What is Research: Definition and 998 Discussions

Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole.
The primary purposes of basic research (as opposed to applied research) are documentation, discovery, interpretation, and the research and development (R&D) of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge. Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences. There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic, economic, social, business, marketing, practitioner research, life, technological, etc. The scientific study of research practices is known as meta-research.

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  1. C

    Physics Research Project Ideas (First year physics course)

    Hello. I am a first year physics major, and a major component of the first year physics course (for physics majors) is a research project. With a partner, I am supposed to conduct a research experiment in the broad field of physics. The proposal for this project is due friday, in which we must...
  2. gfd43tg

    Undergrad research professor choice

    Hello, I am on exchange at a university where there are not a lot of students fighting for undergrad research positions, so I have pretty much any pick I want in what group I want to join, coupled with the fact that I go to a famous University makes professors to want to have me on their team...
  3. Squidie9

    Exploring a Career in Physics at 15

    I've decided that I would like to pursue a career in physics. Before I decide to devote my life to it (I am in year 9, so there's really no rush), I would like to find out more about it. However I am only 15, so most information I find is far beyond my intelligence. What I would like to know is...
  4. T

    Current Research on the Origin of Electric Charge

    Hello! I am not sure if this is the correct place for this but here is a go. I'm currently applying to graduate schools and I know that I am interested in theoretical particle physics and condensed matter theory. In electricity and magnetism we were told that charge is an axiom and it's not...
  5. 1

    Applying condensed matter physics/ soft matter physics to medicine

    What are some ways that people are applying condensed matter physics/ soft matter physics to optimize some treatments in medicine, e.g. in magnetic hypothermia?
  6. 1

    Research areas in condensed matter physics

    What are some exciting research areas in condensed matter physics at the moment?
  7. ZetaOfThree

    Current research on protein folding

    As a non-biologist, I'm curious: What are some things that current research on protein folding is focusing on? What are some current challenges that researchers are facing? I understand that the protein folding problem is a very important problem in the field of biophysics. Any experts on here?
  8. metapuff

    Math Research in Undergrad Fun? Worth it?

    I'm thinking about doing some research in math next semester... pure math, focused on Algebraic Geometry. I'm currently doing research in theoretical cosmology, and it's been going really well, but the math research sounds really interesting to me. What would grad schools think of this? On one...
  9. Hercuflea

    Math: Job prospects after a PhD in PDE research

    What would the career prospects be for someone who does a Ph. D. in Mathematics with a research focus in partial differential equations? Assuming you got some computer skills along the way like parallel computing, programming, etc? Sure, you could become a professor but most people don't make...
  10. P

    How do researchers typically come up with their first research topic?

    This question just out of curiosity, How did you guys think of what your 1st research will be about? Because there are so many researches out there and many discoveries have been made, how did you come up with a topic of your own? PS, not sure if this is the right place to post this but I...
  11. D

    How to know more about the frontiers of modern physics research?

    I'm a first year physics undergraduate. I'm trying to look for some research opportunities as becoming a physicist is always my target. However, I simply have no idea how the current research is going on, and before I approach any professors I guess I should already have some basic understanding...
  12. A

    Vibrations of a circular membrane with free ends

    Hello, As of this moment I am trying to get in the process of writing an Extended Essay on Chladni Plates, more specifically on a circular vibrating membrane with free ends. To begin with I thought the concept could be simplified to such an extent where I could take a cross-section of the plate...
  13. Z

    Question: physics research budget

    I was wondering if anyone happened to know roughly how much does the average university physics professor spend each year on supplies for performing their experiments. I'm assuming that experimentalists would on average be spending a lot more on equipment than theory people who might only be...
  14. Greg Bernhardt

    The top 100 most-cited research of all time

    The top 100 papers Nature explores the most-cited research of all time. http://www.nature.com/news/the-top-100-papers-1.16224
  15. W

    Are there paid internships in research for good causes in undeveloped countries?

    Hello, Does anyone know if any companies working for good causes (water filters, disease control, agricultural improvements) in undeveloped countries have paid internships for the summer (if not paid, at least room and board). Actually I'll even take good unpaid internship opportunities. I'd...
  16. Vannay

    Doing research for dissertation outside of the home department?

    Looking at different graduate programs to apply to for physics focusing on biological physics. Very different research going on from school to school in the field so most of the criteria I'm basing where I apply is what kind of research is listed. My understanding of the process at your given...
  17. J

    Can I do undergrad research and summer classes at another school?

    I'm planning on going to graduate school, and that means I'll need research experience. Now, double-majoring in electrical engineering and physics, my semester schedules are too rough for me to take up research, but I was thinking of doing it over the summer. However, the university I'm at is...
  18. Q

    How to know if research project is going anywhere?

