RM-898 Research Methodology

Basic vs. Applied Research

Background Information
There is a major controversy taking place these days in the scientific community
regarding the value of various types of scientific research. Some of the issues being
debated are:
Who should be paying for basic research?
Should the government spend less of the taxpayer's money on basic research in order
to concentrate more funding on research projects that have potential economic value?
Should public funds be used in applied research being carried out by private
industrial companies?
First we need to discuss the following question:

What is "BASIC RESEARCH"?

What is "APPLIED RESEARCH"?

What have been the "RECENT TRENDS" in science research?

Where are the possible FUTURE TRENDS?

What is Basic Research?

Basic (fundamental or pure) research is driven by a scientist's
curiosity or interest in a scientific question. The main motivation
is to expand man's knowledge , not to create or invent
something. There is no obvious commercial value to the
discoveries that result from basic research.
For example, basic science investigations probe for answers to
questions such as:

How did the universe begin?

What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?
How do slime molds reproduce?
What is the specific genetic code of the fruit fly?
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What is Basic Research?

Most scientists believe that a basic, fundamental
understanding of all branches of science is needed in order
for progress to take place. In other words, basic research
lays down the foundation for the applied science that
follows.
If basic work is done first, then applied spin-offs often
eventually result from this research. How has basic research
been important in the past?
What is applied research?

Is it really all black or white?

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Basic Research
Model of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

There have been many historical examples in which basic research has played
a vital role in the advancement of scientific knowledge.
Here are just a few important examples:
Our understanding of genetics and heredity is largely due to the studies of
Mendel, who studied pea plants in the 1860's, and the experiments with
fruitflies by T.H. Morgan in the early 20th century. These organisms were
used because it was easier to design experiments using pea plants and
fruitflies than using higher forms of life. (Fruitflies are still being used today
in the Human Genome Project!)
DNA has been called the "ladder of life". Today, the double-helix structure
of DNA is routinely introduced in middle school life science classes, but in
the early 1950's, the structure of DNA was still being determined. Using data
gathered from the previous basic research of other scientists, James Watson
and Francis Crick discovered the structural design of the DNA molecule in
1953. Determining DNA's structure was vital to our understanding of how
DNA worked.
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 Many of today's electrical devices (e.g.,

radios, generators and alternators) can
trace their roots to the basic research
conducted by Michael Faraday in 1831. He
discovered the principle of electromagnetic
induction, that is, the relationship between
electricity and magnetism.

 Advanced Light Source, x-rays are used to help us to probe into very
tiny samples of materials. But our understanding of the properties of xrays began with the fundamental experiments in 1895.
In 1931, Lawrence invented the first functional cyclotron, a device that
would allow scientists to accelerate atomic particles to incredible speeds.
Soon after, the Berkeley National Laboratory was established.
Subsequent basic research which led to the discovery of many
radioactive isotopes. Some of these isotopes -- such as carbon-14,
cobalt-60, hydrogen-3 (tritium), iodine-131, and technetium-99 -- later
became vital research tools used by biologists, paleontologists, and
archeologists, or as aids in the medical treatment of various diseases.
Each of these scientists was trying to learn about the basic nature of the
phenomena that they were studying. Only today can we see the vast
implications of their research!

What is Applied Research?

Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern
world, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. One
might say that the goal of the applied scientist is to improve the human
condition .
For example, applied researchers may investigate ways to:
improve agricultural crop production
treat or cure a specific disease
improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of
transportation
Some scientists feel that the time has come for a shift in emphasis away
from purely basic research and toward applied science.
This trend, they feel, is necessary by the problems resulting from global
overpopulation, pollution, and the overuse of the earth's natural
resources.
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Applied Research
There have been many historical examples in which applied research has had a
major impact on our daily lives. In many cases, the application was derived
long before scientists had a good, basic understanding of them underlying
science. (One might envision a scientist sitting at his lab bench, scratching his
head and saying to himself, "I know it works; I just don't really know how it
works!")
Here are just a few examples:
Prior to the 1950's, vacuum tubes were used as triodes in electrical devices such
as radios. In 1948, 3 researchers at AT & T's Bell Laboratories (John Bardeen,
Walter Brattain, and William Shockley) invented the transistor, a solid state
triode that would revolutionize the electronics industry. Indeed, the transistor
made possible the invention of the integrated circuit (the key component in
microprocessors) by Jack Kilby ten years later.
Vaccinations against various diseases save countless lives each year. The first
use of a vaccine occurred in the late 1790's. Edward Jenner developed a
technique for vaccinating people against smallpox, a disease that once killed
millions of people. In 1885, Louis Pasteur successfully innoculated a patient
with a rabies vaccine. More recently, Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for polio
in 1953; an oral form of the vaccine was produced by Albert Sabin in 1961.
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Applied Research
A classic case of serendipity (chance discovery) took place in 1928. Sir
Alexander Fleming was trying to find chemicals that behaved as antibiotics,
substances that kill bacteria. A Penicillium mold accidentally contaminated one
of his bacterial cultures. He observed that the bacteria could not grow near the
mold, suggesting that the mold was producing a natural anti-bacterial agent.
After years of research to isolate and purify the substance, our first true
antibiotic, penicillin reached the marketplace. Fleming stated that "nature
created penicillin. I only found it."
Velcro has been used routinely for only the last few years or so. It was actually
invented back in 1948 by Georges de Mestral. He noticed that the seeds of the
cocklebur contained tiny hooks that enabled the seeds to cling to fur and
clothing. He proceeded to develop a material containing similar hooks to use as a
fastener. Although his product was patented in 1957, it took many years for
technology to catch up so that velcro could be mass-produced inexpensively.
John Lawrence, founded the Donner Laboratory on the UC Berkeley campus in
1936. His goal was to use radioactive isotopes to treat human diseases such as
cancer and hyperthyroidism. Donner Lab is now considered to be the birthplace
of nuclear medicine.
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The Gray Zone

The distinction between basic and applied research isn't
always clear. It sometimes depends on your perspective or
point of view. one way to look at it is to ask the following
question: "How long will it be before some practical
application results from the research ?"
If a practical use is only a few years away, then the work
can be defined as strictly applied research.
If a practical use is still 20-50 years away, then the work is
somewhat applied and somewhat basic in nature.
If a practical use cannot be envisioned in the foreseeable
future, then the work can be described as purely basic
research.
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 For example, for some time now, a fair amount of research has been
underway on developing fusion reactors to provide a controlled energy
source for cities. There is a clear applied goal to this work, yet there are
so many technical obstacles to overcome that it may be another 30 to 50
years before we see a functional fusion reactor in use. The development
of fusion energy could be regarded as both basic and applied research.
Superconductivity is another research area that falls into this gray zone.
Most conductors of electricity are not very efficient; some energy is lost
as heat as the electricity passes through the (typically metallic)
conductor. Superconductors are materials that lose little or no energy as
electricity passes through them. However, the earliest superconductors
had to be cooled with expensive liquid helium to temperatures below 269 C to work properly. Newer materials have been developed in recent
years that show superconductive properties at much warmer
temperatures, requiring only inexpensive liquid nitrogen to be
sufficiently cooled.
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 Clearly, the development of new

superconductive materials falls into the basic
research. However, if and when
superconductive materials are developed that
can be used as easily as copper wire, many
important practical applications will soon
follow, including providing electricity to cities
much more efficiently.
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Recent Trends
in Science Research
There has been a noticeable shift in philosophy regarding the types of
research receiving federal funding in recent years. Universities get much
of their money from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Research at
the Berkeley National Laboratory is funded primarily by the Department
of Energy (DOE) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Congress has a strong influence on what types of research get funded,
because it allocates money to these various federal agencies. Some
members of Congress want to see less money given to basic research
projects that probably will not lead to applied work for quite some time.
This philosophy contributed to the demise of the Super-Conducting
Super Collider (SSC) project in Texas in 1993.
This shift in national priorities has greatly concerned many scientists. In
fact, a group of 60 Nobel-prize winning researchers co-signed a letter
that was sent to US President.

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 Not all large-scale projects involving basic research have been cut. The
Human Genome Project is a long-term venture in which the entire set
of human chromosomes (genome) are being studied in two main ways.
First, each chromosome is being chemically analyzed to determine the
precise molecular sequence of nucleotides (subunits) that form the
genetic code in DNA.
Secondly, each chromosome is being mapped out to determine the
precise location of each gene in the genome. However, in order to gain a
better understanding of the nature of chromosomes, simpler forms of life
(e.g., fruit flies, nematode worms, and yeast cells) have been extensively
studied as part of the Human Genome Project.
One ultimate goal of this ambitious program is to be able to cure
genetically-caused illnesses such as Cystic Fibrosis (Difficulty breathing,
lung infections) and sickle-cell anemia (blood disorder) through new
medical techniques such as gene therapy.
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 Industry does little basic research today. Due to the competitive nature
of the business world, commercial research tends to emphasize projects
requiring less than 10 years to develop a new product or process.
Businesses simply cannot afford to engage in long-term research projects.
As a result, universities and government laboratories are left with the
responsibility to carry out basic research and long-term applied research.
There is quite a bit of applied research being conducted today. The
Energy and Environment Division specializes in this type of work.
Recent work has included developing a water-purification system using
ultra-violet radiation, studying how radon enters buildings, analyzing
ozone pollution accumulation inside buildings, and designing energyefficient building materials.
Another major project in recent years has been the construction and
implementation of the Advanced Light Source, a facility that allows
scientists to use x-rays and ultraviolet waves to examine the structure of
materials at the atomic level.
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Possible Future Trends

in Basic and Applied Research
Mankind has become a dominant force in the shaping and manipulation
of our global environment. Many scientists are greatly concerned that,
in the next 40 years, the population of our planet will increase so
dramatically that the earth will no longer be able to support our current
standard of living. As more and more countries become industrialized,
the problems associated with this lifestyle - overuse of raw materials,
energy consumption, pollution - will also increase. Scientists are
worried that the planet will reach an unsustainable level of use.
Science research may be able to help solve these problems. This would
require funding for long-term applied research - - research geared not
toward creating products to help us compete with other nations, but
rather research focused on sustainable use of our planet's resources.

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Possible Future Trends

in Basic and Applied Research
Solving problems of global sustainability will probably
require a multi-disciplinary approach, that is, teams of
scientists from different research areas working together.
Multi-disciplinary projects utilize the expertise of scientists
in different fields (e.g., biology, geology, chemistry, and
physics). It also opens new lines of communication among
researchers. Joint research projects of this type are more
likely to receive funding from federal agencies such as the
Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, and
the National Science Foundation. In fact, this approach is
already being used at some research labs.
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Discussion Questions
Food for Thought:
Some basic scientific research has no foreseeable practical value other than "knowledge for
knowledge's sake".
Many technological, medical, and scientific breakthoughs were made possible only due to
the knowledge gained by prior basic research.
Discussion Questions:
Can a country afford to spend millions of dollars on research that may have no practical
benefit?

Should educational institutions concentrate on basic research, or should they be allowed to

concentrate on research programs that might be more profitable in the end?

In Pakistan should National Assembly be allowed to tell the research-funding organizations

what types of scientific research should be supported?

Does industry bear a responsibility to support basic research, since its technological and
medical advances are often the result of someone else's basic work?
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Thank you