14 Basic vs Applied Research

Basic, Applied, and Translational research exist on a spectrum or continuum. In this introductory class we talk about them more as points on a spectrum, and for the purpose of thinking about how the spectrum point influences how you -the competent information consumer- should interpret the study.

Are you wondering why you should care if research is basic or applied? Good, cuz I’d love to tell you. Basic research and Applied research are carried out with different goals in mind, study objectives if you will. Good methodology (aka: research methods) is designed around a study objective. If the study objective is to develop theory, particularly for the benefit of other scholars, YOU (the Competent Information Consumer) should think about the results or findings differently than you would if the primary objective of the research was to solve a problem. Let’s see what your student textbook authors have to say:

Basic vs Applied Research

There are two types of research: Basic and Applied.

Basic Research:

1. Is traditional research or “pure”
2. It is carried out to advance knowledge
3. It develops theory
4. It focuses on a scholar audience

Applied Research:

1. It is used more and more in recent years
2. It tests theory in real life
3. Its goal is to solve everyday problems

Let’s test your understanding:

Back to DocMC: Remember when we talked about Translation and the examples from University of Iowa’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences? UI uses the information provided by the National Institutes of Health Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) as the foundation of their definition. They describe basic, pre-clinical, clinical, clinical implementation, and public health as points on the spectrum. You may be thinking – wait a minute here! If it’s the national institute of health then it’s all about health and it’s all about solving problems! This is part of why when we talk about basic vs. applied in this intro course we use examples that are pretty straightforward – such as theory for building theory. But hear me out with NCAT’s examples. “Basic research involves scientific exploration that can reveal fundamental mechanisms of biology, disease or behavior.” Ok, so you see how it’s really focused on the exploration and how it CAN reveal mechanisms? Compare that to the next stage, Preclinical research, in which “scientists develop model interventions to further understand the basis of a disease or disorder and find ways to treat it. ” That’s more basic (emphasis added by moi), but they continue to talk about how the testing hasn’t gotten to the real deal human testing part. Clinical research is in that basic-applied transitional zone as well, moving steadily toward applied. It’s definitely testing to solve a problem, but also “to obtain data to support regulatory approval for an intervention.” The Clinical Implementation stage then is transitioning from applied to translational – working toward wider adoption of those interventions that clinical research said were legit (and solved problems!).  This is another example of how we simplify for this intro course to focusing on the more literal translation – getting the research to people using strategies that allow people to actually understand and implement it.

Is basic better than applied or applied better than basic? Even as a hard-core, highly committed applied researcher I’m going to tell you NO. All these points on the spectrum are a necessary part of healthy research. Basic research informs applied research, which informs basic research, which informs applied research… you get the point. As the NIH says, “The spectrum is not linear or unidirectional; each stage builds upon and informs the others…Every stage…builds upon and informs basic research.”

THIS is what I want you to think about – identify where on the spectrum the research is so that you can figure out if the claims they (or the journalist) are appropriate for that phase. If it’s basic research, and someone is making big claims about something that has not yet been applied, been put to the test in real life (or with humans), it doesn’t mean those claims are wrong necessarily. It means think about “how” right they are, under what circumstances, and for what population? We’ll get deeper into the circumstances and population thing as we continue through this course.

…Unit 1…Unit 2….Unit 3…Unit 4…Unit 5…Unit 6…Unit 7…Unit 8…Unit 9…Unit 10…Unit 11…Unit 12…Unit 13…Unit 14…Unit 15…Unit 16…

Unit 6: Don’t be bashful- interrogate that primary research!

• • Lateral vs vertical reading
  • Basic vs Applied Research
  • The Dreaded Ologies — An Introduction (with a side of paradigm)