Dear Colleagues,
For those who are interested in the way that different lexicologists,
linguists, and etymologists understand the word “research,” I append
some of the selections I have harvested over the years from various
sources.
The Oxford English Dictionary is particularly rich in usage exemplars.
These definitions are neither absolute nor normative, but descriptive.
They draw on the usage of the living language at different times in
earlier history and the present day.
If this kind of work is not your cup of tea, feel free to delete. If
you’d like to see how a range of language experts interpret the word
research, read on.
Ken
Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS
Professor
Dean
Swinburne Design
Swinburne University of Technology
Melbourne, Australia
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From Britannica Webster’s and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary.
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[The word “research” as a noun]
def research: re·search noun Pronunciation: ri-’s&rch,
‘rE-”Etymology: Middle French recerche, from recerchier to
investigate thoroughly, from Old French, from re- + cerchier to search
-- more at SEARCH Date: 1577 1 : careful or diligent search 2 : studious
inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation
aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted
theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of
such new or revised theories or laws 3 : the collecting of information
about a particular subject. (Britannica Webster’s 1999: unpaged).
[The word “research” as a verb]
def research verb Date: 1593 transitive senses 1 : to search or
investigate exhaustively <research a problem> 2 : to do research for
<research a book> intransitive senses : to engage in research.
(Britannica Webster’s 1999: unpaged).
Source:
Britannica Webster’s. 1999. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary. Online edition. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. URL:
http://www.britannica.com/. Date accessed: 1999 May 12.
--
From the Oxford English Dictionary
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[The word “research” as a noun]
def research n 1 [ad. obs. F. recerche (1539; mod.F. recherche): see
RE- and SEARCH n.] 1. The act of searching (closely or carefully) for or
after a specified thing or person. 1577 F. de Lisle’s Legendarie Givb,
Being deliuered of that which they most feared, which was the researche
for the Princes imprisonment. 1794 GODWIN Cal. Williams 210, I carefully
avoided the habitation..lest it should..furnish a clue to the researches
of my pursuers. 1799 R. SICKELMORE Agnes & Leonora II. 190 His
father..was making every possible research after us. 1827 DISRAELI Viv.
Grey VI. iii, Fortune has not favoured me..in my researches after a bed.
1847 C. BRONTË J. Eyre xxxiii, She had left Thornfield Hall in the
night; every research after her course had been vain. 1889 Nature 19
Sept. 493/2 Constant explorations are being carried out..chiefly in
researches after gold and other precious metals. 2. a. A search or
investigation directed to the discovery of some fact by careful
consideration or study of a subject; a course of critical or scientific
inquiry. (Usu. in pl.) a1639 WOTTON Surv. Educ. in Reliq. (1672) 85
There must go before a main research, whether the Child that I am to
manage, be of a good nature or no. 1675 L. ADDISON Pres. St. Jews 237
Waving all Critical reserches into the word Talmud. 1728 YOUNG Love Fame
VI. 413 Ye men of deep researches, say, whence springs This daring
character, in tim’rous things? 1752 HUME Ess. & Treat. (1777) II. 9
These researches may appear painful and fatiguing. 1799 J. ROBERTSON
Agric. Perth 290 Our most profound researches are frequently nothing
better than guessing at the causes of the phenomena. 1830 D’ISRAELI
Chas. I, III. iii. 26 Such ambiguous facts..often baffle the researches
of the historian. 1850 SIR B. BRODIE Psychol. Inq. I. i. 12 Cuvier was
usually engaged for seven hours daily in his scientific researches. 1870
YEATS Nat. Hist. Comm. 5 Fresh necessities have led continually to fresh
researches. b. Without article: Investigation, inquiry into things.
Also, as a quality of persons, habitude of carrying out such
investigation. 1694 W. HOLDER Princ. Harmony Introd., The Matter lies
deep in Nature and requires much Research into Natural Philosophy to
unfold it. 1729 BUTLER Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 208 Men of deep
research..should just be put in mind, not to mistake what they are
doing. 1809 W. IRVING Knickerb. Acc. Author (1849) 19 He found Mr. Cook
a man..of great literary research, and a curious collector of books.
1861 M. PATTISON Ess. (1889) I. 30 A writer of painstaking research, who
goes..to original and documentary authorities. 1892 Photogr. Ann. II.
161 Spectrum photography for the purposes of photographic research. c.
research knee-jerk, a knee-jerk requiring special means to elicit it.
1899 Allbutt’s Syst. Med. VI. 521 Sternberg..found that the research
knee-jerk is hardly ever..really absent in healthy people. 3.
