Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning
05:33

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

Published on: January 29, 2020

5.8K

What is Basic Research? Insights from Historical Semantics.

Désirée Schauz1

  • 1Technische Universität München, Fachgebiet Technikgeschichte, c/o Deutsches Museum, Museumsinsel 1, 80538 Munich, Germany.

Minerva
|August 29, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

Structuralism01:26

Structuralism

3.6K
Structuralism, an early psychological theory developed by Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Bradford Titchener, sought to dissect the human mind into its most fundamental components. Wundt's groundbreaking work in his laboratory set the stage for Titchener to define structuralism's goal as cataloging the "atoms" of the mind—sensations, images, and feelings—akin to how chemists identify elements of matter.
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He...
3.6K
Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

838
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
838
Statistical Significance01:37

Statistical Significance

20.9K
Once data is collected from both the experimental and the control groups, a statistical analysis is conducted to find out if there are meaningful differences between the two groups. A statistical analysis determines how likely any difference found is due to chance (and thus not meaningful). In psychology, group differences are considered meaningful, or significant, if the odds that these differences occurred by chance alone are 5 percent or less. Stated another way, if we repeated this...
20.9K
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

874
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
874
Archival Research01:40

Archival Research

15.6K
Some researchers gain access to large amounts of data without interacting with a single research participant. Instead, they use existing records to answer various research questions. This type of research approach is known as archival research. Archival research relies on looking at past records or data sets to look for interesting patterns or relationships. For example, a researcher might access the academic records of all individuals who enrolled in college within the past ten years and...
15.6K
Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior01:28

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

372
Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...
372

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

[In Process Citation].

NTM·2015
Same journal

"We Need a CERN for AI": Organized Scientific Interests and Agenda-Setting in European Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy.

Minerva·2026
Same journal

Towards the Recognition of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Researchers.

Minerva·2026
Same journal

Between Gift-Giving and Accumulation: Peer Review Economies in Psychology.

Minerva·2026
Same journal

Diving into Relevance: How Deep Sea Researchers Articulate Societal Relevance within their Epistemic Living Spaces.

Minerva·2025
Same journal

Abstracting It All: The Soviet Institute of Scientific Information (VINITI) and the Promise of Centralisation, 1952-1977.

Minerva·2025
Same journal

Structural Power and Epistemologies in the Scientific Field: Why a Rapid Reconciliation Between Functional and Evolutionary Biology is Unlikely.

Minerva·2024
See all related articles

The concept of basic research emerged in the late 19th century, not from pure science, but as a response to societal utility demands. Post-1945 US science policy later redefined it, aligning it with older ideals of pure science.

Area of Science:

  • Science and Technology Studies
  • History of Science
  • Philosophy of Science

Background:

  • The concept of basic research is frequently debated and questioned.
  • Despite doubts, it remains a key analytical category in science studies.
  • The distinction between basic and applied research is often unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To historically analyze the concept of basic research using historical semantics.
  • To differentiate basic research from applied research.
  • To trace the evolution of the concept of basic research.

Main Methods:

  • Historical semantics analysis.
  • Examination of the historical context of scientific research funding and policy.
  • Analysis of the discourse surrounding scientific utility and societal expectations.
Keywords:
19th century20th centuryApplied researchApplied scienceBasic researchGermanyHistorical semanticsHistory of sciencePure scienceScience policyUncertaintyUnited States of America

More Related Videos

Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies
05:22

Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: May 9, 2019

4.7K
Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects
07:36

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

Published on: November 30, 2018

16.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning
05:33

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

Published on: January 29, 2020

5.8K
Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies
05:22

Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: May 9, 2019

4.7K
Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects
07:36

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

Published on: November 30, 2018

16.6K

Main Results:

  • The concept of basic research did not originate from the tradition of pure science.
  • It emerged in the late 19th/early 20th centuries as scientists navigated societal utility expectations.
  • Post-1945 US science policy re-framed basic research, reviving older ideals of pure science.

Conclusions:

  • The notion of basic research evolved as a strategic response to societal demands for utility.
  • US science policy after World War II significantly influenced the modern understanding of basic research.
  • Historical context, including the atomic era and Cold War, shaped the discourse on scientific purity.