nonresearch

Nonresearch refers to activities that are not designed to contribute to generalizable knowledge. In contrast to research, nonresearch activities are typically undertaken for internal purposes, quality improvement, program evaluation, education, or administrative decision-making, and they are not intended to produce findings that are generalizable beyond the context of the activity.

Examples include quality improvement projects within a hospital aimed at improving patient safety, routine program evaluation of a community outreach initiative, curricular activities or training assessments, and internal data collection for reporting purposes. These activities are often conducted to inform local decisions or improve processes rather than to generate knowledge intended for broad dissemination.

Regulatory considerations for nonresearch vary by jurisdiction. In many systems, whether an activity is considered research depends on the intent to generalize findings and on the involvement of human subjects. Under the U.S. Common Rule, research is defined as a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge and involving human subjects. An activity may be treated as nonresearch if it is not intended to contribute to generalizable knowledge, or if it does not involve human subjects, or if the work is evaluated solely for internal use. If the activity later aims to publish results or generalize beyond the local setting, it may be reclassified as research and subject to ethics review.

Institutions may issue a nonresearch determination or require ethics review before dissemination. The classification can be nuanced; distinctions between nonresearch and research are important for compliance with privacy, consent, and data protection policies. Related topics include human subjects research, ethics review, institutional review boards, and quality improvement.