研究与试验发展(R&D) 指为增加知识存量（也包括有关人类、文化和社会的知识）以及设计已有知识的新应用而进行的创造性、系统性工作，包括基础研究、应用研究和试验发展三种类型。基础研究和应用研究统称为科学研究。R&D活动应当满足五个条件：新颖性、创造性、不确定性、系统性、可转移性（可复制性）。

基础研究指一种不预设任何特定应用或使用目的的实验性或理论性工作，其主要目的是为获得（已发生）现象和可观察事实的基本原理、规律和新知识。其成果通常表现为提出一般原理、理论或规律，并以论文、著作、研究报告等形式为主。包括纯基础研究和定向基础研究。纯基础研究是不追求经济或社会效益，也不谋求成果应用，只是为增加新知识而开展的基础研究。定向基础研究是为当前已知的或未来可预料问题的识别和解决而提供某方面基础知识的基础研究。

应用研究指为获取新知识，达到某一特定的实际目的或目标而开展的初始性研究。应用研究是为了确定基础研究成果的可能用途，或确定实现特定和预定目标的新方法。其研究成果以论文、著作、研究报告、原理性模型或发明专利等形式为主。

试验发展指利用从科学研究、实际经验中获取的知识和研究过程中产生的其他知识，开发新的产品、工艺或改进现有产品、工艺而进行的系统性研究。其研究成果以专利、专有技术，以及具有新颖性的产品原型、原始样机及装置等形式为主。

R&D人员指参与研究与试验发展项目研究、管理和辅助工作的人员，包括项目(课题)组人员，企业科技行政管理人员和直接为项目(课题)活动提供服务的辅助人员。反映投入从事拥有自主知识产权的研究开发活动的人力规模。

R&D人员全时当量指全时人员数加非全时人员按工作量折算为全时人员数的总和。例如: 有两个全时人员和三个非全时人员( 工作时间分别为20%、30% 和70%)，则全时当量为2+0.2+0.3+0.7=3.2 人年。为国际上比较科技人力投入而制定的可比指标。

专利是专利权的简称，是对发明人的发明创造经审查合格后，由专利局依据专利法授予发明人和设计人对该项发明创造享有的专有权。包括发明、实用新型和外观设计。反映拥有自主知识产权的科技和设计成果情况。

发明指对产品、方法或者其改进所提出的新的技术方案。是国际通行的反映拥有自主知识产权技术的核心指标。

实用新型指对产品的形状、构造或者其结合所提出的适于实用的新的技术方案。反映具有一定技术含量的技术成果情况。

外观设计指对产品的形状、图案、色彩或者其结合所作出的富有美感并适于工业上应用的新设计。反映拥有自主知识产权的外观设计成果情况。

普通高等学校指通过国家普通高等教育招生考试,招收高中毕业生为主要培养对象,实施高等学历教育的全日制大学、独立设置的学院、独立学院和高等专科学校、高等职业学校及其他普通高教机构。大学、独立设置的学院主要实施本科及本科层次以上的教育。独立学院主要实施本科层次的教育。高等专科学校、高等职业学校实施专科层次的教育。其他普通高教机构是指承担国家普通招生计划任务不计校数的机构,包括普通高等学校分校、大专班等。

成人高等学校指按照国家规定的设置标准和审批程序批准举办的，通过全国成人高等学校统一招生考试，招收具有高中毕业或同等学历的在职从业人员为主要培养对象，利用函授、业余、脱产等多种形式对其实施高等学历教育的学校。包括职工高等学校、农民高等学校、管理干部学院、教育学院、独立函授学院、广播电视大学、其他机构等。其他机构是承担国家成人招生计划任务不计校数的机构。

小学学龄儿童入学率指调查范围内已入小学学习的学龄儿童占校内外学龄儿童总数(包括弱智儿童，不包括盲聋哑儿童)的比重。计算公式为:

小学学龄儿童入学率=已入小学学习的学龄儿童数/校内外学龄儿童总数×100%

Research and Development (R&D) refers to the creative and systematic work carried out to increase the knowledge stock (including knowledge about human, culture and Society) and design new applications of existing knowledge, including basic research, applied research and experimental development. Basic research and applied research are collectively referred to as scientific research. R&D activities shall meet five conditions: novelty, creativity, uncertainty, systematization and transferability (replicability).

