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. 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).
  2. P

    Is Participating in Research as an Undergrad Worth It?

    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?
  3. 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...
  4. 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...
  5. 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...
  6. 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?
  7. 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...
  8. 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...
  9. 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...
  10. 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...
  11. 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...
  12. 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.
  13. 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?
  14. 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...
  15. 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...
  16. 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...
  17. 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...
  18. 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...
  19. Doc Al

    Are Coffee Naps More Effective Than Coffee or Naps Alone?

    Scientists agree: Coffee naps are better than coffee or naps alone
  20. 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...
  21. 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...
  22. 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
  23. R

    From where I get the research papers on physically disabled bikedesign

    i want some documents/ papers on physically disabled bikes... please send me some web links ...
  24. Ravi Mohan

    E-ink device for surveying research articles

    Hi I am looking for a good e-ink device with the following features: a. PDF support with annotations. The screen should be capable of displaying one full page with readable font. b. easy navigation to different parts of long article. Navigating by page number would be helpful. c...
  25. L

    Good physics research project for high schooler?

    I'm a high school student who wants to do a research project in physics (with school funding). I can program well, so I would prefer if the project involved some computer simulation or modeling and comparing the results to experimental data. Does anyone have any ideas/resources for projects?
  26. Jose_Aging

    My research about ageing: the notebook

    I open this thread with the intention of sharing part of my work and observations with the users of physicsforums. My name is Jose and I've spent thousands of hours trying to understand why we age. I know, it's a complex mechanism and it needs a lot of work to start seeing some results. I...
  27. P

    What sub-field of quantum information should I focus on for my research?

    Hi everyone, Recently I read an introduction to quantum information and got interested to begin a research work on it. I am now reading Neilsen's Quantum Computation and Quantum Information. There are a lot of things but I don't know how I can find a suitable issue and start writing an article...
  28. O

    Jobs involving Physics research and travel?

    I'm going to be at university soon, so I'm not a student quite yet, but I don't think it's ever too early to start thinking about what I will do after university, so; I'm very interested in the way certain geologists work, as they go to strange and quite dangerous places in the world to complete...
  29. L

    Schools Research required for grad school admission in theoretical physics

    Hi, I have heard from multiple sources that you need good research record to be admitted to any top grad school and most of them want recommendations from research groups, on other hand, most professors who do theory consider undergrads not to be qualified enough to help them in any manner...
  30. P

    Email to professors for research position

    Hello PF! I wish to do research as an undergrad, so I am thinking of sending emails to professors to ask for any available positions. What would be the most professional way to do this? Thanks in advance,
  31. E

    Physics research that involves lots of statistical analysis?

    I'm currently in a physics grad program and am interested in doing research where statistical analysis is involved by using R or SAS. What fields of physics research relies on this the most? Should I look into theory, computational, or experimental groups? Or perhaps observational astronomy?
  32. F

    Currently doing undergraduate research, but on career path

    Hey all! I am currently doing a computer science project for a scientific collaboration at an REU this summer. I am a physics student and I plan to be a researcher one day. I really do not want to continue this project for two main reasons: I simply do not know the computer science...
  33. M

    Admissions Will a poor undergraduate research topic affect graduate admission?

    I have a graduate admissions question for anyone who might have been part of a graduate admissions committee. How do you view undergraduate research projects that are not cutting edge or particularly interesting? My project is on the effect of ball milling on production of a bulk high-Tc...
  34. A

    How to find research that interests you

    Hello, all. Recently, I've been looking into grad school and trying to find research areas that interest me. Unfortunately, this seems to be quite tedious, and I may miss things I'm interested in. Does anyone have a good strategy for finding interesting research groups, especially for someone...
  35. N

    Resources for Research on Spacesuit Design

    Recently I've started to investigate Spacesuit Design and different aspects of it. I was just wondering if anyone could provide me with some preliminary books or websites that I could use to get my research going, I would greatly appreciate it. P.S If my post is in the wrong forum just tell...
  36. S

    MSc Automobile Engineering Research Projects

    Hi, I am planning to pursue a masters in automobile engineering and would require a couple of decent research projects to boost my profile. Could anybody suggest a few good research topics along the lines of avionics/mechatronics that i can approach a professor with ? Thanks
  37. R

    What do you do when writing a dissertation and research papers conflic

    conflict? I'm currently starting to write a dissertation for my 3rd year project and wondering if someone could give me some advice? I'm finding published research papers that conflict each other, obviously up until now I have taken them and anything in textbooks as gospel. But now I'm in the...
  38. M

    MHB Can Training Reduce Workplace Offensiveness?

