Research is a general term which covers all kinds of studies designed to find responses to worthwhile questions by means of a systematic and scientific approach. Clinical trials into the safety and effectiveness of new drugs are just one type of research. Other studies, in the domain of dementia, might be aimed at finding out how a procedure could be improved, how people with dementia or their carers cope, whether a certain form of social support delays entry into residential care or whether a new drug or technique is safe and effective etc.