Scientific research versus technological research: A necessary clarification

Fernández-Vigo, J.Á.; Almorín-Fernández-Vigo, I.; Kudsieh, B.; Fernández-Vigo, J.I.

doi:10.1016/j.oftale.2023.06.006

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Fernández-Vigo, M.T. Serrano González-Peramato, C. Nunila Gómez-de-Liaño, I. Sánchez-Guillén, J.Á. Fernández-Vigo, A. Macarro-Merino" "autores" => array:6 [ 0 => array:2 [ "nombre" => "J.I." "apellidos" => "Fernández-Vigo" ] 1 => array:2 [ "nombre" => "M.T." "apellidos" => "Serrano González-Peramato" ] 2 => array:2 [ "nombre" => "C." "apellidos" => "Nunila Gómez-de-Liaño" ] 3 => array:2 [ "nombre" => "I." "apellidos" => "Sánchez-Guillén" ] 4 => array:2 [ "nombre" => "J.Á." "apellidos" => "Fernández-Vigo" ] 5 => array:2 [ "nombre" => "A." 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Fernández-Vigo, I. Almorín-Fernández-Vigo, B. Kudsieh, J.I. Fernández-Vigo" "autores" => array:4 [ 0 => array:4 [ "nombre" => "J.Á." "apellidos" => "Fernández-Vigo" "email" => array:1 [ 0 => "jose.fernandez-vigo@fernandez-vigo.com" ] "referencia" => array:3 [ 0 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "a" "identificador" => "aff0005" ] 1 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "b" "identificador" => "aff0010" ] 2 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "*" "identificador" => "cor0005" ] ] ] 1 => array:3 [ "nombre" => "I." "apellidos" => "Almorín-Fernández-Vigo" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "a" "identificador" => "aff0005" ] ] ] 2 => array:3 [ "nombre" => "B." "apellidos" => "Kudsieh" "referencia" => array:2 [ 0 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "a" "identificador" => "aff0005" ] 1 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "c" "identificador" => "aff0015" ] ] ] 3 => array:3 [ "nombre" => "J.I." "apellidos" => "Fernández-Vigo" "referencia" => array:2 [ 0 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "a" "identificador" => "aff0005" ] 1 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "d" "identificador" => "aff0020" ] ] ] ] "afiliaciones" => array:4 [ 0 => array:3 [ "entidad" => "Centro Internacional de Oftalmología Avanzada, Madrid, Spain" "etiqueta" => "a" "identificador" => "aff0005" ] 1 => array:3 [ "entidad" => "Área de Oftalmología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain" "etiqueta" => "b" "identificador" => "aff0010" ] 2 => array:3 [ "entidad" => "Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain" "etiqueta" => "c" "identificador" => "aff0015" ] 3 => array:3 [ "entidad" => "Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain" "etiqueta" => "d" "identificador" => "aff0020" ] ] "correspondencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "cor0005" "etiqueta" => "⁎" "correspondencia" => "Corresponding author." ] ] ] ] "titulosAlternativos" => array:1 [ "es" => array:1 [ "titulo" => "Investigación científica versus investigación tecnológica. Una clarificación necesaria" ] ] "textoCompleto" => "Research in any of its aspects unavoidably depends on funding, which in turn depends on the classification that research bodies and agencies make of our project. For this reason, we consider it relevant to analyse some practical concepts about research and its types in order to implement the possibilities of obtaining funding for the projects we carry out.Many public calls for proposals, especially European funds for companies, clearly differentiate between those for scientific research and those for technological development or innovation. And according to the type of funding, financing can fluctuate from 40% to 70% of the investment, a difference that definitely determines the feasibility of a project.Clarifying these concepts is fundamental to the direction of our research, and hence this essay. What are the defining characteristics of each type of research?Until now, ophthalmologists have practised scientific research under the protection of public hospitals, universities and research centres, with little presence of individual ophthalmologists. In the last decade, ophthalmology Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been registered, attracted by their research vocation, the tax benefits and the limitations imposed by the bureaucracy of universities and hospitals.But SMEs take a very high risk in case of non-compliance with the strict conditions they impose, with very severe penalties.The gibberish is colossal. Depending on the call for proposals, multiple types of companies can apply, which in turn depend on the type of research to which they apply and other multiple criteria. In the end, 70% is funded if the qualification is for industrial research, while for technological innovation funding is reduced to 45%.The boundaries between research modalities are not clear-cut, especially today where technology supports almost all fields of science. Such is the permeability between disciplines that already in 1983 Mario Bunge wrote "it would be foolish to insist on the problem of classifying the sciences, which was once a favourite pastime of philosophers, the aim of research being more important".<a class="elsevierStyleCrossRef" href="#bib0005">1</a> Current scholars of science and technology come to similar conclusions,<a class="elsevierStyleCrossRef" href="#bib0010">2</a> with the subordination of technological knowledge to scientific knowledge no longer existing.