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Encyclopedia > Researching

Research is often described as an active, diligent, and systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting and revising facts. This intellectual investigation produces a greater understanding of events, behaviors, or theories, and makes practical applications through laws and theories. The term research is also used to describe a collection of information about a particular subject, and is usually associated with science and the scientific method. Look up fact in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An intellectual is a person who uses his or her intellect to study, reflect, speculate on, or ask and answer questions with regard to a variety of different ideas. ... A detective is an officer of the police who performs criminal or administrative investigations, in some police departments, the lowest rank among such investigators (above the lowest rank of officers and below sergeants), a civilian licensed to investigate information not readily available in public records (a private investigator, also called... Behavior or behaviour (see spelling differences) refers to the actions or reactions of an object or organism, usually in relation to the environment. ... The word theory has a number of distinct meanings in different fields of knowledge, depending on the context and their methodologies. ... For law within legal systems see law. ... Information as a concept bears a diversity of meanings, from everyday usage to technical settings. ... For the periodical, see Science (journal) Science in the broadest sense refers to any knowledge or trained skill, especially (but not exclusively) when this is attained by verifiable means. ... Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for the investigation of phenomena and the acquisition of new knowledge of the natural world, as well as the correction and integration of previous knowledge, based on observable, empirical, measurable evidence, and subject to laws of reasoning. ...


The word research derives from Middle French (see French language); its 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. ...


Thomas Kuhn, in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, traces an interesting history and analysis of the enterprise of research. Cover of a biography of Thomas Kuhn. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Contents


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 any practical end in mind, although it may have unexpected results pointing to practical applications. The terms “basic” or “fundamental” indicate that, through theory generation, basic research provides the foundation for further, sometimes applied research. As there is no guarantee of short-term practical gain, researchers often find it difficult to obtain funding for basic research. Research is a subset of invention Knowledge is information of which a person, organization or other entity is aware. ... A graph of a bell curve in a normal distribution showing statistics used in educational assessment, comparing various grading methods. ... Exploration is the act of searching or traveling for the purpose of discovery, e. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...


Examples of questions asked in basic research:

Interaction in the subatomic world: world lines of pointlike particles in the Standard Model or a world sheet swept up by closed strings in string theory String theory is a model of fundamental physics whose building blocks are one-dimensional extended objects (strings) rather than the zero-dimensional points (particles... The first few hydrogen atom electron orbitals shown as cross-sections with color-coded probability density. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In biology the genome of an organism is the whole hereditary information of an organism that is encoded in the DNA (or, for some viruses, RNA). ... In mathematics, Goldbachs conjecture is one of the oldest unsolved problems in number theory and in all of mathematics. ...

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 is usually descriptive. It is almost always done on the basis of basic research. Applied research can be carried out by academic or industrial institutions. Often, an academic instituion such as a university will have a specific applied research program funded by an industrial partner interested in that program. Common areas of applied research include electronics, informatics, computer science, material science, process engineering, drug design... Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ... Representation of a university class, 1350s. ... The field of electronics is the study and use of systems that operate by controlling the flow of electrons (or other charge carriers) in devices such as thermionic valves and semiconductors. ... Informatics includes the science of information and the practice of information processing. ...   Computer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... Materials science includes those parts of chemistry and physics that deal with the properties of materials. ... “Process engineering is about applying engineering approaches, techniques, and tools to the construction of Process Models. ... Drug design is the approach of finding drugs by design, based on their biological targets. ...


Examples of question asked in applied research:

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. Unraveling 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. Species T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp. ... Look up crop in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to a disease, in order to prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by any natural or wild strain of the organism. ... Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease that infects birds and mammals (primarily of the upper airways and lungs in mammals) and is caused by an RNA virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family (the influenza viruses). ... Communication is the process of sending information to oneself or another entity, usually via a language. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... Top: Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels as measured in the atmosphere and ice cores. ... Time use research is a developing interdisciplinary field of study dedicated to knowing how people allocate their time during an average day. ... 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. ... Knowledge is information of which a person, organization or other entity is aware. ...


Research methods

The scope of the research process is to produce some new knowledge. This, in principle, can take three main forms: Process (lat. ...

Research methods used by scholars: 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. ... Empirical research is any activity that uses direct or indirect observation as its test of reality. ...

Research is often conducted using the hourglass model Trochim, W.M.K, (2006). Structure of Research. Research Methods Knowledge Base (http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/strucres.htm). The hourglass model starts with a broad spectrum for research, focusing in on the required information through the methodology of the project (like the neck of the hourglass), then expands the research in the form of discussion and results. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Case studies involve a particular method of research. ... Classification may refer to: Taxonomic classification See also class (philosophy) Statistical classification Security classification Hint: Language use may refer to a taxonomic classification that is used for statistical purposes also as a statistical classification (like International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems). ... Look up Experience in Wiktionary, the free dictionary This article discusses the general concept of experience. ... Intuition is an unconscious form of knowledge. ... In the scientific method, an experiment (Latin: ex-+-periri, of (or from) trying), is a set of actions and observations, performed in the context of solving a particular problem or question, to support or falsify a hypothesis or research concerning phenomena. ... Eye tracking is a technique used in cognitive science, psychology (notably psycholinguistics), human-computer interaction (HCI), advertising, medical research, and other areas. ... interview An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked to obtain information from the interviewee. ... Cartography or mapmaking (in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write) is the study and practice of making maps or globes. ... Note: The term model is also given a formal meaning in model theory, a part of axiomatic set theory. ... A simulation is an imitation of some real device or state of affairs. ... Participant observation is a major research strategy which aims to gain a close and intimate familiarity with a given group of individuals (such as a religious, occupational, or deviant group) and their practices through an intensive involvement with people in their natural environment. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Statistical surveys are used to collect quantitative information about items in a population. ... Content analysis (also called: textual analysis) is a standard methodology in the social sciences on the subject of communication content. ...


