Research
Research is defined in federal regulations as "a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge." Importantly, a 'human subject' is defined as a "living individual about whom an investigator [conducting research] obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) Identifiable private information. See http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/index.html for more information about research and related issues under DHHS/Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP).
This general definition can include a very diverse set of activities across many disciplines and substantive areas. Methodological approaches can include: surveys, interviews, randomized clinical trials, direct observations, physiological measurements, descriptive methods, laboratory and field experiments, standardized tests, ethnography, and evaluation.
Importantly, 'research' is not defined by how a project is named or even designated by the funding agency. Some evaluations or demonstration projects can be considered research; some projects labeled as research may not meet the definition above! Guidance on these issues can come from OHRP, the federal agency that oversees publicly-funded research, or from local Institutional Review Boards that make determinations about specific projects.
Our on-going and recent 'systematic investigations' include: