Basic Research and Applied Research are two terms that are being used transposable by people throughout the globe.
Research provides basic aid to the decision-making process through calculated procedures and techniques. It is a well-known method to identify problems and then develop well-explained solutions for them.
Research can be categorised under two sections based on the research utility, i.e. Basic and Applied Research.
Key Takeaways
- Basic research is focused on expanding knowledge and understanding of a topic without any immediate practical application.
- Applied research is focused on solving specific problems and developing practical solutions.
- Basic research provides the foundation for applied research and often leads to practical applications.
Basic vs Applied Research
Basic research, also known as pure research, focuses on expanding knowledge and understanding fundamental principles, without immediate practical application. Applied research is designed to solve specific, practical problems, using scientific theories and principles developed from basic research for practical, real-world applications.

Primary research is applied to bring advanced information about what is already available to people. Applied Research involves more practical insinuations and is beneficial to solve business glitches quickly.
Since you all learned the fundamental difference between Basic and Applied Research, now it is time for you to understand the points of difference and comparison of both terms.
Comparison Table
Parameter of Comparison | Basic Research | Applied Research |
---|---|---|
Definition | The Basic Research methodology develops new information and knowledge of already existing concepts. | Applied research is adopted when new industry-specific techniques or procedures are developed to solve commercial problems. |
Aim | Basic research aims to extend the prevailing source of evidence about different sources and objectives. | Advanced research aims to develop new techniques and technologies for solving various industrial problems. |
Efficacy | The leading utility or efficacy of basic research is universal and has a global purpose of solving. | The leading utility or efficacy of advanced research is limited and has a practical purpose of solving. |
Nature of Research | In the case of Basic Research, the research landscape is theoretical and developed on already existing concepts and theorems. | In the case of Applied Research, nature is efficient and implied to develop techniques to implement in industrial use cases. |
Alarmed With | Development of new information and principles that are an extension of already existing theories. | Applied Research is focused on the enlargement of new tools and technology for industrial applications. |
Environment | Basic Research is completed in a limited environment like laboratories etc. | Applied Research is conducted in an open world with many unexpected variables in place. |
What is Basic Research?
Researchers adopt the Basic research methodology to gain future insights and information from various existing sources.
Basic research aims to outspread the existing puddle of evidence about various issues.
The primary usefulness of basic research is widespread and has a global purpose of solving. In the case of Basic Research, the environment of research is hypothetical and developed on already existing concepts and theorems.
The basic philosophy of Basic Research is the expansion of new evidence and ideologies that are allowance for already surviving theories.
Basic Research is completed in fixed backdrops like workrooms or closed rooms that have an incomplete number of unknown variables.
As compared to advanced research, primary research has many more academic publications because of the landscape of research that has absorbed information growth.
Basic research does not contribute that much towards the economy as the surveys have minimal industrial exposure and practical applications.
The primary research is completely academic and probing in nature, as the focus is not on current knowledge enhancement and development.

What is Applied Research?
When researchers try to solve one or more industrial problems via various practical methods, then the research methodology is called Applied Research.
The intention of advanced research is to advance new practices and machinery for solving various engineering problems.
The primary usefulness of advanced research is imperfect and has a real-world tenacity to unravel.
In the case of Applied Research, the landscape is entirely real-world and implied to develop systems to implement in real-world use cases.
Applied Research is attentive to the expansion of new gears and equipment for business applications. Applied Research is conducted in an undeveloped world with many unanticipated variables in place.
Compared to advanced research, primary research has many more theoretical journals because of the flora of research that has focused on evidence development.
Advanced research subsidizes much on the way to the economy as the investigations have very all the business exposure and everyday applications.
The advanced research is entirely hands-on and eloquent in nature, as the focus is not on current knowledge augmentation but on industry development.
Thus, the research aims to develop strategies or methods with a precise engineering scope and generates solutions for different industrial difficulties for useful purposes.

Main Differences Between Basic and Applied Research
Although both are part and parcel of the research methodologies, there exists a lot of difference between Basic and Applied Research when it comes to technique and industrial implications,
- Basic Research can provide extended information from already existing theories that Advanced Research can apply for industrial implications.
- Basic Research is fundamental research, whereas advanced research is more developed and hands-on in nature.
- Advanced research, when compared to basic research, has many more academic periodicals because of the fauna of research.
- Applied Research is more focused on the national economy as compared to basic research methodology.
- Basic Research has widespread scope whereas advanced research has a very flawed and focused scope and objects.

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1284058/pdf/9316255.pdf
- https://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Abstract/1981/07000/Spinal_Cord_Injury__Review_of_Basic_and_Applied.1.aspx
Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.