Basic Research refers to a kind of experimental or theoretical work that does not preset any specific application or use purpose. Its main purpose is to obtain the basic principles, laws and new knowledge of phenomena and observable facts. The results are usually presented as general principles, theories or laws, and mainly in the form of papers, works, research reports, etc. Including pure basic research and targeted basic research. Pure basic research is a basic research that does not seek economic or social benefits, nor does it seek the application of achievements, but only for the purpose of adding new knowledge. Directional basic research is the basic research that provides some basic knowledge for the identification and solution of current known or future predictable problems.

Applied Research refers to the initial research carried out to acquire new knowledge and achieve a specific practical purpose or goal. Applied research is to determine the possible use of basic research results, or to determine new methods to achieve specific and predetermined goals. The research results are mainly in the form of papers, works, research reports, theoretical models or invention patents.

Experimental and Development refers to the systematic research conducted to develop new products and processes or improve existing products and processes by using the knowledge obtained from scientific research and practical experience and other knowledge generated in the research process. Its research results are mainly in the form of patents, proprietary technologies, and innovative product prototypes, original prototypes and devices.

R&D Personnel refer to persons engaged in research, management and supporting activities of R&D, including persons in the project teams, persons engaged in the management of S&T activities of enterprises and sup porting staff providing direct service to the research projects. This indicator reflects the size of personnel engaged in R&D activities with independent intellectual property.

Full-time Equivalent of R&D Personnel refers to the sum of the full-time persons and the full-time equivalent of part time persons converted by workload. For instance, if there are 2full-time persons and 3 part time workers (20%, 30% and 70%of working hours respectively on R&D activities), the full-time equivalent is 2+0.2+0.3+0.7=3.2 person-years. This is an internationally comp arable indicator of input of personnel in S&T activities.

Patent is an abbreviation for the patent right and refers to the exclusive right of ownership by the inventors or designers for the creation or inventions, given from the patent offices after due process of assessment and approval in accordance wit h the Patent Law. Patents are grant ed for inventions, utility model sand designs. This indicator reflects the achievements of S&T and design with in dependent intellectual property.

Inventions refer to the new technical proposals to the products or methods or their modifications. This is universal core Indicator reflecting the technologies with independent intellectual property.

Utility Models refer to the practical and new technical proposals on the shape and structure of the product or the combination of both. This indicator reflects the condition of technological results with certain technical content.

Designs refer to the aesthetics and industrially applicable new designs for the shape, pattern and color of the product, or their combinations. This indicator reflects the appearance design achievements with independent intellectual property.

Regular Institutions of Higher Learning refer to full-time universities, independent colleges, higher vocational schools and other ordinary higher education institutions that have passed the national general higher education enrollment examination, recruit high school graduates as the main training objects, and implement higher academic education. Universities and independent colleges mainly implement education at and above the undergraduate level. Independent colleges mainly implement undergraduate education. Colleges and universities and higher vocational schools carry out education at the junior college level. Other general higher education institutions refer to those institutions that undertake the tasks of the national general enrollment plan without counting the number of schools, including the branches of ordinary colleges and universities, junior college classes, etc.

Institutions of Higher Learning for Adults refer to educational establishments, set up in line with relevant rules approved by the government, enrolling staff and workers wit h senior secondary school or equivalent education, and providing higher education of schools.

Enrollment Rate of Primary School Age Children refers to the proportion of school age children enrolled at schools to the total number of school age children both in and outside schools (including retarded children, but excluding blind, deaf and mute children ). The formula is:

Enrollment Rate of Primary School-age Children = (Total Primary School-age Children at Schools/Total Primary School-age Children Both at and Outside Schools) × 100%