While the terms Study and Research seem to be intuitively identical, they have some operational distinctions when put into different contexts. The Cambridge dictionary defines Study as "examining something very carefully" and Research as "to study a subject in detail, especially in order to discover new information or reach a new understanding". To study something "Carefully" as in the case of study might entail looking at it in ''detail"-See Research. However there are multiple aims of a study like seeking simple clarity, attaining academic competency etc better yet for research the ultimate outcome must be something new as in the case of discovery of a new way of solving a problem. If there is novelty in Research and if the novelty is the case in all researches emanate from a formally stated problem then Research is deeper than study. Why? There must be a formally recognized Method by the Community of Inquirers(COI) governed by a philosophical paradigm which spells out its Ontology, Epistemology and Ethics. Ethics the guardian of ''What ought'' and ''What ought not''. Ipso facto, Research is a normative process. On the other hand study is most an an individual process, an individual epistemic commitment to knowledge acquisition. Study is thus general term that might or might not include Research. So while all Researches are studies ,not all studies are researches especially if not sanctioned by Researches. I might study a subject or an issue without taking into account the strict discipline of Research ethics.

So where is the danger? Chances are that a person doing a study outside the confines of research might breech normative tenets like confidentiality, intolerance to plagiarism, respect to subjects , consent etc and no one put him to task. There is a reason why a researcher needs a research permit but not everyone carrying out any study needs a permit.