# Centre for Operational Analysis

> organisation involved in scholarly research

**Wikidata**: [Q74530005](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q74530005)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/centre-for-operational-analysis

## Summary
The Centre for Operational Analysis is an organization whose primary purpose is to conduct research. It is an entity involved in scholarly research, existing specifically to generate new knowledge through systematic investigation rather than balancing teaching or commercial objectives.

## Key Facts
- Classified as a research institute, an organization whose primary purpose is research.
- Located in the United Kingdom.
- Formally classified under Library of Congress authority ID sh85113043.
- Assigned German National Library ID GND 4017909-6.
- Recognized by the Geonames feature code S.ITTR for geographic identification.
- Cataloged under Dewey Decimal Classification 001.406.
- Mapped to schema.org/ResearchOrganization for structured data purposes.
- Associated with a topic covered by 41 Wikipedia language editions.
- Differentiated from scientific societies, learned societies, think tanks, and research centers.
- Wikidata description: "organisation involved in scholarly research".

## FAQs
### What distinguishes the Centre for Operational Analysis from a university?
Unlike universities that combine teaching and research, the Centre for Operational Analysis's sole purpose is conducting research. It does not typically grant degrees or provide undergraduate education.

### How does it differ from a think tank?
While think tanks primarily conduct policy-oriented research to influence government decisions, the Centre for Operational Analysis focuses on fundamental scientific inquiry across all disciplines.

### Is it a membership organization?
No, it is an operational entity conducting hands-on investigation, distinguishing it from scientific societies or learned societies which are membership-based organizations.

## Why It Matters
The Centre for Operational Analysis serves as a dedicated engine of discovery, free from the teaching obligations that divide university researchers' attention. By concentrating resources and talent purely on investigation, it accelerates breakthroughs in fields from medicine to technology. It provides a space where scientists can pursue long-term, high-risk research that might not fit within university or corporate timelines. As an organization involved in scholarly research, it represents critical infrastructure for advancing human knowledge and solving society's most pressing problems, such as climate change and pandemics.

## Notable For
- Being dedicated exclusively to research activities, unlike hybrid organizations that balance multiple functions.
- Covering all academic disciplines rather than specializing in policy like think tanks.
- Being distinguished from related concepts like scientific societies, which are membership organizations.
- Belonging to a category of organization recognized across 41 different Wikipedia language editions.
- Being classified with unique identifiers across multiple library and knowledge systems, including LoC and GND.

## Body
The Centre for Operational Analysis represents a distinct organizational form in the landscape of knowledge-producing institutions. Unlike universities that balance teaching and research missions, or companies that pursue research for commercial ends, it exists purely to generate new knowledge through systematic investigation.

### Classification and Identification
The entity is formally classified under multiple knowledge organization systems. The Library of Congress uses the authority ID sh85113043, while the German National Library assigns GND ID 4017909-6. Geographic databases recognize the Centre for Operational Analysis through the Geonames feature code S.ITTR. In library science, it falls under Dewey Decimal Classification 001.406. It is also mapped to schema.org/ResearchOrganization for structured data purposes.

### Distinctions from Related Entities
The Centre for Operational Analysis is specifically differentiated from several similar organizations. Unlike scientific societies or learned societies which are membership-based organizations, it is an operational entity conducting hands-on investigation. It differs from think tanks in its broader disciplinary scope—while think tanks focus on policy research, the Centre for Operational Analysis pursues fundamental inquiry across all fields. It is also distinct from research centers, which may be sub-units within larger organizations rather than standalone entities.

### Global Recognition
The organizational form achieves broad international recognition, with Wikipedia articles in 41 languages including Arabic, Bengali, Catalan, Czech, German, Spanish, and others. This extensive linguistic coverage indicates the universal applicability and recognition of the Centre for Operational Analysis as an organizational form across diverse cultural and national contexts.

## References

1. [Directory of Open Access Journals](http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/services/publishing/jdal/index.htm)