Research Definition and 998 Threads

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. H

    I Use of Lapacian operator in Operations Research Book

    I've been studying the book "Numerical Optimization" by Jorge Nocedal and Stephan J. Wright published by Springer, 1999. I'm puzzled by the use of the Laplacian operator ##\nabla^2## in chapter 10 on nonlinear least squares and in the appendix to define the Hessian matrix. The following is from...
  2. A

    Programs Questions Regarding Undergrad REU Programs

    I'm in my 3rd year of undergrad currently, and trying to find an REU program to get into. This is my first time doing this, so I'm not sure the best approach? My college's physics society gave us a link to a REU site here...
  3. P

    Admissions What are my chances of getting into a competitive physics PhD program?

    Hello everyone, I'm a fifth-year student at Iowa State University, double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Physics, and I will be graduating this year. I realized my passion for physics late into my academic career, which is why I'm in my fifth year—I've been working hard to catch up...
  4. Alistarco

    How to get started in HEP as an undergrad?

    Greetings, im a physics undergrad (7th semester, attending modern physics), i have interest in hep but i dont know how to get started in that topic, i would like to start reading papers on the field but i dont know where to begin. Can any one give me any recommendation ?
  5. S

    Schools Is a top physics grad school possible with a lower tier undergrad?

    I am a senior living in New York state getting ready to submit my college applications. Colleges I Have Looked At: RPI, UoR, RIT, Clarkson, WPI, Stony Brook, and Binghamton My stats: 3/309 in my class 99% unweighted gpa 1440 SAT (790 Math, 650 Reading) (This score is likely to improve (I...
  6. P

    How much funding/resources are spent in string theory research?

    It is common to hear in popular sources (at least from the people that like to rant) that string theory has taken over real physics, that physics has been lost since the development of the string theory program, that much effort has gone into string theory with no results, and so on... I would...
  7. robphy

    RIP Edward "Joe" Redish (1942 - 2024), Physics Education

    https://www.umdphysics.umd.edu/about-us/news/department-news/1968-redish-2.html https://www.aapt.org/aboutaapt/Edward-F-Joe-Redish.cfm Teaching Physics With the Physics Suite https://www.physics.umd.edu/~redish/Book/ Univ. of Maryland - Physics Education Research Group...
  8. U

    Stolen ideas in scientific articles?

    How probable are the cases when some idea in a scientific paper is presented by its author as his/her own, but in fact is stolen from, for example, some journal with less authority's paper?
  9. WMDhamnekar

    Can I post Operations research problems in Physics Forum?

    Can I post Operations research problems in Physics Forum? If yes, where, can I post it?
  10. pinball1970

    Toxic Chemicals Found on old books

    From the article in phys org. today. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-evidence-stacks-poisonous-toxic-dyes.html "The Lipscomb book project, the team used three spectroscopic techniques: XRF to qualitatively check whether arsenic or other heavy metals were present in any of the book covers...
  11. N

    Ideas for a research project for my Aerospace dissertation?

    TL;DR Summary: I'm an upcoming 3rd-year Aerospace Engineering student preparing to start my dissertation. Unfortunately, I was not allocated to a personal project due to capacity issues and my university has a lack of organisation. As a result, I'm proposing my own project because the rest of...
  12. Y

    Admissions Advice to enhance my profile for grad school

    Hello, I am currently in my final year of undergraduate study (major in theoretical physics and minor in mathematics). I am looking at a 3.622 overall (CGPA) and a 3.87 physics gpa (liberal arts school so I had to make that distinction lol) by the time I graduate. For my research experience, I...
  13. randodude

    I Fiction Writer with question for research physicists - Looking for opinions and experiences with peer-reviewed publishing

    Hello. Im a Sci-Fi writer doing research, looking for opinions and comments from grad students or post-doc faculty/researchers on your experience publishing and opinions on the relationship between scientists and scientific journals. As well as personal experience, thoughts or any opinions on...
  14. Maddy467

    Other Any Virtual Summer Research/Internships for High-school Graduates?

    I wanna spend my summers doing something meaningful before I join. I don't want to do it for Money or anything - just want to gain some experience and be useful. I have decent/good Maths, Physics, Chemistry and engineering foundation as well as programming skills and just wanna put them to use...
  15. H

    Looking For Today's DNA Knowledge

    I got my biology degree in 1979 and would like to get current again on DNA. What would you suggest? I'm in Japan so access to English books is quite limited.
  16. Vanadium 50

    News University research in the Age of Protest

    On Monday evening, student protestors entered an engineering building at Stanford and proceeded to barricade and vandalize it. It is unclear whether they broke in or whether (like most university buildings) is normally unlocked during working hours. According to Stanford's president, "A faculty...
  17. westisabsurd

    Programs Take a 5th year to do more research?

