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Definition of Basic Research
This definition was developed by IPENZ in collaboration with several bodies including the NZCED.
There are a variety of definitions of what the practice of engineering is, from the noble “harnessing the power of nature for the benefit of humanity” to the more practical “how to do useful things using knowledge of systems, materials and processes”. Given the diversity of engineering it is probable that there is no single all-encompassing definition, but rather the practice of engineering is characterised by the presence of most or all of the following things:
- Engineering is purposeful – it seeks to use knowledge and resources to make interventions in the natural world that meet a present or future need of people
- Engineering is creative – it involves creativity to develop or design new or improve existing artefacts, products, processes and services
- Engineering seeks efficiency – it is concerned with the wise use of resources
- Engineering is predictive of the outcomes it seeks to achieve – it seeks to use mechanistic understanding of both natural and man-induced processes to develop models, that allow reliable predictions to be made of the future performance of any artefact, product, process, system or service to be made
- Engineering uses available materials, systems and resources – it uses understanding of the properties of materials, systems and resources to ensure that artefacts, products, processes, systems or services that are created are of sufficient durability that their use can continue for suitable periods of time
- Engineering includes risk management – it recognises limitations imposed by incomplete knowledge or understanding of systems, materials and processes and develops means to control or manage the resultant risks to levels acceptable to society at large
Engineering research seeks to advance the practice of engineering by means such as:
- Discovery of new materials, theoretical models and processes which can enhance the performance, quality, efficiency, cost effectiveness and life of engineering systems
- Increasing the quality of models by which predictions are made, thereby improving process understanding
- Investigating and defining the properties of new or existing materials, systems and resources so that their use can be more appropriate and reliable to the end-user
- Developing improved design methodologies so that the resultant outcome is more efficient or reliable, or poses less risk to its end-users
- Improving control and risk management frameworks around particular families of engineering problems
In essence, research in engineering is research to improve the practice of engineering – it gives engineers better ways to do their job.
What then is basic research in engineering? Because the nature of engineering is to be purposeful, basic research cannot be defined on the basis that it is research for which no future purpose can be envisioned. Rather it must be defined as that research which informs potential future practical application including:
- Research that seeks to build underpinning theoretical and mathematical models that increase understanding of the mechanisms of either natural or man-made processes or systems
- Research that seeks to increase understanding of the unique and potentially valuable properties of novel materials or resources
It probably does not include the ongoing refinement of risk management or design methodologies, but it does include developing models or knowledge that might lead to substantive rethinking of the methodologies themselves.
Basic research must be judged in three ways:
- Does the theoretical and/or mathematical model provide further understanding of and/or more accurately or more effectively describe the phenomena under study than pre-existing models,
- Is the group of materials, systems or processes under study significant in terms of its potential impact, and
- Is the work proposed leading edge internationally within the particular field of engineering endeavour?
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