TYPES of EDUCATIONAL

RESEARCH

APPLIED RESEARCH
 Definition
• Investigation of the findings of 'pure' or basic
research, to determine if they could be used to
develop new products or technologies.
• The research conducted to solve specific problems
or to answer specific questions.
• In accounting for research and development costs,
the basic and applied research costs are often
written off as incurred.
 Applied research
– Applied Research deals with practical problems
and is generally empirical
– Applied research is often opposed to pure
research in debates about research ideals,
programs, and projects
– Goal: Improve human condition (i.e., improve the
world) (e.g., how to cure cancers?)
– Driven by practical needs
– High impact examples: computers, transistors,
vaccinations
Applied Research
Advancement of
Technology
 Why undertake applied rather
than basic
research
-- Both applied and basic research contribute to knowledge;
both are valuable.

• However, findings from applied research (based on data or

theory) help address short-term policy concerns, whereas
findings from basic research (data or theory based) may
not be immediately applicable.

• Desire to address current policy problems underlies much

of applied research.
 Possible problems for applied
research
• Unclear justifications for research institutes
– Academic drift

– Drift towards becoming non-profit organizations

operating as if they were a commercial actor

• Underinvestment in parts of technological

research and/or an inefficient balance between
incentives