Functional research

The term functional research is basically used in two ways.

On one hand, the purpose of research is in contrast to the basic research , the scientific exploration of a specific practical application to a special area with a known destination (a question to be answered). In this sense of applied research , the term is used in a value-neutral manner.

On the other hand, functional research in the scientific field also means research activities that pursue the goal of confirming or refuting a previously made thesis at almost any price and thereby also neglecting scientifically fundamental working methods. Political or economic requirements and interests often play a role here. The use of this negatively used ascription implies a clear value judgment that rejects this type of research.

In the time of National Socialism there was the Institute for Defense Scientific Purpose Research of the German Ancestral Legacy , so the term Purpose Research has only rarely been used as an institutional name since 1945 . On the other hand, the terms applied research or application research are widespread, as well as in some areas process or product research.