Investigation or pursuit of a subject. rare. 1701 NORRIS Ideal World I.
vii. 396 A thing..happily performed in that admirable one the Research
of Truth. 1759 DILWORTH Pope 53 His thoughts being quite weaned from
Parnassus to the research of truth. 4. Mus. (See quot.) rare0. 1727-38
CHAMBERS Cycl. [from the Dict. de Trévoux], Research, in music, is a
kind of prelude or voluntary..wherein the composer seems to search or
look out for the strains and touches of harmony, which he is to use in
the regular piece to be played afterwards. 1876 STAINER & BARRETT Dict.
Mus. Terms. 5. attrib. and Comb., as research assistant, building,
bureau, council, degree, department, doctorate, fellow, fellowship,
grant, lab, laboratory, library, officer, personnel, post, programme,
project, room, scholarship, station, student, unit, vessel, work,
worker; research-minded adj.; research and development, in an industrial
context, work directed on a large scale towards the innovation,
introduction, and improvement of products and processes; freq. as
attrib. phr.; abbrev. R and D s.v. R II. 2a. 1923 Industr. & Engin.
Chem. (News ed.) 20 Jan. 10/1 (Advt.), Professorship or assistant
professorship in first class college or university desired by chemist,
Ph.D., with seven years’ experience in university teaching and six
years’ practical experience in *research and development work. 1935
Chem. & Engin. News 10 Jan. 15/1 Arthur R. Hitch has resigned from the
Ethyl Gasoline Corp. to accept the position of director of research and
development with the Nelio-Resin Corp. and the Southern Pine Chemical
Co., Jacksonville, Fla. 1946 Happy Landings July (verso front cover), It
is the latter type of accidents..with which the research and development
branches of M.S.A.P. is [sic] primarily concerned. 1968 J. SANGSTER
Touchfeather xv. 182 Research and development is a notoriously difficult
thing to budget for. 1979 Arizona Daily Star 5 Aug. B4/5 The
research-and-development costs of a new product, when funded by
government, artificially reduce the price of the product. -- 1914 Leeds
Univ. Tenth Rep., 1912-13 41 Two *Research Assistants in Botany. 1977 D.
MACKENZIE Raven & Kamikaze xi. 128 I’ve been a senior research
assistant for three and a half years. -- 1934 H. G. WELLS Exper.
Autobiogr. ix. 815 It is the least grandiose and most practicable group
of *research buildings in the world. -- 1925 Scribner’s Mag. Oct.
404/1 The trade-union congress decided to open an ‘official’
*research bureau of its own. 1934 Amer. Speech IX. 113/1 Traffic counts
are made by men from the research bureau of a tourist organization. --
1920 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 27 Mar. 447/2 The Committee will come to life
again as the Medical *Research Council and will act under the direction
of a Committee of the Privy Council. 1971 Nature 5 Mar. 23/1 Rather more
than £100 million are spent through the research councils. -- 1903
Encycl. Brit. XXXV. 788/1 *Research degrees. 1960 EELLS & HASWELL
Academic Degrees ii. 27 Second in importance as a research degree and
much more recent is the Doctor of Education. -- 1920 M. BEER Hist. Brit.
Socialism II. xiv. 290 The Fabians have long felt the need for a special
*research department. 1964 Research department [see experiment station
s.v. EXPERIMENT n. 7]. -- 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXXI. 397/1 The B.Lit. and
B.Sc. (founded in 1895, and completed in 1900 by the institution of
*research doctorates), have attracted graduates from..other countries.
-- 1899 *Research fellow [see FELLOW n. 7a]. 1966 Rep. Comm. Inquiry
Univ. Oxf. II. 387 There are two broad classes of research fellow in the
colleges. -- 1921 Leeds Univ. Sixteenth Rep., 1919-20 76 Mr. T. Hanby
resigned the Gas *Research Fellowship. 1946 [see GRANT-IN-AID]. 1971
Daily Tel. 16 June 10/3 An IBM Research Fellowship has been awarded at
Oxford University to Mr. M. R. Topp. -- 1930 Univ. Sheffield Ann. Rep.,
1929-30 37 Mrs. May Mellanby..has been appointed a member of the
*Research Grants’ Committee. 1940 H. G. WELLS Babes in Darkling Wood
II. ii. 150 His income, derived from research grants, scientific
writing, a small parcel of investments and gifts from his brother, was
precarious. 1949 Spectator 18 Nov. 665/1 What the subject really
needs..is field-workers and a research grant. 1980 M. BOOTH Bad Track
iv. 77 Thank God for research grants. -- 1973 D. FRANCIS Slay Ride xiii.
