applied vs basic research - research methodology - manu melwin joy
TRANSCRIPT
Applied Vs Basic ResearchResearch Methodology
Prepared By
Kindly restrict the use of slides for personal purpose. Please seek permission to reproduce the same in public forms and presentations.
Manu Melwin JoyAssistant Professor
Ilahia School of Management Studies
Kerala, India.Phone – 9744551114
Mail – [email protected]
Applied Vs Basic Research
• When discussing
research methodology,
it is important to
distinguish
between applied and b
asic research.
Applied Vs Basic Research
• Applied research examines a
specific set of circumstances,
and its ultimate goal is
relating the results to a
particular situation. That is,
applied research uses the data
directly for real world
application.
Applied Vs Basic Research
• In applied research “[t]he goal is to predict a specific behavior in a very specific setting,” says Keith Stanovich, cognitive scientist and author of How To Think Straight About Psychology (2007, p.106).
Applied Vs Basic Research
• Basic research focuses on fundamental principles and testing theories. Mistakenly, it is sometimes implied that basic research doesn’t have practical applications.
Applied Vs Basic Research
• The history of science is replete with examples of basic research leading to real world applications. Just because a research study is not directed at specific set of circumstances does not mean that in the future the finding from that study will not be applied to a specific event or events.
Applied Vs Basic Research
• In 2011, spending on basic research accounted for about 18% of all U.S. R&D activities. Private industry performs less of this type of research than in years past because there is often no clear path to a marketable product.
Applied Vs Basic Research• Pharmaceuticals and scientific
research and development service industries tend to invest the most in basis research, since they are more directly tied to advances in science and technology. In 2011, the business sector performed 17% of the basic research, 57% of the applied research, and 88% of the development in the United States.
Applied Vs Basic Research• Most basic research is done in
academic laboratories, but government agencies and nonprofit organizations are also major contributors. (The U.S. academic sector performed 15% of all research, but 55% of basic research in 2011.) More than half of all basic research funding comes from government sources.
Applied Vs Basic Research
• The exploratory nature of basic research requires a high tolerance for uncertainty, an ability to deal with ambiguity, and perseverance to continue after a setback. Coming up with new ideas requires curiosity and the ability to recognize interesting and unusual areas to pursue.
Practical Implications of Basic Research
• When cell phones were first introduced, cognitive scientists began to worry about whether their use while driving could lead to increased numbers of automobile accidents. The worry was not because drivers would take one hand off the wheel when using the phone, but because of the attention requirements of talking on the phone. These predictions were derived from basic theories on limited attention capacities.
Applied Vs Basic Research• Classical and operant condition
principles were developed mostly from experimenting on non-human subjects. Since the discovery of these principles, they have been applied to a wide array of human problems, such as teaching declarative knowledge, treating autistic children, treating overweight individuals, and treating phobias, just to name a few.
Difference between applied and basic research
• Differences in purpose. – Purpose of applied studies
is closely associated with the solution of specific problems, while the purpose of fundamental studies relate to creation of new knowledge or expansion of the current knowledge without any concerns to applicability.
Difference between applied and basic research
• Differences in context. – In applied studies research
objectives are set of clients or sponsors as a solution to specific objectives. Fundamental studies, on the other hand, are usually self-initiated in order to expand the levels of knowledge in certain areas.
Difference between applied and basic research
• Differences in methods. – Research validity represents
an important point to be addressed in all types of studies. Nevertheless, applied studies are usually more concerned with external validity, whereas internal validity can be specified as the main point of concern for fundamental researchers.
Applied Vs Basic Research• Other examples of basic
research with practical implications include:– Discovery of x-rays which led to
studying bone fractures.– Discovery of chlorpromazine, a
drug used in the treatment of schizophrenia.
– Discovery of dark adaptation which helped establish a theory of basic visual processes that led to applications in treating night blindness and reading x-rays.
Applied Vs Basic Research• Other examples of basic
research with practical implications include:– Psychological studies of decision
making that led to important finding in the fields of education, medicine, and economics.
– Findings from psychology applied in various contexts within the legal system: evidence evaluation, eyewitness testimony, validity of recovered memories, and so on.
Applied Vs Basic Research
• Both applied and basic
research are important
to the scientific process.
It is a mistake to pit
them against each
other.
Applied Vs Basic Research• In conclusion, I will leave you with
the words of Keith Stanovich:• [I]t is probably a mistake to view
the basic-versus-applied distinction solely in terms of whether a study has practical applications, because this difference often simply boils down to a matter of time. Applied findings are of use immediately. However, there is nothing so practical as a general and accurate theory. (2007, p.107)
