It is the purpose of useful science to contribute to the accumulation of general knowledge. This is the primary goal of all research journals, however it is not the sole goal. A good paper could be misinterpreted, or even be incorrectly judged to be unsuitable for publication because of a lack of utility (for instance, in situations where a study has been improperly translated into practical applications).
The pursuit of pure knowledge is not impeded by the need to prove relevance. In reality, practical questions could inspire new pure research. (For instance Michael Faraday’s electrical studies were inspired by his curiosity about the lightning).
We also know that technology applications can come from various sources. A medical expedition to Easter Island examined the population’s extraordinary resistance to Tetanus. Later soil samples collected from that site were transferred to Ayerst Pharmaceuticals and further research into natural antimicrobials was conducted.
These examples prove that the distinction between ‘pure research’ and “applied” research is not true. A more effective criterion is to encourage the development of a wide range of practical applications that can be derived from scientific results and to improve the skills of scientists so that they can recognise potential usefulness in their research. This is the principal goal of the field of translational ecology which seeks to change the basic/applied paradigm of science by involving all stakeholders in the creation and application of scientific knowledge. 2017).