162 It’s a *research lab job. -- 1914 Leeds Univ. Tenth Rep., 1912-13
43 A considerable sum of money was raised by public subscription for the
establishment of an International *Research Laboratory. 1922 Sci. Amer.
Aug. 100 Long before so-called industrial research laboratories were
established in any country, there existed a very thorough international
cooperation in scientific research. 1957 C. SMITH Case of Torches xi.
130 How often do you send reports to the Research Laboratories? -- 1962
Y. MALKIEL in Householder & Saporta Probl. Lexicogr. 3 Numerous
*research-library catalogues make it a point to distinguish between
mono-, bi-, tri-lingual and polyglot dictionaries. 1978 Amer. N. & Q.
XVI. 141/1 During the 1950s a familiar sight at the loading dock of
research libraries was the van of Hacker Art Books. -- 1959 Times 27
Apr. (Rubber Industry Suppl.) p. xii/7 *Research-minded graduates with
high academic qualifications..have excellent opportunities with some of
the larger companies. 1971 HALSEY & TROW Brit. Academics xii. 291 There
are more research-minded lecturers than senior lecturers. -- 1914 Oxf.
Univ. Calendar 1915 74 *Research Officer in Diseases of Trees. 1972
Classification of Occupations (Dept. Employment) II. 47/2 Other titles
include Research officer (Foreign and Commonwealth office). -- 1939 R.
V. JONES Most Secret War (1978) ix. 73 The only method of dealing with
the former is direct espionage, or the observation of indiscretions by
*research personnel concerned. 1972 Lebende Sprachen XVII. 47/1 Research
personnel, Forschungspersonal. -- 1966 Rep. Comm. Inquiry Univ. Oxf. II.
252 Included as full-time are all those with a university and/or college
teaching or *research post. -- 1950 N.Z. Jrnl. Agric. June 514 (caption)
The Rukuhia Soil Research Station (Hamilton)..carries out a *research
programme in soil physics. 1958 Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists
XLII. 701 Some years ago the Field Research Laboratory of the Magnolia
Petroleum Company began a Recent sediments research program in the Gulf
of Mexico. 1977 Sci. Amer. Dec. 15/1 He now..carries on a research
program in the behavioral ecology of ants. -- 1949 Radio Times 15 July
23/2 Mrs. Proudfoot is engaged on a *research project for Nuffield
College. 1977 Canad. Jrnl. Linguistics 1976 XXI. 196 Throughout a good
part of his career he has been associated, directly or indirectly, with
research projects concerned with the description of corpora of recorded
language. -- 1922 Leeds Univ. Seventeenth Rep., 1920-21 75 Honour
Students now have the advantage of a separate laboratory, one of the old
*Research Rooms having been specially equipped for the purpose. 1933
[see CARREL(L b]. 1949 J. ROUTH in Granta (Christmas ed.) 43/2 Then he
takes them to the research room where the research workers take down
their case histories. -- 1907 G. B. SHAW Let. 21 Mar. (1972) II. 675
Can’t you get a *research scholarship, and travel for a year or so on
that? 1937 Granta 3 Feb. 218/2 On graduating he was awarded the Earl of
Derby Research Scholarship in History. -- 1917 Rep. Fuel Research Board
10 The *Research Station, as planned, will be capable of any extensions
which will be required for future researches. 1974 ‘E. FERRARS’
Hanged Man’s House v. 42 A lot of scientists in a research station. --
1924 Univ. Sheffield Ann. Rep., 1923-24 36 There were 8 Post-Graduate
*Research Students in the Session 1923-24. 1934 H. G. WELLS Exper.
Autobiogr. II. ix. 815 Five hundred..research students from abroad were
always to be working there. 1976 R. BARNARD Little Local Murder x. 129
Why don’t you try a research student? -- 1937 Whitaker’s Almanack
344/1 Clinical *Research Units. 1941 C. MORGAN Empty Room I. 5
Duck~boards stretched across..muddy gravel from the small square Lodge,
where, he presumed, Research Unit Seven had their living quarters. a1974
R. CROSSMAN Diaries (1976) II. 192 To try to get them a medical school
for Warwick University and a motor research unit. -- 1977 Guardian 27
Apr. 6/2 Two *research vessels from the Institute of Marine Research at
Bergen headed for the area yesterday. -- 1903 J. B. TOMLINSON (title)
*Research work on popular and general subjects. 1935 Burlington Mag.
