Applied Research

Applied research is, by definition, research that is conducted for practical reasons and thus often has an immediate application. The results are usually actionable and recommend changes to increase effectiveness and efficiency in selected areas. Applied research rarely seeks to advance theoretical frameworks. Theory is generally used instrumentally to help [Page 20]identify and define concepts and variables so that researchers can operationalize them for analysis.

Applied research is usually used in contrast to basic research (sometimes called pure research) that does not yield immediate application upon completion. Basic research is designed to advance our understanding and knowledge of fundamental social processes and interactions, regardless of practical or immediate applications. This does not imply that applied research is more useful than basic research. Almost all basic research eventually results in some worthwhile application over the long run. The main distinction focuses on whether the research has immediate use. However, applied research often is easier to relate to by the general public as it yields actionable and practical results, where as some basic research may have intuitive relevance only for researchers.

A common type of applied research is program evaluation. In some cases, researchers study the effectiveness of the current program to evaluate how effectively the program is in achieving its goal. In other cases, researchers might study the efficiency of the program's delivery system to examine the extent of resource wastage. In either case, the researchers' intent is to find ways to improve aspects of the program or its delivery system.

Another example of applied research is market research. Marketers may conduct research (focus groups, in-depth interviews, or surveys) to ferret consumers' product needs and preferences, enabling them to package the most appropriate products. Marketers may also test their communication materials with consumers to ensure that the intended marketing message is effectively delivered. The recommendations from this type of research could include word changes, packaging style, delivery approach, and even the color scheme of the materials.

In many cases, the audience of applied research is often limited to specific interested parties. As such, the results of applied research are often packaged as in-house reports that have limited circulation or are proprietary. However, some applied research is shared via publication in professional journals. For example, The Gerontologist has a section titled Practice Concepts that features applied research and short reports, in addition to publishing regular-length articles. An example from the Practice Concepts section is the report written by Si, Neufeld, and Dunbar (1999) on the relationship between having bedrails and residents' safety in a short-term nursing home rehabilitation unit. Si et al. found that in the selected unit, the dramatic decline in bedrail use did not lead to an increase in residents' injuries. They suggested that the necessity of bedrails depended on both the training and experience of the staff as well as the type and severity of the patients' injuries.

For further reading, please refer to the following books: Applied Research Design: A Practical Guide by Hendrick, Bickman, and Rog (1993) and Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research by Krueger (2000).

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