👉 Foundational research, also known as basic or pure research, aims to expand our understanding of fundamental principles and phenomena across various disciplines without immediate practical application. It seeks to answer broad, open-ended questions that can lead to new insights and theories, often laying the groundwork for future applied research. This type of study is characterized by its exploratory nature, focusing on curiosity-driven inquiry and hypothesis generation. For example, in physics, foundational research might involve investigating the fundamental forces of nature or the behavior of subatomic particles, while in psychology, it could explore the underlying mechanisms of human cognition. The results from foundational research, though not directly applicable to immediate problems, are crucial for advancing knowledge and can eventually lead to technological innovations and practical applications.
