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Types of Research Contract 5 Section 1 What's in a name? Whilst you will obviously be familiar with the various categories of research, your industry/commercial partners may not always use the same terminology or see things in exactly the same way. So it is helpful to be clear about the key research categories and the ownership of results and IP arising from each, so as to be able to get to a clear understanding with any party at an early stage of any relationship. For the purpose of this Guide we have adopted a type of continuum where the categories range from classic blue sky research (called here basic research) through applied research, contract research and to consulting – these are terms or routes used by industry when working with a research institution. It is not an exact continuum though. There are overlaps between terms. As you will see from the question marks in the following grid the applicability of certain criteria will vary from contract to contract. True consultancy is not research, just the application of existing knowledge. Under a consultancy contract you are not being paid to develop new IP (except copyright in any consultancy report). If you are then it should be a research contract. Notwithstanding confidentiality issues, a good question to ask is "Will the outcome of any contract result in work of a publishable standard?" If the answer is "yes" then it is likely to be research and, if "no", then it is likely to be testing or analytical service work or consulting. The following grid is intended to assist you in classifying your work. It is not definitive but more particularly should aid your thinking about the basic treatment of the results and of IP arising from your research.