Научная новизна и теоретическая значимость исследования (из автореферата на соискание степени магистра).

но раз Вы спрашиваете ... наверное можно что-то типа: state of the art advancement / advancement of the state of the art

http://www.aspirant.istu.ru/en/degree/Aspirantura/asp09/

http://www.proz.com/kudoz/russian_to_english/education_pedagogy/1447608-Научная_новизна_работы.html

Теперь, о'к?

Anthropology
Communication
Cultural studies
Economics
Education
Geography
History
Linguistics
Political science
Psychology )
Social policy
Sociology
Development studies

Scientific fields are commonly divided into two major groups: natural sciences, which study natural phenomena (including biological life), and social sciences, which study human behavior and societies. These groupings are empirical sciences, which means the knowledge must be based on observable phenomena and capable of being tested for its validity by other researchers working under the same conditions.[2] There are also related disciplines that are grouped into interdisciplinary and applied sciences, such as engineering and medicine. Within these categories are specialized scientific fields that can include parts of other scientific disciplines but often possess their own terminology and expertise.[22]

Mathematics, which is classified as a formal science,[23][24] has both similarities and differences with the empirical sciences (the natural and social sciences). It is similar to empirical sciences in that it involves an objective, careful and systematic study of an area of knowledge; it is different because of its method of verifying its knowledge, using a priori rather than empirical methods.[2] The formal sciences, which also include statistics and logic, are vital to the empirical sciences. Major advances in formal science have often led to major advances in the empirical sciences. The formal sciences are essential in the formation of hypotheses, theories, and laws,[2] both in discovering and describing how things work (natural sciences) and how people think and act (social sciences).
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The natural sciences are the branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by applying an empirical and scientific method to the study of the universe. The term natural sciences are used to distinguish it from the social sciences, which apply the scientific method to study human behavior and social patterns; the humanities, which use a critical, or analytical approach to the study of the human condition; and the formal sciences, such as mathematics and logic, which use an a priori, as opposed to factual methodology to study formal systems.
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The social sciences are the fields of scholarship that study society.[1] "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences. These include: anthropology, archaeology, business administration, communication, criminology, economics, education, government, linguistics, international relations, political science and, in some contexts, geography, history, law, and psychology.[2][3]

THE SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION
The strict definition of scientific research is performing a methodical study in order to prove a hypothesis or answer a specific question. Finding a definitive answer is the central goal of any experimental process.

Research must be systematic and follow a series of steps and a rigid standard protocol. These rules are broadly similar but may vary slightly between the different fields of science.

Scientific research must be organized and undergo planning, including performing literature reviews of past research and evaluating what questions need to be answered.

Any type of ‘real’ research, whether scientific, economic or historical, requires some kind of interpretation and an opinion from the researcher. This opinion is the underlying principle, or question, that establishes the nature and type of experiment.

The scientific definition of research generally states that a variable must be manipulated, although case studies and purely observational science do not always comply with this norm.

http://www.experiment-resources.com/definition-of-research.html