    As an undergraduate, how do you know when your adviser actually intends for you to get work done and do something that might be publishable? I'm in a liberal arts college with low emphasis on research, so sometimes I have this paranoid feeling that my adviser doesn't actually care whether I even...
  19. J

    Advice for Incoming Undergrad On Post-Baccalaureate Optionality

    Hi all! I'm trying to decide between Smith, Wellesley, and Wesleyan. I'm interested in their neuroscience programs, and have heard great things about all of them. However, quite a few factors are at play here: FA, Post-doc optionality if I want to do med school (not sure about career path yet)...
  20. Shing Ernst

    Recent important observations on dark matter for an undergrad research

    I would love some suggestions about my undergraduate research, thought it may be improper to ask here. I apology if I break the group rules. My undergraduate research topic is dark matter. My plan so far is to study important observations before making other progress. I have found an...
  21. P

    Ph.D in astrophysics having research experiences in nanoelectronics

    I am from India. I have done B.Sc in electronics, M.Sc in electronics, M.Tech in nanoelectronics and currently have four years of research experiences in nanoelectronics. But now I want to shift from this career and get a Ph.D in astrophysics from the universities in USA. Can anyone tell me is...
  22. M

    Should I switch professors for my Master's thesis?

    Hey PF! If any of you have experience as a graduate student or a professor please help me out here. I'm a Master's student in mechanical engineering doing research for a professor now and I really don't like what I'm working on. I've told the professor this and he said this is temporary and...
  23. B

    Research -- "Ziemlich Frech : Einstein versus Nernst"

    I am writing an essay on "Ziemlich Frech : Einstein versus Nernst". I can find very little information on this topic anywhere. I've searched the library and the internet and don't have anything certain yet. So far I'm at a stage where I believe it could be about Einstein Solids. I know that...
  24. moriheru

    Introductory Books for Research in Bosonic String Theory

    I am looking for introductiory books on gauge theory and conformalfield theory and polyakov integrals for research in Bosonic string theory. Any other material recommendations for String theory that are necessary for bosonic string theory or heterotic string theory are definelty apreciated. To...
  25. NATURE.M

    Research Opportunities for Canadian Student

    Hey, I am currently looking for potential 2015 summer research opportunities. And as the title suggests I am a 2nd year Canadian undergraduate physics and computer science student, hence places like NASA are not possible since such opportunities require US citizenship. I know its earlier...
  26. Q

    How best to research a system?

    Hi, I was wondering if this makes sense and would appreciate pointers to relevant topics... Basic idea is that if you want to understand a system you need to 'reason' on the level of the system and not on the level of its parts. Analogy (borrowed from Tania Lombrozo from here) is that of...
  27. S

    E-mailing professor about research opportunities

    I'm an EE undergrad senior here, and I want to get some work in at a research lab here on campus. I have a solid GPA and decent relationship with professors, and now I want to do some work. I've been trolling the faculty profiles (reading their research interests) to decide who I might want to...
  28. Richa Sharma

    Career path for physics (Pure research)

    Hi guys! Sorry I'm new so the questions might seen a bit vague but I'm unclear about a lots of things I want to make a career purely in physics, I'd prefer cosmology and theoretical physics because that was I was so interested in from beginning. But I've heard the career in theoretical physics...
  29. T

    Need research ideas: combining optics and visual arts

    This is an original research project. Any ideas or guidance in the overlap of the two fields (i don't know much about the overlap).
  30. P

    Helping instructor in research

    Our instructor in program design asked our class if any of us wants to participate in his research. I am thinking of applying but I am wondering if it's worth it considering that even after this sem,my only knowledge will only about basic java. Any thoughts?
  31. A

    Need some help deciding Final Year Project Ideas welcome

    Hi I'm about to start my 3rd year in my Engineering university and would like some ideas for my Final Year project... We have 2 options. We can either make a model/prototype of something and present it OR we can do a research on a particular field. I'm leaning more towards the research side...
  32. U

    Computer Science based physics research?

