Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.
Detailed work activity
Conduct research to gain information about products or processes. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 15 occupations and seen in 20 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Research technology designs or applications. in Getting Information .
Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.
AI exposure
Of the 20 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 19 (95%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).
The Anthropic Economic Index observes real AI use on 8 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.008% per task.
Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.
Member tasks
Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.
- Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones. · Materials Scientists · importance 4.4 · exposure with tools
- Plan or conduct geological, geochemical, or geophysical field studies or surveys, sample collection, or drilling and testing programs used to collect data for research or application. · Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
- Observe the current system in operation, and gather and analyze information about each of the component problems, using a variety of sources. · Operations Research Analysts · importance 4.4 · exposure with tools
- Participate in the research, development, or manufacturing of medicinal and pharmaceutical preparations. · Biological Technicians · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
- Communicate with telecommunications vendors to obtain pricing and technical specifications for available hardware, software, or services. · Telecommunications Engineering Specialists · importance 4.0 · exposure with tools
- Research, test, or verify proper functioning of software patches and fixes. · Computer Systems Engineers/Architects · importance 3.9 · direct LLM exposure
- Research methods of processing, forming, and firing materials to develop such products as ceramic dental fillings, unbreakable dinner plates, and telescope lenses. · Materials Scientists · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
- Communicate with vendors to gather information about products, alert them to future needs, resolve problems, or address system maintenance issues. · Computer Network Architects · importance 3.7 · exposure with tools
- Design, conduct, or provide support to nursing informatics research. · Health Informatics Specialists · importance 3.7 · exposure with tools
- Direct or conduct studies or research on issues affecting areas of responsibility. · Chief Executives · importance 3.7 · exposure with tools
- Conduct own research in field of expertise. · Natural Sciences Managers · importance 3.5 · direct LLM exposure
- Research and test new or modified hardware or software products to determine performance and interoperability. · Computer Network Architects · importance 3.5 · direct LLM exposure
- Conduct research in surveying and mapping methods, using knowledge of photogrammetric map compilation and electronic data processing. · Surveyors · importance 3.4 · exposure with tools
- Research hardware or software products to meet technical networking or security needs. · Computer Network Support Specialists · importance 3.3 · exposure with tools
- Conduct office automation feasibility studies, including workflow analysis, space design, or cost comparison analysis. · Computer User Support Specialists · importance 3.2 · exposure with tools
- Research new technologies by attending seminars, reading trade articles, or taking classes, and implement or recommend the implementation of new technologies. · Network and Computer Systems Administrators · importance 3.0 · exposure with tools
- Research, document, rate, or select alternatives for Web architecture or technologies. · Web Developers · importance 2.8 · direct LLM exposure
- Conduct research, data analysis, systems design, or support for software such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or Global Positioning Systems (GPS) mapping software. · Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians · exposure with tools
- Research and apply innovative solutions for product design, visuals, and user experience to meet the needs of individual Web development projects. · Web and Digital Interface Designers · exposure with tools
- Research, document, rate, or select alternatives for Web architecture or technologies. · Web and Digital Interface Designers · exposure with tools
Occupations that perform this
- Materials Scientists
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
- Operations Research Analysts
- Biological Technicians
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists
- Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
- Health Informatics Specialists
- Chief Executives
- Natural Sciences Managers
- Surveyors
- Computer Network Support Specialists
- Computer User Support Specialists
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Web Developers
- Web and Digital Interface Designers
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/conduct-research-to-gain-information-about-products-or-processes
Singulariki. (2026). Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/conduct-research-to-gain-information-about-products-or-processes
@misc{singulariki-conduct-research-to-gain-information-about-products-or-processes,
title = {Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/conduct-research-to-gain-information-about-products-or-processes}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.