Talking about R&D
Although there is no ‘silver bullet’ term, “Research & Development” is a familiar term that gains support in the context of education, jobs and investment. Pro-R&D arguments tend to be more compelling than those against R&D investment, particularly when framed around helping the next generation, saving lives or benefits to jobs, education and the economy. There is appetite to learn more about local R&D including through the news and open days to local research organisations.
Terminology
There is no ‘silver bullet’ term for describing the combined breadth of research activities, but “Research & Development” is a familiar term that gains support in the context of education, jobs and investment. The public view it as an umbrella term that can apply to many activities and prefer it to “Research & Innovation”.
The R&D community use many different terms to talk about what they do, and this ‘terminology clutter’ risks making it harder for the sector to talk about its collective value. To identify which terms perform well in different scenarios, our 2022-23 study tested a range of alternative terms to R&D, including typical and less commonly used options.
At an appropriate point, respondents were provided with a definition of R&D based on the Frascati definition: Research and Development (R&D) refers to any work that aims to solve a problem or increase what we know. This includes what we know about humankind, culture and society, as well as what we know about the world around us. R&D can lead to new discoveries and ideas, or the invention or improvement of products and services. In short, R&D is often the first step to creating something new.
In May 2022 we tested R&D against other terms – innovation, investigation, invention, creativity, science and discovery – after the definition of R&D was provided:
- “Innovation” was the strongest alternative, with 39% saying it would be better than “Research & Development”.
- 57% said “Innovation” meant exactly or broadly the same as “Research & Development”.
- No term outperformed “Research & Development” when testing support for the Government investing money into the activities.
- At the end of the survey, 87% said “Research & Development” was a very or somewhat clear way of talking about the topic.
In July 2022, before the definition of R&D was provided, we tested “Research and Development” against a set of other terms: new discoveries, innovation, and science:
- When used in realistic messages, “Science” and “Research & Development” generated broadly equivalent levels of agreement or support, although the public were more likely to say “science” had a positive impact on their lives.
- “New Discoveries” consistently performed worse than the other terms.
In February 2023, we provided a broad list of research activities, such as examining how parks can improve people’s health and wellbeing, and testing a new artificial intelligence programme:
- When asked to select the terms that described all the activities as a group, 66% chose “Research and Development” (66%), followed by “Research” (57%), then “Innovation” (50%) and “Science and Technology” (50%).
- When asked to choose just one term, 39% selected “Research and Development”, followed by “Research” (10%).
In October 2023, we compared two widely-used terms, “Research & Development” and “Research & Innovation”, in more detail. We found that:
- The terms can be used relatively interchangeably in a range of realistic contexts – for instance in messages about creating jobs or the government investing into R&D – without impacting attitudes.
- When asked whether it made more sense to talk about R&D or R&I for a range of different research activities, R&D was generally selected over R&I.
- 78% preferred the term “Research & Development”. Free text responses described R&D as “easier to understand” or “more certain”, while R&I was described as a “buzzword”.
Messages
Pro-R&D arguments tend to be more compelling than those against R&D investment, particularly when framed around helping the next generation, saving lives or benefits to jobs, education and the economy. The public value realism, transparency and honesty in messaging about R&D.
Our 2022-23 study explored a range of arguments for and against R&D. Full details can be explored in the Messages and Messaging and Taglines and Slogans sections from this study. We can also make a series of broader observations about what qualities the public value in R&D messaging, drawn from all our quantitative and qualitative research. Our Advocacy Toolkit provides advice for those wanting to engage different audiences, based on the insights from our research.
Across our research, we found that the public:
- Value the opportunity to discuss R&D when information is provided in a specific, relevant and jargon-free way.
- Want to find a personal connection to R&D, either through the issue being tackled or the location that it is happening in.
- May be sceptical or distrust depictions of R&D that feel too vague or unrealistically grand.
- Want to be reassured that money is being invested rather than disappearing into a “black hole”, with clear appetite for honest and transparent discussions about R&D.
- Feel more compelled by pro-R&D arguments framed around problem-solving, creating a better future or helping the next generation.
When considering specific messages in favour of R&D, our May 2022 survey found that more than 6 in 10 saw these as strong arguments:
- “We are surrounded by the outputs of successful R&D, such as the Coronavirus vaccine and other life-saving medicines. The money we invest now could save my life in the future”.
- “Whether it’s a changing climate or an aging population, we live in an uncertain world. We won’t solve those problems without fresh ideas, so R&D is our best hope for a better future”.
- “We are benefiting from the investments that previous generations made in R&D. If we don’t invest now, we’ll miss out on new ideas that could improve the lives of future generations”.
Our July 2022 survey found around 7 in 10 said that the following arguments were strong:
- “Investing in R&D will help create a better future for us and the next generation”.
- “Investing in R&D is essential if we want to solve problems”.
When asked about messages specifically framed around the best or most convincing reasons to invest more money in R&D, we found:
- 56% said “because we need to invest now so we’re ready to solve problems in the future” was a strong argument. (July 2022)
- 67% said that “The risk of future pandemics like Covid” and “Risks of cyber attacks or online spying from other countries” meant that the UK should invest more in R&D. (October 2023)
- When asked what would convince them it was worth investing money in R&D, the best performing suggestions were examples of the positive impact of R&D taking place at the moment and examples where R&D has had a positive impact in the past. (February 2023)
We have also consistently found that boosts to the economy, job creation and education opportunities are seen as benefits of R&D investment. These are described in more detail in the section on Benefits.
Finally, when considering what works less well, we found:
- Pro-R&D arguments focused on international competition or comparisons consistently perform less well, although some audiences respond more strongly than others –particularly older people, men and those in socioeconomic group AB.
- The most convincing anti-R&D arguments were those that talked about there being more pressing issues, or that public money is tight.
Ways to engage the public
Almost a fifth of the public haven’t taken part in any R&D-related activity in the past six months, but there is appetite to learn more about local R&D including through the news and open days to local research organisations.
The public can encounter R&D in a number of ways, including through friends or family, at work or on TV. We found that:
- 44% had watched a TV show or film about R&D, and 33% had read an article in the news about a new piece of research in the past six months. (July 2022)
- Just 9% had visited a university in the past six months. (July 2022)
- Almost a fifth had done none of the listed activities – rising to just over a quarter of those in socioeconomic group DE. (July 2022)
- 49% said they talked about about new discoveries and inventions with their friends and families. (February 2023)
The public expressed an interest in learning more about R&D, including at a national and local level. We found that:
- 73% would like to hear more about R&D being carried out in the UK. (March/April 2024)
- 65% would like to hear more about the R&D being done in their area. (July 2022)
- 69% would be interested in finding out more about why the UK invests in R&D, with interest being higher among men and those in socioeconomic group AB. (February 2023)
- 53% expressed an interest in participating in R&D, largely driven by younger groups. (March/April 2024)
- Focus group participants said personal connections would convince them to find out more about R&D, and this is supported by polling.
Articles in the media and local open days are the most popular ways for people to find out more about R&D. We found that:
- To learn more about local R&D, 47% said they would be interested in reading articles in local newspapers. Around a third would be interested in participating in a local research study or going to open days at local research institutions or universities. (July 2022)
- When asked where they would go to find out more about R&D in the UK, 44% said Government sources, followed by online articles and media from other sources (40%), newspapers (26%) and education institutions (25%). For 18-24 year-olds, online articles was first (37%), followed by YouTube (33%). (February 2023)
- 72% would support their MP campaigning for a new scheme for local school children to visit research centres. (March/April 2024)