    Hello Physics Forums! I'm in a bit of an unorthodox position currently, and I'm open to hearing some advice. I currently have the option to transfer to a different institution, with a more well respected and larger Physics program. I sorta applied just to see if I could get in, and I did, but...
  18. U

    Which year did Newton first work with calculus: 1664,1665 or 1666?

    Which exactly year Newton first time write about calculus, 1664, 1665 or 1666? I find three years circles in many sources, 1664, 1665 and 1666 , do yo maybe know some thrusted source where we can find correct information? Here is 1665...
  19. Arsh119

    Chemistry High School idea - Fermentation

    I was wondering if anyone could help provide any research areas or research questions that consists of Fermentation
  20. Bossmand Per

    A Modeling the damping of a physical rigid pendulum

    I'm engaged in a research project focused on pendulums. I'm trying to model a rigid pendulum's motion with a second order differential equation (where time is the independent variable) describing the relationship between θ (theta) , ω (omega) and α (alpha) where: - θ is the angle of the...
  21. J

    Job Skills [Career] - What kind of life does a career in physics entail?

    Hello! I've looked around the community, and this seems like a great place to ask the question to experienced professionals! I was wondering what kind of life does such a career in physics entail? I'm trying to contemplate a career in academia, but I'm quite nervous on the career switch, hehe...
  22. AW3Rgo0l

    Other Transition from theoretical physics to astronomy

    How easy to switch from research in theoretical physics to astronomy and is it possible to become a qualified specialist in this field after that?
  23. ergospherical

    Other What's the point of a thesis?

    I will play devil's advocate to some extent. I'm looking from the outside in and won't have the same insight as some of you PhDs... If a research paper is around 20-30 pages tops, what's the point of spending all that time to write up a 100, 200, 500-page PhD thesis? I get the impression from...
  24. Andrii Dzygunenko

    B Recommendations for International Research Competitions

    Hello everyone, my name is Andii and I am new here. I know this may not be a relatable question to ask, but I hope someone can help me. I have been searching for International/European and/or American astronomy and astrophysical research competitions for the past 5 months or so. I would like to...
  25. Maddy467

    Schools Which University should I go to for my undergrad in physics?

    I'm an international student. I've been accepted into Stony Brook (NY), Rutgers-New Brunswick (NJ), University of Arizona and Iowa State University. (all with decent scholarships... amounts in increasing order with Stony Brook costing me the most) I'm really confused about the first 3. All of...
  26. T

    Recommendations on research topic for string theory (M-theory)

    TL;DR Summary: Currently applying for a scholarship for a PhD, and I feel like I need some help finding interesting research propositions/questions when it comes to M-theory. I would be thankful for all the help I could get! I'm currently attending a masters program in theoretical physics and...
  27. L

    I Researchers find experimental evidence for a graviton-like particle

    Researchers find first experimental evidence for a graviton like particle in a quantum material https://phys.org/news/2024-03-experimental-evidence-graviton-particle-quantum.html A team of scientists from Columbia, Nanjing University, Princeton, and the University of Munster, writing in the...
  28. V

    How Does an Electric Pulse Affect Excitonic Absorption Spectra?

    Diploma: "Exzitonische Absorptionsspektren unter dem Einfluß eines elektrischen Pulses" Thesis: "New solution algorithm for Volterra deffects"
  29. V

    Sophomore at IISER Berhampur, Odisha, India

    I am a sophomore at IISER Berhampur, which is a Research Institute of National importance. I would like to stay updated with this platform.
  30. vaibhavvenkat

    I Highschooler looking for math research/projects

    Hi, I am in Highschool and I am interested in pursuing mathematics as a career. I am particularly interested in doing some math research/projects (even if simple) to boost my maturity of the subject. How would I go about doing research/projects? Are there any good ideas? Math background: -...
  31. ateixeira

    Is Returning to Physics After Years in Finance a Good Idea?

    Hello everybody! I signed up to this blog a long time ago but I don't think I ever made a post in here before. I finished my degree in Physics more than 5 years ago, started my PhD but never finished it. After that I moved back to Angola and followed a careers in consulting and on the financial...
  32. M

    A Question about a research result: Feedback on whether the result is publishable

    I'm currently exploring a theoretical concept. My research leads me to a hypothetical method leads to what I believe is an interesting result: It is theoretically possible to fuse two ions for an energy cost that is less than the expected energy of bringing the ions closer together. Note, this...
  33. murshid_islam

    Is Richard Dawkins a "recognized scientist"?

