Introduction
At some point, you may engage in professional or academic research, and although they have similarities, the processes and focus of these research types are quite different. Keep reading to find out more about the similarities and differences between academic research and professional research.
Academic research focuses on finding new information and theories.
It’s not just about applying existing knowledge but also creating new knowledge by expanding our understanding of the world. Academic researchers look at what has been done in their field and try to come up with something better or more complete than what others have found before them.
Academic researchers don’t usually work directly with the public or private sector because they’re not interested in creating practical solutions; they want to expand our understanding of how things work so that we can make better decisions in the future (and maybe even create those solutions ourselves!).
Professional research focuses on applying existing knowledge to solve real-world problems.
It’s not theoretical, but it can be applied to a wide range of topics and disciplines. Professional researchers often work under pressure and must meet deadlines, so they need to be able to move quickly when necessary. This is why many professional researchers collaborate with others in their field or with people who have experience in the area they’re working on–their colleagues can help them get started quickly, provide feedback on rough drafts, share resources like datasets or software tools that would take too long for one person alone (and therefore not get used), etcetera!
The purpose of academic research is to theoretically advance the discipline.
Academic research is published in journals and often involves theoretical advances that advance the discipline. Academic research often involves Ph.D. students or professors working on topics related to their specific field of study.
The purpose of professional research is to solve a problem or address an issue in practice.
A professional researcher might ask why there are so many car accidents on her street each year, then investigate whether there are more cars driving down it than before, whether the speed limit has changed recently, etc., which could lead her to recommend creating traffic lights at certain intersections as well as posting signs warning drivers not go above 25 mph while approaching those intersections.
Both have purposes, so don’t think either one is better than the other!
Both academic and professional research have their place in the world of learning. Academic research helps you learn new things, while professional research applies existing knowledge to the real world. Both types of research are important to advancing knowledge, so don’t think that one type is better than another!
Conclusion
So, that’s it! We hope this article has helped you understand the difference between academic and professional research. The most important thing to remember is that both types of projects have their place in academia and industry. Both allow us to learn new things and apply our knowledge in real-world situations–they just have different goals and methods for achieving those goals. If you’re interested in pursuing either one of these paths, make sure that they align with what interests or motivates you!