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Definition of research noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

research

noun
 
/rɪˈsɜːtʃ/,
 
/ˈriːsɜːtʃ/
 
/ˈriːsɜːrtʃ/,
 
/rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/
[uncountable]
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  1. a careful study of a subject, especially in order to discover new facts or information about it
    • scientific/medical/academic research
    • They are raising money for cancer research.
    • to do/conduct/undertake research
    • I've done some research to find out the cheapest way of travelling there.
    • research into something He has carried out extensive research into renewable energy sources.
    • research on something/somebody Recent research on deaf children has produced some interesting findings about their speech.
    • Research on animals has led to some important medical advances.
    • according to research According to recent research, more people are going to the movies than ever before.
    • Their latest research project will be funded by the government.
    • Are you hoping to get a research grant?
    • a research fellow/assistant/scientist
    • a research institute/centre/laboratory
    • The research findings were published in the Journal of Environmental Quality.
    The plural form researches is also sometimes used in British English, but is much less frequent: What have their researches shown?
    Collocations Scientific researchScientific researchTheory
    • formulate/​advance a theory/​hypothesis
    • build/​construct/​create/​develop a simple/​theoretical/​mathematical model
    • develop/​establish/​provide/​use a theoretical/​conceptual framework
    • advance/​argue/​develop the thesis that…
    • explore an idea/​a concept/​a hypothesis
    • make a prediction/​an inference
    • base a prediction/​your calculations on something
    • investigate/​evaluate/​accept/​challenge/​reject a theory/​hypothesis/​model
    Experiment
    • design an experiment/​a questionnaire/​a study/​a test
    • do research/​an experiment/​an analysis
    • make observations/​measurements/​calculations
    • carry out/​conduct/​perform an experiment/​a test/​a longitudinal study/​observations/​clinical trials
    • run an experiment/​a simulation/​clinical trials
    • repeat an experiment/​a test/​an analysis
    • replicate a study/​the results/​the findings
    • observe/​study/​examine/​investigate/​assess a pattern/​a process/​a behaviour
    • fund/​support the research/​project/​study
    • seek/​provide/​get/​secure funding for research
    Results
    • collect/​gather/​extract data/​information
    • yield data/​evidence/​similar findings/​the same results
    • analyse/​examine the data/​soil samples/​a specimen
    • consider/​compare/​interpret the results/​findings
    • fit the data/​model
    • confirm/​support/​verify a prediction/​a hypothesis/​the results/​the findings
    • prove a conjecture/​hypothesis/​theorem
    • draw/​make/​reach the same conclusions
    • read/​review the records/​literature
    • describe/​report an experiment/​a study
    • present/​publish/​summarize the results/​findings
    • present/​publish/​read/​review/​cite a paper in a scientific journal
    see also action research, market research, operational research
    Extra Examples
    • a debate about the ethics of embryonic stem cell research
    • For his PhD he conducted field research in Indonesia.
    • Further research is needed.
    • Future research will hopefully give us a better understanding of how garlic works in the human body.
    • Dr Babcock has conducted extensive research in the area of agricultural production.
    • the funding of basic research in biology, chemistry and genetics
    • Activists called for a ban on animal research.
    • Work is under way to carry out more research on the gene.
    • She returned to Jamaica to pursue her research on the African diaspora.
    • Bad punctuation can slow down people's reading speeds, according to new research carried out at Bradford University.
    • He focused his research on the economics of the interwar era.
    • Most research in the field has concentrated on the effects on children.
    • One paper based on research conducted at Oxford suggested that the drug may cause brain damage.
    • Research demonstrates that women are more likely than men to provide social support to others.
    • She's doing research on Czech music between the wars.
    • The research does not support these conclusions.
    • They are carrying out research into the natural flow patterns of water.
    • They lack the resources to do their own research.
    • What has their research shown?
    • Funding for medical research has been cut quite dramatically.
    • a startling piece of historical research
    • pioneering research into skin disease
    • They were the first to undertake pioneering research into the human genome.
    • There is a significant amount of research into the effects of stress on junior doctors.
    • He's done a lot of research into the background of this story.
    • research which identifies the causes of depression
    • spending on military research and development
    • the research done in the 1950s that linked smoking with cancer
    • The children are taking part in a research project to investigate technology-enabled learning.
    • The Lancet published a research paper by the scientist at the centre of the controversy.
    • Who is directing the group's research effort?
    • She is chief of the clinical research program at McLean Hospital.
    • James is a 24-year-old research student from Iowa.
    • You will need to describe your research methods.
    • Before a job interview, do your research and find out as much as you can about the company.
    • Most academic research is carried out in universities.
    • This is a piece of research that should be taken very seriously.
    • This is an important area of research.
    • There's a large body of research linking hypertension directly to impaired brain function.
    • In the course of my researches, I came across some of my grandfather's old letters.
    Topics Educationa2, Scientific researcha2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • careful
    • detailed
    • in-depth
    … of research
    • piece
    verb + research
    • carry out
    • conduct
    • do
    research + verb
    • demonstrate something
    • find something
    • identify something
    research + noun
    • degree
    • effort
    • programme/​program
    preposition
    • research in
    • research into
    • research on
    phrases
    • an area of research
    • focus your research on something
    • somebody’s own research
    See full entry
    Word Originlate 16th cent.: from obsolete French recerche (noun), recercher (verb), from Old French re- (expressing intensive force) + cerchier ‘to search’.
See research in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee research in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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