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Report : Knowledge for interdisciplinary consilience−180−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.3 No.2 (2010) • Full Research: This is a research where the activities are conducted continuously and concurrently from Type 1 Basic Research to Product Realization Research with emphasis on the above Type 2 Basic Research. It is conducted often by a group or an organization. Individual researcher is normally in charge of some part of the Full Research series. Seen chronologically, a researcher may shift from Type 2 to Type 1 Basic Research, or from Type 2 to Product Realization Research, or he may be in charge of several types of researches concurrently.Figure 1 shows the method of Type 2 Basic Research and also the relationship to Type 1 Basic Research. In Type 2 Basic Research, first, a research goal with societal value is set. Whether the research goal is close or not to the exit to society, its relationship to the societal value is stated clearly. Second, the research goal is broken down into research items expressed in the terms of science and technology, and then a scenario to address the items is set. After the setting of the scenario, what elemental technologies are selected for addressing the items is important. The selected elemental technologies may lie across several different disciplines. Third, the elemental technologies are combined, synthesized and integrated for the research goal to be achieved.It should be noted here that there may be more than one scenario in such synthetic research to achieve the research goal. Several different scenarios may exist. It is also reasonable that the best scenario may vary depending on the researchers. It may be usual that researchers take into account several scenarios and, after comparing them, he/she chooses the best one. If the scenario is different, the elemental technologies selected will be different depending on the researcher.The elemental technologies selected by the researcher are usually based on the results or conclusions already obtained in Type 1 Basic Researches. When trying to achieve a complex research goal, it is rare that necessary elemental technologies fall in one discipline. Rather, the elemental technologies are normally selected from multiple disciplines. While in some cases the existing elemental technologies can be applied to Type 2 Basic Research in its original form, in other cases the existing elemental technologies will be modified or improved. Also, if there is no appropriate elemental technology to fit the scenario, the researcher or the research group may return to Type 1 Basic Researches to obtain new elemental technologies necessary to achieve the research goal.When a certain result is obtained by conducting Type 2 Basic Research, one cycle is completed upon evaluating how much the initially set research goal has been achieved. Type 2 Basic Research will continue to progress toward the exit to society as it repeats the cycles. Then the conclusions obtained in the previous cycle are carried over to the next cycle. The Type 2 Basic Research follows the above cycles in all cases, and is thought to have a fractal structure whether the research goal is big or not. Various characteristics of Type 2 Basic Research described above are shown in Table 1 in comparison with Type 1 Basic Research.3 Returning the research result to societyFigure 2 shows the process by which results of basic researches are returned to society. In the modern society public funds are provided to basic researches of science and technology. The public funds are entrusted to research institutions reflecting the sponsor’s will, and researches are made by the researchers under contract. The research results are written up as original research papers by the researchers and submitted to an academic society of the discipline. The paper undergoes a peer review or a process of anonymous evaluation by researchers of the same field. If it is accepted, it is published in an academic journal and contribution of the researchers to the academia and knowledge is recognized.In reality, modern science and technology are finely segmented into many disciplines. Usually an academic society is organized for one segmented discipline, and the society has its own academic journal. The more Table 1 Characteristics of Type One and Type Two Ba-sic ResearchesUsefulness, uniquenessMerit reviewConsistency, dramatic advancementPeer reviewViewpoint of evaluationEvaluation methodNovelty of methodNovelty of solutionNoveltyUniqueness of methodDramatic advancement of solutionOriginalityUsefulness of solutionAdequacy of logicImportant propertyRealization of social valueAcademic curiosityDrive powerMultiple viable solutionsExclusive solutionUniqueness of solutionMultiple disciplinesSingle disciplineRange of subjectInvention, creationDiscovery, clarificationActionSynthesis, integrationAnalysisMethodType 1 Basic ResearchType 2 Basic ResearchFig. 2 Cyclical process of research in the society② Government (METI, etc.) (Sponsors of research)Research fundAcademic journal③ Research institution, university (researcher)TaxDemand④ Society of individual discipline (researcher)① People, industry (Receiver of research result: engineers)Merit reviewPaper write-up, new journalType 2 BasicResearch“General product”Prototype, integration technology, risk information, geological information, technological standard, measurement standard, reference substance, database, software packagePaper submissionPeer reviewType 1 BasicResearch

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