<a class="elsevierStyleCrossRef" href="#bib0015">3</a> For this reason, we speak of types as if they were somewhat interchangeable terms sometimes opposed to each other, as explained above, as the calls for proposals require, with almost any project having both technological and scientific aspects.Clarifying these concepts is fundamental to channel our research not only as a philosophical disquisition but also as a methodological and pragmatic discussion on the differences that exist between scientific and technological research, two activities that are bound to understand each other although substantially different: enquiry for science and action for techniques and technology.Broadly speaking, science seeks to expand knowledge, to understand the natural world, while technology seeks to modify that world in order to meet human needs.In science, the means is research and the goal is knowledge. In technology, the means is still research, but the objective is something material: devices, medicines, products or procedures to produce. In other words, to give new applications to knowledge in order to solve problems through the use of technology and invention.Galbraith put it simply: "technology means systematic application of knowledge to practical tasks",<a class="elsevierStyleCrossRef" href="#bib0020">4</a> while Cegarra<a class="elsevierStyleCrossRef" href="#bib0025">5</a> defined it as "the art of transforming scientific knowledge into commercial development".From a methodological point of view there are relevant aspects. By science we mean the body of knowledge obtained by means of a rigorous methodology which has to be experimentally verifiable.Technology is the body of knowledge, theories and techniques that allow the practical use of scientific knowledge through the creation of devices or processes to produce them.To achieve this knowledge, we use research that includes both the activity (research, development, implementation) and its resulting product (knowledge, goods and services).The general scheme could be: basic, theoretical or experimental science research work is that which aims to increase knowledge, and applied science is that which substantiates this acquired knowledge in order to put it to practical use. If this acquired knowledge is oriented towards the concrete in order to design a process or manufacture an artefact, then we enter into technological research, the final objective of which is to offer it to society. If these results are accepted by the market, reaching their practical, industrial and even commercial materialisation, we speak of the technological innovation phase. Finally, the technique is the set of procedures and resources that technology makes use of and whose objective is the manufacture of goods or the provision of services.In summary, the technological innovation process comprises 4 phases: research, technological development, application and refinement. Research itself has 2 phases: basic and applied. The first generates scientific knowledge, is developed in universities and research centres and its quality is evaluated through research work and articles published in indexed journals. As for the second, it focuses on the search for original solutions that improve those available and its objective is patents, trademarks and utility models.The methods in technology partly differ from those in science. In addition to the use of scientific methodology, engineering methods are applied, among which the experiences that validate the correct functioning and efficiency of the artefact stand out. There are several types of technological research: exploratory studies (known as pilot studies), descriptive, correlational and explanatory (relating cause and effect), which are generally carried out in 4 steps.Today, interaction with technologists is essential for progress in scientific knowledge. Medical research needs the support of basic and applied sciences. But immediately after medical knowledge comes research and technological innovation and the development of tools for its application, and for this we must open our research fields to technology if we want to further the progress of our discipline.Conflict of interestThere are no conflicts of interest or funding sources." 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Archivos de la Sociedad Española de Oftalmología is the official journal of the Ophthalmology Society of Spain, that has over 4,000 members. It gives priority to the publication of basic, translational and clinic research including reviews, original articles, short communications, editorials, letters to the editor and clinic practice guides related to Ophthalmology and its subspecialties. A small section of the journal is reserved for the most relevant papers presented at the annual Congress of the Society. All manuscripts considered for publication are reviewed by expert examiner peers (double blind). The journal is published monthly and even though its official language is Spanish all articles are translated into English to increase the dissemination of scientific information. At present, Archivos is the only Spanish language Ophthalmology journal indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE in addition to other prestigious international databases such as Scopus.

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Vol. 98. Issue 9.