Pure Research Versus Applied Research

1. Introduction:
Pure research and applied research are the two board categories of Application based research
studies. And Application based research itself is one of the three perspectives of research. Pure
research involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses that are intellectually
challenging to the researcher and may or may not have any practical application at the present
time or in the future. It is typically carried out by a single researcher or sometimes a group of
researchers. Whereas, applied research involves finding solutions and answers to particular
problems and aids in decision making in different areas including product design, process design
and policy formulation. It is mainly carried out by an academic institution such as, a university
with the help of an industry partner who is interested in a program and funds the program. A
more detailed discussion about the two types of Application based research will help us the
differences between them.

2. Discussion:
Now, we will discuss pure research and applied research separately and then identify the main
differences between these two.

2.1. Pure Research:

The concept of pure research emerged between the late 19th century and early 20th century in an
attempt to bridge the gaps existing in the societal utility of science. Pure research is a study
approach that examines different subject, phenomenon or basic law of nature in order to gain a
better understanding. As we already said that pure research is one to develop and test theories
and hypotheses, so, it is carried out as more to satisfy intellectual curiosity, than to find real
world solutions to problems. Pure research's fundamental aim is to enhance knowledge by
identifying or explaining relationships between variables. As a result, it enhances basic
information about the world and introduces new theories, concepts, and principles, as well as
new methods of thinking. This type of research can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory in
character; but, in many circumstances, it is explanatory. Pure research is also known as
fundamental research or basic research. The research which aims to improve a theory or a
method is known as fundamental research. And research on how to modify a theory to apply it to
a general situation is basic research. So, the knowledge gathered through pure research adds to
the existing body of research methods. In most cases, these researches require a high level of
intellectual ability as well as the backing of an esteemed institution. Those involved in these
researches devote all of their time and effort in developing or reformulating theories and
hypotheses. These are frequently motivated by curiosity, and their findings aid in the
advancement of applied science breakthroughs. As a result, pure research is very organized and
systematic.

Examples: a) In education, pure research is used to develop pedagogical theories that explain
teaching and learning behaviors in the classroom. For example:

1. How does the Language Acquisition Device work on children?

2. How does the human retentive memory work?

3. How do teaching methods affect student's concentration in class?

b) In Science, basic science investigations probe for answers to questions such as:

1. How did the universe begin?

2. What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?
3. How do slime molds reproduce?

2.2. Applied Research:

Applied research is a type of research that aims to solve a specific problem or offer unique
answers to challenges or problems that affect a person, a group, or a society. Because it
incorporates the practical application of scientific principles to everyday situations, it is also
referred to as a scientific method of inquiry or contractual research. In fact, it uses the principles
and theories developed by pure research to carry out the investigation. So, it can be considered a
follow-up research design that further investigates the findings of pure or basic research in order
to test and validate these findings and apply them to develop innovative solutions. Applied
research is usually descriptive but it can also be exploratory. It tries to discover answers to the
questions who, what, when, where and how regarding various real-life phenomena. The method
is far more useful because it strives to identify facts that will have a direct impact on practice.
When performing applied research, the researcher pays special attention in identifying an issue,
developing a research hypothesis, and then conducting an experiment to evaluate these
hypotheses. In many cases, empirical approaches are used in this method to answer actual
problems. Because of its problem-solving nature means, it is conducted to reveal answers to
specific questions related to action, performance, or policy needs and can be found in a wide
range of sectors, including medical, technology, education, and agriculture. Such investigations
are always conducted with a specific objective in mind. Furthermore, the outcomes of applied
research are typically meant for immediate application rather than future usage.

Examples: a) In business, applied research can be utilized to gain market knowledge and
develop product solutions. It enables businesses to understand the unique requirements of target
markets, allowing them to develop various business strategies to meet those requirements.

b) It is also used to solve various social problems. For instance, a study conducted to find the
relationship between small height and difficult deliveries in Bangladesh is applied research.

