How research advances science

Those who conduct research are systematically in search of new insights into academic and scientific topics and documenting them. Most academics, scientists and researchers make their results publicly accessible: they publish them for instance in scientific or on specialist portals, or present them at scientific conferences.

Germany is a highly prestigious research location and invests significant amounts in research funding: Around 3 per cent per year of its gross domestic product1 flows into research and development.

What types of research are there?

Whether it’s medicine, history, genetics or artificial intelligence – research is conducted within every aspect of science and academia. There are two types of research:

• Basic research: this is based on gaining insights into general scientific and academic correlations that may subsequently help with developing new technologies.
• Applied research: this is also referred to as business-oriented or earmarked research. Its objective is to obtain insights into issues that have practical relevance.
  In other words, basic research creates the basis for applied research within science and academia.

A distinction is also made between and .

By the way, we explain the here.

Who conducts research?

The cites that nationwide more than two-thirds of expenditure comes from business. Some 64 per cent of those who conduct research in Germany do so within companies (). The rest conduct their research at higher education institutions or non-university institutions, such as the or the , or at state-run research institutes like the .

generally adhere to the following sequence:  

1) The research subject is defined and the research objective defined

2) The scientific and academic status of the research issue is analysed and documented

3) The research method is determined and the sequence of the research project planned

4) The research is conducted, documented and interpreted, including for example within the context of the state of the art in science and academia relating to the topic

There are also various , such as interviews, case studies, experiments and benefit analyses. They have their own glossary entry. Click on the term if you want to find out more about it.