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Do research: meaning, examples and practice

How to say you carried out research: do, not make, why research takes no a, and what to use instead of do in academic writing. With examples and an exercise.

Do research means to carry out a study, or to look into a question and gather information. It works for academic work and for everyday preparation: before buying a phone, choosing a course or travelling to an unfamiliar city.

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do research on/into + topic; do some/a lot of research; carry out research (formal)

  • Before choosing a university, I did a lot of research on student reviews.
  • Our team is doing research into how customers use the mobile app.
  • Do some research before you book a hotel in a city you don't know.

What changed

First versionLast year our department did a research on remote work.

RevisionLast year our department did research on remote work.

Research is uncountable in English, like information, so it doesn't take a and is rarely used in the plural. That is why a was removed. When you mean one particular study, say a study or a research project.

Cambridge Dictionary

In academic writing, carry out or conduct often replace do: The team carried out research into sleep and memory. Research can also be a verb: She researched the topic for months.

Your turn

For my thesis, I ___ research on how teenagers use social media.

(did / made)

Show the answer

did — Research goes with do, and the past form is did. A native speaker wouldn't say made research.

Describe how you looked into a question before an important purchase or decision. Say what you were choosing and where you looked for information.

Before buying a used car, I did research on different models by reading owner reviews online.

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