2.3. Differences between pure research and applied research:

So, through the above discussions of pure research and applied research, we can now point out
the main differences between these Application based research types:

Basis Pure Research Applied Research

Concept Pure research is carried out as Applied research is carried out to

more to satisfy intellectual find answers to particular problems
curiosity, than with the intention to be solved and as an aid in
of using the research findings for decision making in different areas.
any immediate practical
application.
Subject base It comes from data that are Conclusion made from applied
gathered from the knowledge of research is based on actual
different individuals with direct investigation of the subject.
experience about the subject.
Principles This research helps in developing It utilizes the principles set by pure
theories by discovering broad research to know the problems with
 generalizations and principles. best possible manner.
Aims Pure research aims to develop Applied research aims at finding a
generalizations and formulate solution for a problem facing a
theories. society or a business organization.
Time frame Pure research is done for future Applied research is only used to
use. find immediate solution to a
problem.
Nature It is exploratory in nature. It is usually descriptive in nature.
Goal It is conducted without any It is conducted with a specific goal
specific goal. in mind.
Context Fundamental studies are usually In applied studies, research
self-initiated in order to expand the objectives are set by clients or
levels of knowledge in certain sponsors as a solution to specific
areas. problems they are facing.
Cost effective It is not economically profitable It is very profitable if it can find
since it has no practical valid answers to the problem at
application. But it may help in hand.
applied research.
Research Scope It has a wide scope as it can be Applied research is more limited in
applied to diverse concepts. scope when compared to basic
research.
Research New hypotheses, fresh dimensions The researcher arrives at legitimate
outcomes to old theories, or new information findings or conclusions that
that improves on a body of confirm or refute the research
knowledge are the outcomes of hypotheses after conducting applied
fundamental research. research by testing empirical
evidence.
Other names Basic research is also known as Applied research is also referred to
pure or fundamental research as contractual research because of
because it is knowledge-specific. its primary focus on providing a
solution to a specific problem.
 Examples in social A social researcher investigating A study conducted to find the
science the relationship between religion relationship between small height
and occupation is pure research. and difficult deliveries in
Bangladesh is applied research.
Examples in A business researcher analyzing An organization contemplating a
business the existing policies and programs paperless office and a networking
of rural credit in the context of system for the company’s PC may
Bangladesh is pure research. conduct applied research to learn
the amount of time its employee
speed at PCs in an average week.

Fig: Spending of higher education on various types of research (Source: Grattan Institute)
From the above graph, we get the idea that educational institutions have been spending more on
applied research studies than on pure research studies over the last few years. Moreover, the
amount spend on applied research is gradually increasing with time.
This difference between pure and applied research is attributable to applied research’s capability
to solve specific problems for institutions, organizations and individuals, unlike basic research
that is simply focused on expanding knowledge without providing solutions to existing
problems. Applied research is an objective method of inquiry, whereas, basic research is
somewhat subjective in its approach. Typically, applied research is unbiased because it arrives at
outcomes by subjecting empirical evidence to standardized scientific procedures and this makes
it a more valid research method.

3. Importance of this topic in Research Methodology:

The importance of pure and applied research in research methodology:

 Pure research focuses on putting hypotheses to the test or rejecting theories that explain
how the universe works, why certain things happen, why social interactions are the way
they are, and why society changes, among other topics. So, researchers have to conduct
the research subjectively.
 Pure research develops new ideas, principles, and theories that are not immediately
applicable but are used in future researches.
 Applied research allows the research methodology to be seen from a holistic viewpoint.
 Applied research results in immediate solutions to real-life problems solved by people.
So, it is of high importance in research methodology. ‘
 Defining the type of Application based research will help us to develop a proper problem
statement and also the goal of the research.

4. Conclusion:
So, now, we can clearly understand the difference between pure research and applied research.
And this difference mainly depends on the goal of the research. Moreover, both the Application
based research types is equally important in research methodology. Because, pure research
develops and tests new theories, principles and ideas, whereas, applied research uses those
theories and principles to solve practical problems.
5. Reference:
1. Hasa, 2017, March 16. Difference Between Pure and Applied Research.[online]
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Between Similar Terms > [Accessed 1 October 2021].
2. Kashmanian Oates K., Ph.D., 2013, May 7. Importance of Basic Research.[online]
Available at: <The Importance of Basic , | HuffPost>[Accessed 1 October 2021].
3. Formplus Blog, 2020, December 7. What is Pure or Basic Research? + [Examples &
Method]. [online] Available at: <What is Pure or Basic Research? + [Examples &
Method] (formpl.us)> [Accessed 1 October 2021].
4. Formplus Blog, 2020, August 14. What is Applied Researc? + [Examples & Method].
[online] Available at: <What is Applied Research? + [Types, Examples & Method]
(formpl.us)> [Accessed 1 October 2021].