Aug. 90/2 Most of the research-work..has already been undertaken. 1950
Univ. Nottingham Ann. Rep. 12 The staffing of departments needs to be
reviewed in the light of the amount and kind of teaching required and of
the research work in progress. -- 1917 Jrnl. Soc. Automotive Engineers
Oct. 262/1 He was an experimental rather than an analytical *research
worker. 1950 Univ. Nottingham Ann. Rep. 12 In many departments the work
is seriously hampered simply by lack of space for research workers. 1969
I. & P. OPIE Children’s Games p. vi, The research-worker..blessed with
an unending flow of information can be in as embarrassing a position as
he whose sources are limited. (OED Online 2002: unpaged).
Source:
Oxford English Dictionary. 2002. OED Online. Oxford English Dictionary.
Ed. J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. 2nd ed, 1989. Oxford: Clarendon
Press. Oxford University Press. URL: http://dictionary.oed.com/ Date
accessed: 2002 January 18.
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def research n 2 A second or repeated search. 1746 Ascanus 272 Those
Parts having already been thoroughly ransack’d, and in all Probability
would not be exposed to a Re-search. 1878 SPURGEON Treas. Dav. Ps. cvii.
4 They wandered up and down in vain searches and researches. (OED Online
2002: unpaged).
Source:
Oxford English Dictionary. 2002. OED Online. Oxford English Dictionary.
Ed. J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. 2nd ed, 1989. Oxford: Clarendon
Press. Oxford University Press. URL: http://dictionary.oed.com/ Date
accessed: 2002 January 18.
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[The word “research” as a verb]
def research v 1 1. a. trans. To search into (a matter or subject); to
investigate or study closely. Also, to engage in research upon (a
subject, a person, etc.). 1593 G. HARVEY New Letter Ciij, Some that haue
perused eloquent bookes, and researched most curious writinges. a1639
WOTTON in Gutch Coll. Cur. I. 216 To research with freedom..all their
proper characters, and endowments. 1665 WALTON Life Hooker Introd., It
must prove..a work of much labour to inquire, consider, research, and
determine, what is needful to be known concerning him. 1786 A. M.
BENNETT Juvenile Indiscr. I. 103 He had employed himself..in researching
history. 1942 R. CHANDLER High Window (1943) xxxiii. 219 Some I was
told, some I researched, some I guessed. 1959 Encounter Dec. 32/2 I’ll
author an article about it after I’ve researched the matter further.
1965 New Statesman 23 Apr. 642/1 Bryan Magee must have worn cosy
blinkers when he researched lesbianism for his TV programme. 1971 D.
POTTER Brit. Eliz. Stamps xv. 180 Collect, study and research your
stamps. 1978 S. SHELDON Bloodline xiv. 175 She researched the guests,
found out their likes and dislikes, what they ate and drank, and what
type of entertainment they enjoyed. 1980 Times 1 Oct. 1/4 Union
leaders..said they wanted time to ‘research’ the company’s case
before the next meeting. b. intr. To make researches; to pursue a course
of research. Also const. in(to), on. 1781 H. WALPOLE Let. 27 Jan. (1858)
VII. 505, I know, as Gray would have said, how little I have researched,
and what slender pretensions are mine. 1801 SOUTHEY Let. to John Rickman
20 Nov. in Life (1850) II. 175 On these three subjects he is directed to
read and researchcorn-laws, finance, tythes, according to their written
order. 1811 MOORE Mem. (1856) VIII. 97 When you write, or rather when
you research, do not forget [etc.]. 1867 J. MACFARLANE Mem. T. Archer
vi. 135 He travelled with the touristresearched with the historian. 1935
D. L. SAYERS Gaudy Night i. 23, I believe she’s researching on the
Bacon family. 1958 Times Lit. Suppl. 14 Nov. 653/2 The Savage Affair is
about one Michael Savage..researching into Commonwealth Drama. 1975
Nature 6 Nov. 27/3 He is a biochemist who has researched in many areas.
1977 Navy News July 12/3 Former lieutenant-commander, John Winton has
researched into sea ballads, ships’ logs, and sailors’ personal
writings and reminiscences to produce the latest of his works. 1977 K.