    How do I go about analyzing this scenario? Consider the following: You’ve been hired by a company who is interested in finding a way to decrease incidents of offensive interpersonal behavior at work. The company has identified one department that seems to have a big problem with offensive...
  39. H

    International Research Opportunities

    Hello, I'd really like to join some research in Europe, preferably Scotland or France, next summer. I'll be heading into my third year as a Math/Phys. & Astro double major. It seems like there much fewer undergrad research opportunities abroad than there are in the US. Are there any good...
  40. X

    Help with research in Chaos theory

    Hello I'm an undergraduate who is currently doing research in Chaos theroy. So far I've built a double pendulum and simulated it on my computer using mathematica. I'm going to use a tracker software to track the empirical motion of the pendulum and try to match it with the my theoretical...
  41. C

    Help With Research Paper And Avoid Plagiarism

    So about a month ago I conducted a short study with 3 peers and presented it in the form of a research poster (and was not peer reviewed). It was conducted at an astronomical observatory and the poster was "published" in their summer proceedings, but no paper was submitted to a journal or...
  42. Hercuflea

    Letter of Rec 2 years after doing research with a prof?

    By the time I apply for PhD's, it will have been 2 years since I did my REU over the summer in a plasma physics lab. Do you think the Prof will still remember me at all and/or be able to write a letter for me? He has already written me letters for other stuff so I know he'd probably be willing...
  43. lonewolf219

    Letter of rec from research advisor or professor

    I know having a letter of recommendation from a research advisor is great. However, the research advisor I am currently working with barely knows me. He will be my advisor for about 5 more weeks, but I do not see him suddenly becoming interested in my project (I'm working with the postdoc), or...
  44. T

    Research project on plasma physics EPQ?

    Does anybody know any topics within plasma physics that a 17 year could research in? I'm doing a qualification called the EPQ where students undertake a research project in any topic they would like and write a 5000 word essay. I'm in year 12 and have taken As level Maths and Further Maths. I...
  45. N

    Is there research for mathematicians?

    I am not a math or science person, but I'm trying to learn so please forgive my lack of knowledge. Is there research in math? Are there boundaries to math that can be pushed out? Studying the universe, it's obvious that we don't know everything yet. There is plenty to discover for physicists...
  46. R

    Python Considering Re-Writing Open Source Code in Qt for Science Research

    I found some open source code in wx that I'm considering re-writing in qt and adding some new functionality to. It's for science research. Before I do, I wanted some feedback from the community if this is a worth while endeavor and an estimate of how long it would take. It's about 700 lines...
  47. O

    Schools Good physics research for a high schooler

    I am a high schooler who is interested in physics and wants to do a research project over the course of the next year. In particular, I think it would be cool to write a computer simulation of something, build it in real life, and compare the results, but I am open to other suggestions. Does...
  48. D

    Putting undergraduate research in CV?

    I've been looking at tips and articles about how to create a successful CV for applying to graduate school in the US, but I'm getting confusing results about certain things. I plan on applying to Bioengineering/Materials Science and Engineering programs. My undergraduate degree is in Physics at...
  49. G

    Places to do research in geometrodynamics

    What are good places to do research in geometrodynamics? Any place in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria or Switzerland?
  50. P

    Preparation for research as freshman/course rigor comparison

    Hello PF! I've come here for help again. I am entering as a freshman this fall, and I really, really want to participate in a research as soon as I can. However, I am aware of my lack of knowledge in physics, research techniques and utilities and such. What can I do to prepare for research? I...
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