    Just saw a claim online that "Dawkins isn't a recognized scientist", which seemed like a strange claim. It made me wonder: how much research did Dawkins do over the years? Can you provide some references to his list of researches?
  34. Abdullah A H

    Want to know if there are any particular sites for mechanical engineering for getting recommendable research papers

    where can I get best research papers for my undergrade thesis in Mechanical Engineering?
  35. Frek

    Physics Research as Electrical Engineer

    Hello, I am a 4th-year student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, specializing in Power Electronics and Automation. I aspire to pursue research in physics. Do you think that obtaining a Master's and Ph.D. in physics, alongside my technical bachelor's degree, could be sufficient for this...
  36. A

    Physics Mediocre, But Passionate Physics Student--Jobs in General Relativity?

    I'm a mediocre physics student (at best) at an Ivy League institution, and I'm passionate about general relativity. My dream is simply to do research in the field, even though I will never be a superstar or pioneer. Finally, I'm planning to complete a Master's in astrophysics or physics...
  37. phinds

    To supercharge science, first experiment with how it is funded

    Interesting article from the Economist. To me it seems a bit long on vague ideas and short on specifics, but it would be very good to get the right people at least talking about the problems that they point out. The article: They go on to point out that the current system is, to use their...
  38. S

    What is Research and How Does it Relate to Cooking?

    My second attempt. Somebody asked, "What is Research"? Would someone here with physical science Phd tell the meaning of "Research"? My own way to give a meaning is to compare with cooking food; but that it is just far more precise. I used copy&paste to put in the title.
  39. R

    Programs Universities for Research in Dynamical Systems of Fluids

    Hi everyone, (this is my first post so be gentle) I am currently getting my masters is mechanical engineering, was admitted to aero Ph.D. programs as Vtech, MSU, and Cinci last year but decided to get masters locally and apply to "better" schools (UofM) for next cycle with a better resume and...
  40. Q

    What are the latest research projects in physics?

    I will update soon..
  41. A

    What are the implications of physics? Join the discussion on PF!

    I'm here to chat about physics and its implecations, discuss research, and ask question bothering me.
  42. T

    Funding from an organization and delay regarding that matter

    I am continuing a personal research about a new kind of wind power generation system by my own and have got partial success. I have found a Switzerland based organization that claimed to assist research and development by individuals like me by funding them. I have contacted them and last May...
  43. person123

    Engineering Pursuing Research in Engineering Versus Hobby Projects

    Background: I'm a just graduated Masters student in Civil Engineering, and I'll soon be working in industry. I've done research in Civil in college, and I've also done a few hobby projects, mainly coding, and often related to physics and/or engineering. I've really enjoyed hobby projects since...
  44. P

    I'm sick of research and I haven't even started my career yet lol

    I graduated last June and I’ve been a research technician ever since (at a school different from undergrad institution). When I have energy and am not stressed out about the impressions I’m making in the lab environment, the work I do is still quite enjoyable but more often than not this is not...
  45. apostolosdt

    What is the quality of vixra.org?

    Vixra.org? Forgive my ignorance but never heard of that. Until someone mentioned the name in a thread here. I quickly checked a number of abstracts; no author’s title, no affiliated institution. Recipe for avoiding it.
  46. et12

    Other Advice wanted for self-directed aerospace research as a sophomore

    Hi all, I'm a sophomore in aerospace engineering, and I haven’t been able to find any internships this summer. Instead, I'm looking to do some self-directed research, specifically in aerodynamics and propulsion, which I am both equally interested in. I have had experience with CAD software like...
  47. Leo_Chau_430

    Comp Sci Automatic Market Research Program

    I was given an Excel that contains a list of products, my teacher would like us to scrap through the website hktvmall.com to find respective similar products and list out their prices and description. FYI:
  48. J

    Extended Essay Research question help (first year IB student)

    Hi guys, I am a first year IB student and I need to give hand in my research question for the extended essay today, the only thing is that I don't really know what I could do it on. The extended essay is basically a 4000 word research project. I was going to do it on photoelasticity, but when I...
  49. EleSuki

    Nice to meet you, and thank you in advance for your kindness!

    Nice to meet you! I am interested in the use of electromagnetic waves for crime and how to counteract it, although I am unsure whether it exists or not. I joined to pinpoint the factors that determine whether it exists or not, using a physical basis instead of making ambiguous judgments. I...
  50. S

    Curious learner, Currently a home maker

    Hi there, my name is Sindhuja. I am a home maker and I am going to start my PhD in Computer Science soon. To prepare myself for the upcoming challenges, I am currently revisiting my undergraduate math concepts. I have always been a curious learner, someone who is keen on understanding things...
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