution of the United States government which focuses on medical research. ...
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/
See also Empirical research is any activity that uses direct or indirect observation as its test of reality. ...
Internet research is the practice of using the Internet for research. ...
Research Research covers the search for and retrieval of information for a specific purpose. ...
Operations research, operational research, or simply OR, is the use of mathematical models, statistics and algorithms to aid in decision-making. ...
A paradigm shift is the term first used by Thomas Kuhn in his famous 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions to describe the process and result of a change in basic assumptions within the ruling theory of science. ...
The philosophy of science is the branch of philosophy which studies the philosophical foundations, presumptions and implications of science both of the natural sciences like physics and biology and the social sciences such as psychology and economics. ...
A very wide range of research methods are used in psychology. ...
The phrase research and development (also R and D or R&D) has a special commercial significance apart from its conventional coupling of research and technological development. ...
Research rapture is an emotional state which can arise from the exhaustive study of a topic or period of history. ...
What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ...
Social research is the branch of sociology that carries out research. ...
Statistics is the science and practice of developing knowledge through the use of empirical data expressed in quantitative form. ...
This article is primarily concerned with truth as it is used in the evaluation of propositions, sentences, and similar items. ...
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