Research process

Main article: Scientific method

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: Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for the investigation of phenomena and the acquisition of new knowledge of the natural world, as well as the correction and integration of previous knowledge, based on observable, empirical, measurable evidence, and subject to laws of reasoning. ...

A common misunderstanding is that by this method a hypothesis can be proven. Instead, by these methods no hypothesis can be proven, rather a hypothesis may only be disproven. A hypothesis can survive several rounds of scientific testing and be widely thought of as true (or better, predictive), but this is not the same as it having been proven. It would be better to say that the hypothesis has yet to be disproven. A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... 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 the description of a specific process, or set of validation tests, accessible to more persons than the definer (i. ... Data is the plural of datum. ... A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ...


A useful hypothesis allows prediction and within the accuracy of observation of the time, the prediction will be verified. As the accuracy of observation improves with time, the hypothesis may no longer provide an accurate prediction. In this case a new hypothesis will arise to challenge the old, and to the extent that the new hypothesis makes more accurate predictions than the old, will supplant it. A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ... A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. ...


Publishing

Academic publishing describes a system that is necessary in order for academic scholars to peer review the work and make it available for a wider audience. The 'system', which is probably disorganized enough not to merit the title, varies widely by field, and is also always changing, if often slowly. Most academic work is published in journal article or book form. In publishing, STM publishing is an abbreviation for academic publications in science, technology, and medicine. This article is concerned with the production of books, magazines, and other literary material (whether in printed or electronic formats). ... A scholar is either a student or someone who has achieved a mastery of some academic discipline, perhaps receiving financial support through a scholarship. ... Peer review (known as refereeing in some academic fields) is a scholarly process used in the publication of manuscripts and in the awarding of funding for research. ... This article is about the field of medical practice and health care. ...


Most established academic fields have their own journals and other outlets for publication, though many academic journals are somewhat interdisciplinary, and publish work from several distinct fields or subfields. The kinds of publications that are accepted as contributions of knowledge or research vary greatly between fields.


Academic publishing is undergoing major changes, emerging from the transition from the print to the electronic format. Business models are different in the electronic environment. Since about the early 1990s, licensing of electronic resources, particularly journals, was very common. Presently, a major trend, particularly with respect to scholarly journals, is open access. There are two main forms of open access: open access publishing, in which the articles or the whole journal is freely available from the time of publication, and self-archiving, where the author makes a copy of their own work freely available on the web. See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from 2000 and 2001. ...


Research funding

Main article: Research funding

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 also as a source of merit. Some faculty positions require that the holder has received grants from certain institutions, such as the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Government-sponsored grants (e.g. from the NIH, the National Health Service in Britain or any of the European research councils) generally have a high status. Research funding is a term generally covering any funding for scientific research, in the areas of both hard science and technology, and social science. ... A scientific method or process is considered fundamental to the scientific investigation and acquisition of new knowledge based upon physical evidence. ... A corporation is a legal person which, while being composed of natural persons, exists completely separately from them. ... The phrase research and development (also R and D or R&D) has a special commercial significance apart from its conventional coupling of scientific research and technological development. ... The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for medical research. ... The logo of the NHS for England. ...


See also

An academic conference is a conference for researchers (not always academics) to present and discuss their work. ... Demonstrative evidence is evidence used to help the fact-finder gain context for the facts of the case. ... Empirical research is any activity that uses direct or indirect observation as its test of reality. ... The European Charta for Researchers is a recommendation of good practice for researchers and employers and/or funders of researchers issued by the European Commission (DG Research). ... Internet research is the practice of using the Internet for research. ... A lab notebook is a primary record of research. ... Research is the search for and retrieval of existing, discovery or creation of new information or knowledge for a specific purpose. ... In the spirit of free and open source software (F/OSS), open research is conducted in much the same way. ... Operations research, operational research, or simply OR, is the use of mathematical models, statistics, and algorithms to aid in decision-making. ... // Description PAR has emerged in recent years as a significant methodology for intervention, development and change within communities and groups. ... 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 scientific research and technological development. ... Social research refers to research conducted by social scientists (primarily within sociology, but also within other disciplines such as social policy, human geography, social anthropology and education). ...

External links

  • Social Research Collaboration Tool for Researchers

  Results from FactBites:
 
Research - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1173 words)
Research is often described as an active, diligent, and systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting and revising facts.
The term research is also used to describe a collection of information about a particular subject, and is usually associated with science and the scientific method.
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.
Glaucoma Research Foundation (255 words)
Every day of research, each new insight shared, brings us closer to the cure for a leading cause of blindness.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for glaucoma.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation Visionary award celebrates individuals with the vision to see a future free of glaucoma and the commitment to make that vision a personal priority.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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