Meaning & use
research project
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A planned piece of study in which someone investigates a question and collects evidence to find an answer.
Grammar: Countable: a research project, two research projects.
Patterns
- a research project on something
- carry out a research project
For her research project, she studied how bees find flowers.
The university funded a three-year research project on soil.
Every student must complete a research project before graduating.
nouncountable
A funded, organized study run by a team or institution, often with a set budget and goals.
Grammar: Often used for professional or scientific work.
Patterns
- lead a research project
- fund a research project
The research project received a large government grant.
He leads a research project on solar panels.
The hospital launched a research project into sleep problems.
Word forms
| plural | research projects |
|---|
Common combinations
- carry out a research project
- The students carried out a research project on local birds.
- a joint research project
- The two universities started a joint research project.
- fund a research project
- The foundation agreed to fund a research project.
- a research project on
- I am doing a research project on migration.
- complete a research project
- She completed her research project in June.
Synonyms and how they differ
- study
- Study is shorter and can mean any careful investigation, not necessarily a planned project.
- investigation
- Investigation often implies looking into a problem or crime, whereas a research project follows a set method.
- experiment
- Experiment means a test to see what happens, so it is only one part a project might include.
- inquiry
- Inquiry is formal and suggests asking a question officially, often in public life.
Word family
Commonly confused: research project or research paper?
research project vs research paper
A research paper is the written report of findings, while a research project is the whole activity.
Practice
Her ___ on climate and crops lasted two years and involved ten schools.
Choose one answer.
Research project is a fixed compound noun. The other forms are ungrammatical or reverse the word order.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “research project”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.