What Are the Benefits of Conducting Research?

By Staff WriterLast Updated Apr 3, 2020 8:52:43 AM ET

The benefits of conducting research include increasing personal knowledge and contributing to humanity, as well as developing skills and interests.

Market Research
There are several different types of research and benefits to each. Market research enables companies to explore new and appropriate strategies for advertising and distributing their products or services. It also allows them to identify possible causes of poor sales, such as falling brand awareness among the public or competition from other brands.

Nonprofit Research
Research for a nonprofit organization or for the greater good allows people to better understand the ever-changing needs of the community. This not only helps validate a case when it comes time to ask for funding, but also allows for better training of professionals so that they are able to aid the community. Research allows new programs to be implemented with the hope of achieving community success.

Medical and Scientific Research
Perhaps the field that benefits most by research is the medical and scientific field. Proper research helps pave the way for vaccines and preventative medicine, which can alleviate disease before it occurs. Research also aids in finding cures for disease. It allows medication to be thoroughly tested and evaluated. Scientific research covers a broader spectrum, allowing for psychological testing and solutions in the mental health field, with double-blind and other types of research experiments.

Often, many types of different research are combined. For example, a new prescription drug may be heavily tested and evaluated, and found to help those who suffer from clinical depression. Perhaps it is approved by the FDA, but more research is needed. Next, a double-blind, controlled psychological study is performed on subjects who suffer from depression. If these results are found to be satisfactory, then pharmaceutical companies have to perform the correct market research to decide how to advertise to patients who may benefit from the drug. There may also be a correlating study on how depression affects the community as a whole. All of these branches of research come together to try to control or solve a problem.

Further Benefits
There are some further generic benefits that apply to all types of research. Research improves overall quality. For a nonprofit, it can improve quality of life in the community. For medical research, it can improve the quality of a drug or medical procedure. Research also puts knowledge in the hands of everyday citizens. Most research findings and studies are available to the general public so that they do not have to do the research themselves. This research expands knowledge and practices in many different types of fields, allows students to get interested in topics and allows organizations to ask for funding where it is needed. Having access to scientific literature can help everyone, from the doctor to the everyday average Joe.

One final benefit of research is that it also facilitates statistical analysis. Quantitative scientific findings, for instance, tend to be represented numerically, and can therefore be easily assessed for significance and implications.