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, and intuition. Therefore, it is sometimes
conducted without any practical end in mind, although it may
have confounding variables (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 may find it difficult to obtain funding for basic
research.
Examples of questions asked in basic research:
Traditionally, basic research was considered as an activity
that preceded applied research, which in turn preceded
development into practical applications. Recently, these
distinctions have become much less clear-cut, and it is
sometimes the case that all stages will intermix. This is
particularly the case in fields such as
biotechnology and
electronics, where fundamental discoveries may be made
alongside work intended to develop new products, and in areas
where public and private sector partners collaborate in order to
develop greater insight into key areas of interest. For this
reason, some now prefer the term frontier research.
Research processes
Scientific research
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:
A common misunderstanding is that by this method a hypothesis
can be proven or tested. Generally a hypothesis is used to make
predictions that can be tested by observing the outcome of an
experiment. If the outcome is inconsistent with the hypothesis,
then the hypothesis is rejected. However, if the outcome is
consistent with the hypothesis, the experiment is said to
support the hypothesis. This careful language is used because
researchers recognize that alternative hypotheses may also be
consistent with the observations. In this sense, a hypothesis
can never be proven, but rather only supported by surviving
rounds of scientific testing and, eventually, becoming widely
thought of as true (or better, predictive), but this is not the
same as it having been proven. 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, the new will
supplant it.
Historical
The
historical method comprises the techniques and guidelines by
which historians use
historical sources and other evidence to research and then
to write history. There are various history guidelines commonly
used by historians in their work, under the headings of external
criticism, internal criticism, and
synthesis. This includes
higher criticism and
textual criticism. Though items may vary depending on the
subject matter and researcher, the following concepts are
usually part of most formal historical research:
- Identification of origin date
- Evidence of localization
- Recognition of authorship
- Analysis of data
- Identification of integrity
- Attribution of credibility
Research methods
The goal of the research process is to produce new knowledge,
which takes three main forms (although, as previously discussed,
the boundaries between them may be fuzzy):
The research room at the New York Public Library, an
example of
secondary research in progress.
Research can also fall into two distinct types:
Research is often conducted using the hourglass model
Structure of Research[1].
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.
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 disorganised 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.
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, has been 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.
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.
Etymology
The word research derives from the
French recherche, from rechercher, to search
closely where "chercher" means "to search"; its literal meaning
is 'to investigate thoroughly'.
See also
References
-
Trochim, W.M.K, (2006). Research Methods Knowledge Base.
