Definition of Academic Research

Academic Research is defined by the father of the United States space program:  Werner von Braun

Basic research is what I am doing when I don’t know what I am doing?”

Another definition of research :

Systematic investigation into a problem or situation, where the intention is to identify facts and/or opinions that will assist in solving the problem or dealing with the situation

The definition from the Cambridge English dictionary:

Research: a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding

Another realistic and practical adage for defining the research process for a PhD

A PhD is about finding out more and more about less and less until one eventually knows everything about nothing (Anon.)

Other definitions of academic research includes:

• Making a rigorous and relevant contribution to knowledge.
• Understanding of a cause and effect relationship of a given phenomenon or uncovering a new phenomenon
• Organized inquiry to provide information for the solution to a problem (Emery&Cooper`91)
• A careful and systematic investigation in some field of knowledge, undertaken to establish facts or principles (Kumar `96)
• Scientific or scholarly inquiry or investigation and the proper communication of the findings (McCuen `96)

Useful Links:

• “Academic” Research at University, by Karen Kwok
• Research Definition, George Mason University