3 types of research and development methods Here are three types of R&D methods: 1.Related: Basic Research vs. Applied Research (Including Examples) 3.Usually, companies start basic research to educate themselves on a topic or understand a target market's behaviour before embarking on more specific R&D initiatives like finding new service solutions or sourcing materials for new products.It also allows companies to identify potential problems that may surface during usage, which helps them rectify these problems or provide necessary warnings and risk labels before launching the product2.