Basic and Applied Research in Selected G20 Countries–A Depiction using Stokes’ Quadrants

Research associated with science, technology and innovation has two main goals – increase the sum of human knowledge and diminish the sum of human misery. It can be pursued in various ways falling between two extremes – seeking a fundamental understanding (pure basic research), or solving immediate or pressing problems (pure applied research). A two-dimensional representation with applied research on the horizontal axis and basic research on the vertical axis leads to four quadrants¹. The fourth quadrant, known as Pasteur’s Quadrant¹, is an ideal situation where the search for fundamental understanding also has immediate utility for society.