O’HARA Ghost of T. Penry xv. 142 If you’d ever learn to research
properly..you’d know you’re always civil. c. trans. To engage upon
research for (a book or the like). 1965 Listener 4 Mar. 343/3 The book
has been thoroughly and conscientiously ‘researched’, as the
Americans say. 1973 Which? Dec. 367/1 This continued to research monthly
features for sale to the mass-circulation Daily Mirror. 1975 Publishers
Weekly 2 June 49/3 Barbara Villet, ex-Life reporter, researched her book
in five big New York hospitals. 2. To seek (a woman) in love or
marriage. Obs. 1622 J. REYNOLDS God’s Revenge I. Hist. ii, Because he
seeth it labour lost, to research Christeneta, he will not bee obstinate
in his suite. Ibid. iv, He is not capable to bee dissuaded from
researching his Mistresse. 1649 Alcoran 23 You will not offend God in
speaking a word in secret to women that you research in marriage. Hence
researching vbl. n. and ppl. a. 1611 FLORIO, Ricerca, a search, a
researching. a1639 WOTTON in Reliq. (1672) 351 Your Style, which seemeth
unto me..full of Sweet Raptures, and of researching Conceits. 1887
Charity Organis. Rev. Nov. 408 A stranger would be introduced, who by
his questioning compelled researching of principles. 1930 J. B.
PRIESTLEY Angel Pavement viii. 393 He wants to come along early next
week and bring his researching friend Jiggs or Hoggs or something. 1981
J. SUTHERLAND Bestsellers xiii. 145 The most respected researching
novelist in Britain is probably Len Deighton. (OED Online 2002:
unpaged).
Oxford English Dictionary. 2002. OED Online. Oxford English Dictionary.
Ed. J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. 2nd ed, 1989. Oxford: Clarendon
Press. Oxford University Press. URL: http://dictionary.oed.com/ Date
accessed: 2002 January 18.
--
def research v 2 trans. and intr. To search again or repeatedly.
1760-72 H. BROOKE Fool of Qual. (1809) II. 76, I searched and researched
my memory. 1804 E. DE ACTON Tale without Title II. 246, I have searched
and researched every corner of the house. 1861 E. O’CURRY Lect. MS.
Materials 434 To search and research through the ancient MSS.
themselves. 1876 ‘MARK TWAIN’ Tom Sawyer xxxii, The lads searched
and re-searched this place, but in vain. (OED Online 2002: unpaged).
Oxford English Dictionary. 2002. OED Online. Oxford English Dictionary.
Ed. J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. 2nd ed, 1989. Oxford: Clarendon
Press. Oxford University Press. URL: http://dictionary.oed.com/ Date
accessed: 2002 January 18.
--
From Webster’s Dictionary, 1913 edition
[The word “research” as a noun]
def research: Re*search” (r?-s?rch”), n. [Pref. re- + search: cf
OF. recerche, F. recherche.] Diligent inquiry or examination in seeking
facts or principles; laborious or continued search after truth; as,
researches of human wisdom. The dearest interests of parties have
frequently been staked on the results of the researches of antiquaries.
Macaulay. Syn. -- Investigation; examination; inquiry; scrutiny (ARTFL
Webster’s 1913: 1224).
[The word “research” as a verb]
def research: Re*search”, v. t. [Pref. re- + search: cf. OF.
recerchier, F. rechercher.] To search or examine with continued care; to
seek diligently (ARTFL Webster’s 1913: 1224).
Source:
ARTFL Webster’s. 1913. Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (G &
C. Merriam Co., 1913, edited by Noah Porter). ARTFL (Project for
American and French Research on the Treasury of the French Language).
Chicago: Divisions of the Humanities, University of Chicago. URL:
http://humanities.uchicago.edu/forms_unrest/webster.form.html.
Date accessed: 2002 January 18.
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From Wordsmyth:
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[The word “research” as a noun]
def research Part of speech: noun Syllables: re-search Pronunciation:
rih suhrch; ri suhrch Definition: systematic investigation and study to
obtain and analyze information, as about a theory, event, intellectual
discipline, or the like. Synonyms: inquiry (3) Part of speech:
intransitive verb Inflections: researched, researching, researches
Definition: to do research. Similar Words: search, investigate, probe,
canvass, study Part of speech: transitive verb Definition: to do
research into. Synonyms: delve into {delve}, investigate Similar Words:
search, study, probe, canvass, examine, analyze Derived Words:
researchable, adj. ; researcher, n. (Wordsmyth 1999: unpaged).
Source:
Wordsmyth. 2002. The Wordsmyth Educational Dictionary-Thesaurus.
[WEDT]. Robert Parks, ed. Chicago: Wordsmyth Collaboratory. URL:
http://www.wordsmyth.net/. Date accessed: 2002 February 2.
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From the Dictionary of Philosophy
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[The word “research” as a noun]
Def research Methodical search for knowledge. Original research tackles
new problems or checks previous findings. Rigorous research is the mark
of science, technology, and the “living” branches of the humanities.
It is typically absent from pseudoscience and ideology. Syn.
Exploration, investigation, inquiry (Bunge 1999: 251).
Bunge, Mario. 1999. The Dictionary of Philosophy. Amherst, New York:
Prometheus Books.
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