    Does anyone know of any research being done to control gravity and weather systems through computer science and directed programmatic control leveraging energy? There's a rumor on the 'internets' (as Bush would call it) that the senate recently discussed openly that HAARP and weather...
  33. H

    Theoretical Physics: Investigating the Fundamental Laws of Nature

    Hi, So what exactly does somebody who is involved in "theoretical physics" do at their job? This is not the same thing as somebody who is involved in experimental physics, right? If I understand right, theoretical physics is the stuff we learn in class. It's the theory to explain the phenomena...
  34. Christian0412

    Calculating Bandgaps Experimentally

    I've been doing a bit of reading on bandgaps of semiconductors and alloys of semiconductors. I was curious to know is the bandgap of a material, say Silicon, determined or calculated experimentally? How do scientists usually determine this in the lab?
  35. F

    Nuclear Science and Technology For doing research in Controlled Nuclear Fusion

    I am interested in doing research in controlled nuclear fusion , i am doing my electrical engineering 4th year in India. Since no college in my country offers post graduation in fusion related fields , i have decided to do M.Tech in Nuclear science and technology in Indian Institute of Technolgy...
  36. C

    Solid state ultrafast spectroscopy - a good research direction?

    I am interested in ultrafast optical spectroscopy of solid state materials. The unique measurements and especially the process of developing new measurement tools for the optical measurement of quantities that are hard to measure in other ways, and the learning of transferrable skills, make this...
  37. B

    Choosing Undergraduate Research Lab

    Dear all, I am a sophomore at one of respected public hresearch university; my major is a microbiology (and I am also considering double major in the chemistry). My future goal is to go to the graduate programs in medical microbiology/virology or chemical biology with focus on the virology; my...
  38. W

    How to do Undergraduate Engineering Research?

    What should I research? By this I mean, what needs any researching in the first place? I'm interested in aerospace'aeronautic engineering particularly the areas of structures and aerodynamics. But how do I find out what specific area of it to research? I'm only in my second year of college as a...
  39. D

    Do you have any good advice for getting started on a research project?

    I'm an engineering student. I have to create a 20 page research paper on a topic that is new to me. I have to hand it in in about 3.5 weeks. I looked at the initial papers that my supervisor recommended to me today. Maybe I'm insanely impatient but reading papers with tonnes of terms that I...
  40. L

    Research Fields in Theoretical Physics

    The time I will be asked to take a subject for my graduation project and I'm searching for something in hot fields for modern physics research. Unfortunately I don't know where to look and I was hoping for some help. Any suggestion would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.
  41. O

    Find US HEP Research Groups | Best Experimental High Energy Physics

    Where to go to study experimental high energy physics in the US? What are the best groups working on experiment HEP to join with?
  42. V

    Schools Looking for Grad Schools that do research in ClassMech

    Strange topic, I know, but that really is my field. Planetary Dynamics, to be exact. I need to look for schools to apply to soon, since I'm (hopefully) graduating in March next year and want to get out of here as soon as possible. Sadly, all I find are either doing research in nonrelated fields...
  43. O

    Ideas for QM undergrad research project

    Hi everyone! I am an undergraduate student interested in quantum physics. I want to do a project in quantum but do not know how to come up with a good idea to start with. I have read the book Zettili and most of the book Cohn-Tannoudji. so I think I am able to work on a good idea. Any idea...
  44. C

    Suggestions on research paper on artificial satellites

    Hi PF community! I'm currently doing a research paper on artificial satellites, and I've made a list of things that I'm going to explain in it, but I'm worried that it won't be enough. So, I was wondering if you guys could help me to add more topics to my list and how to approach more widely to...
  45. M

    Schools Research Opportunities and Graduate School

    Hi all, I'm a junior physics/applied math double major at a state school in Wisconsin. I'm on my third year of nuclear physics research experience (freshman year wasn't physics, but it was nuclear related) and I'm looking to go to grad school for a PhD likely in physics, applied physics or...
  46. M

    Operations research formulation question

    I'm not sure where this subject is supposed to go but it seemed to fit better here than in calculus and beyond. Homework Statement Formulate the following problem and then use desmos or guess and check to solve it: The magnetic attraction company produces large and small magnets at 2 different...
  47. Doc Al

    Finally, some research I can use

    Scientists agree: Coffee naps are better than coffee or naps alone
  48. D

    How to prepare for a research meeting with a professor?

    Hi everyone, Next week I will be meeting one-on-one with a professor to discuss physics research, in hopes of getting involved in some capacity. I have never had this experience before and I am bit unsure of what I should expect, what I should prepare for, what I should bring etc. Despite my...
  49. P

    I'd like to know how you got your research

    Greetings again PF, I wish everyone had a good three day weekend. College officially started two weeks ago, and I am much enjoying both the academic and social aspects of it so far. Unfortunately however, I have yet to grasp a research opportunity. So far I've only been emailing few...
  50. J

    What are the Best Textbooks for Hands-On Learning in Operations Research?

    can anyone recommend me a good text on OR that has a decent amount of questions, preferably with answers and even solutions. I am a hands on learner and my current text doesn't provide too many questions thank you
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