1.4. RESEARCH CATEGORIES
Harvey Brooks (1968, p. 46) has suggested a general set of dimensions and categories of research:
The degree to which the research is fundamental or applied—for example, basic research versus applied research and development. The term "fundamental" refers to an intellectual structure, a hierarchy of generality, while the term "applied" refers to a practical objective. It is true that fundamental research is generally less closely related to practical application, but not inevitably so.
The scientific discipline—for example, physics, chemistry, or biology
The function of the research, or its primary focus—for example, defense, health, or environment
The institutional character of research—for example, academic (university), governmental laboratory, or industrial
The scale of research or style of research—for example, big science versus little science
The extent to which the research is multidisciplinary focusing on a single class of objects—for example, environment, space science, oceanography, or requiring multiple disciplines
For planning purposes, Brooks (1968, p. 57) has suggested three broad categories of research organizations: mission-oriented research, scientific institutional research, and academic research.
Table 1.2. U.S. Department of Defense Research Program Categorization| 6.1 | Research: Directed to the Development of Fundamental Knowledge. Includes scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, environmental, biological—medical, and behavioral—social sciences related to long-term national security needs. It provides fundamental knowledge for the solution of identified military problems. It also provides part of the base for subsequent exploratory and advanced developments in defense-related technologies and of new or improved military functional capabilities in areas such as communications, detection, tracking, surveillance, propulsion, mobility, guidance and control, navigation, energy conversion, materials and structures, and personnel support. |
| 6.2 | Exploratory Development: Directed to the Development of New Techniques, Methodologies, and Criteria. Includes all effort directed toward the solution of specific military problems, short of major development projects. This type of effort may vary from fairly fundamental applied research to quite sophisticated breadboard hardware, study, programming, and planning efforts. It would thus include studies, investigations, and minor development effort. The dominant characteristic of this category of effort is that it be pointed toward specific military problem areas with a view to developing and evaluating the feasibility and practicability of proposed solutions and determining their parameters. |
| 6.3 | Advanced Development: Concerned with Design and Development and Hardware (Material) Items for Experimentation. Includes all projects that have moved into the development of hardware for experimental or operational test. It is characterized by line item projects and program control is exercised on a project basis. A further descriptive characteristic lies in the design of such items being directed toward hardware for test or experimentation as opposed to items designed and engineered for eventual service use. |
| 6.4 | Engineering Development: Directed to Testing and Demonstration of New Techniques or Methodologies, and to Technical Systems Equipment. Includes those development programs being engineered for service use but that have not yet been approved for procurement or operation. This area is characterized by major line item projects and program control will be exercised by review of individual projects. |
| 6.5 | Management and Support: Directed to the Support of Installations for Their Operations and Maintenance and for the Procurement of Special Purpose Equipment. Includes research and development effort directed toward support of installations or operations required for general research and development use. Included would be test ranges, military construction, maintenance support of laboratories, operation and maintenance of test aircraft and ships, and studies and analyses in support of the R&D program. Costs of laboratory personnel, either in-house or contract operated, would be assigned to appropriate projects or as a line item in the research, exploratory development, or advanced development program areas, as appropriate. Military construction costs directly related to a major development program will be included in the appropriate element. |
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1.4.1. Mission-Oriented Research Organizations
The term "mission" refers to an objective defined in terms of the long-range goals of the organization rather than a specific technical objective. Examples of such organizations include Department of Defense research laboratories and industrial research laboratories. Such research laboratories are vertically integrated organizations that conduct both basic and applied research and may provide technical support for operation or manufacturing. While their research may be of the most sophisticated and fundamental type, it is directed to fulfilling the objectives and the mission of the organization rather than to the development of science per se.
1.4.2. Scientific Institutional Research Organizations
This covers organizations whose mission is defined primarily in scientific terms—for example, advancement of high-energy physics or molecular biology. Such research organizations follow some sort of a coherent program adapted to changing frontiers in their area of interest.
1.4.3. Academic Research Organizations
Academic research is usually small-scale basic research carried out in academic departments of universities by students or research associates under the direction of university professors who also teach.
