The Innovative Development of the Theory and Method of Investigation and Research

Emphasizing investigation and research is a glorious tradition and fine style of the Chinese Communist Party, and a basic experience and working method of our Party in leading revolution, construction, and reform. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has issued a series of important expositions on upholding and strengthening investigation and research, profoundly elaborating on major issues such as what investigation and research is, why it must be highly valued, and how to conduct it well. This has further deepened our Party’s understanding of the laws governing investigation and research, enhanced the ideological consciousness, political consciousness, and action consciousness of Party members and cadres in carrying out investigation and research, and promoted the innovative development of the theory and method of investigation and research.

注重调查研究是中国共产党的光荣传统和优良作风，是我们党领导革命、建设、改革的基本经验和工作方法。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记发表了一系列关于坚持和加强调查研究的重要论述，深刻阐述了什么是调查研究、为什么要高度重视调查研究、怎样做好调查研究等重大问题，进一步深化了我们党对调查研究的规律性认识，增强了广大党员干部开展调查研究的思想自觉、政治自觉和行动自觉，推进了调查研究理论与方法的创新发展。

Based on the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method, it creatively elucidates the spiritual essence of investigation and research. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Investigation and research are the source of true knowledge and insight,” emphasizing the need to “listen to the truth, observe the real situation, truly study problems, and study real problems.” Conducting in-depth investigation and research is a continuous process of seeking truth and reality, which contains the rich connotations of adhering to dialectical materialism and the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, reflecting the essential requirements of the Party’s investigation and research work. So-called seeking truth means going deep into reality and the front line, adhering to observing things developmentally rather than statically, comprehensively rather than one-sidedly, systematically rather than fragmentarily, and in universal connection rather than in isolated singularity, accurately grasping objective reality, and truly mastering the laws. So-called seeking reality means taking the mission and tasks of the Chinese Communist Party in the New Era and the new journey as the guide, taking the comprehensive implementation of the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments as the direction, bending down to observe the actual situation, produce practical measures, do practical things, and seek practical results, continuously promoting the implementation of the Party Central Committee’s major policies and decisions.

立足马克思主义立场、观点和方法，创造性阐明了调查研究的精神实质。习近平总书记指出，“调查研究是获得真知灼见的源头活水”，强调要“听真话、察真情，真研究问题、研究真问题”。深入开展调查研究就是不断进行求真求实的过程，其中蕴含着坚持唯物辩证法、坚持实事求是思想路线的丰富内涵，体现了党的调查研究工作的本质要求。所谓求真，就是要深入实际、深入一线，坚持发展地而不是静止地、全面地而不是片面地、系统地而不是零散地、普遍联系地而不是单一孤立地去观察事物，准确把握客观实际，真正掌握规律；所谓求实，就是要以新时代新征程中国共产党的使命任务为引领、以全面落实党中央决策部署为导向，扑下身子察实情、出实招、办实事、求实效，不断推动党中央大政方针和决策部署落地生根。

The people’s standpoint is the fundamental political standpoint of the Chinese Communist Party, and investigation and research must adhere to putting the people first. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Conducting investigation and research is taking

人民立场是中国共产党的根本政治立场，调查研究必须坚持人民至上。习近平总书记指出，“开展调查研究就是走群众路线”。这一重要论断体现了历史唯物主义关于人民群众是历史的主体和创造者的基本观点，是对走好群众路线的进一步扩展和延伸，集中反映了党的调查研究工作的价值旨归。践行群众观点、做好调查研究，要把“身入”基层和“心到”“情到”基层统一起来，既问需于民又问计于民。一方面，要多沉下身子、走进群众，发现群众面临的真正问题、了解群众真实的诉求和期盼；另一方面，必须自觉拜人民为师、向人民问策，主动听取群众心声和意见建议、寻找基层群众解决问题的办法、总结群众创造的新鲜经验，把广大人民群众的智慧和力量凝聚到以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业上来。

Based on historical experience, it creatively summarized the functional status of investigation and research. Our Party, in each historical period of revolution, construction, and reform, has always insisted on analyzing and resolving the principal contradictions and main problems it faced on the basis of in-depth investigation and research. Since the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has not only personally gone deep into the grassroots to conduct extensive investigation and research, but has also, on the basis of inheriting the Party’s theory of investigation and research, proposed that “investigation and research is our Party’s heirloom and the basic skill for doing all work well.” This fully demonstrates that the Party’s history of investigation and research is closely integrated and organically unified with the Party’s history of struggle. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that “investigation and research is the foundation of planning affairs and the way to accomplish things.” This important viewpoint elevates investigation and research to a political height concerning the success or failure of the Party’s and the state’s undertakings, summarizes the extremely important status and role of investigation and research, and provides a fundamental guideline for carrying forward the Party’s glorious tradition and fine style of investigation and research in the New Era.

基于历史经验，创造性总结了调查研究的功能地位。我们党在革命、建设、改革各个历史时期，始终坚持在深入调查研究基础上分析和解决面临的主要矛盾、存在的主要问题。新时代以来，习近平总书记不仅亲自深入基层广泛开展调查研究，而且在继承党的调查研究理论基础上，提出“调查研究是我们党的传家宝，是做好各项工作的基本功”。这充分说明了党的调查研究史与党的奋斗史是紧密结合、有机统一的。习近平总书记强调，“调查研究是谋事之基、成事之道”。这一重要观点把调查研究提高到事关党和国家事业成败的政治高度，总结了调查研究极端重要的地位和作用，为新时代弘扬党的调查研究光荣传统和优良作风提供了根本遵循。

Focusing on the mission and tasks of the New Era, it innovatively developed the practical value of investigation and research. Currently, China’s development is in a period where strategic opportunities and risk challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. Facing a severe and complex international environment and arduous and heavy tasks of domestic reform, development, and stability, it is urgently necessary to find methods and paths to solve problems through investigation and research. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that correct decision-making is inseparable from investigation and research, and correct implementation is equally inseparable from investigation and research. Relying on investigation and research to make decisions is a key link in ensuring the scientific nature of Party and government decision-making. “To grasp implementation, we must vigorously promote the practice of investigation and research and have a clear understanding of the real situation.” Through extensive and in-depth investigation and research, we can thoroughly identify the contradictions and difficulties existing in the implementation of decisions and deployments, propose practical measures that are close to reality and the masses, and ensure that the various tasks of reform, development, and stability benefit the people.

着眼于新时代使命任务，创新发展了调查研究的实践价值。当前，我国发展处于战略机遇和风险挑战并存、不确定难预料因素增多的时期。面对严峻复杂的国际环境和艰巨繁重的国内改革发展稳定任务，迫切需要通过调查研究找到破解难题的办法和路径。习近平总书记指出，正确的决策离不开调查研究，正确的贯彻落实同样也离不开调查研究。依靠调查研究作决策是确保党和政府决策科学化的关键环节。“抓好落实，必须大兴调查研究之风，对真实情况了然于胸”。通过广泛深入的调查研究，摸清摸透贯彻落实决策部署中存在的矛盾和困难、提出贴近实际和贴近群众的务实举措，确保改革发展稳定各项任务惠及百姓。

Investigation and research is both a scientific worldview and a scientific methodology; it is both a scientific way of thinking and a scientific work principle and work method. Continuously promoting the innovative development of investigation and research work is an inevitable requirement for keeping pace with the development of the times and fulfilling mission tasks.

调查研究既是科学的世界观，又是科学的方法论；既是科学的思维方式，又是科学的工作原则、工作方法。不断推进调查研究工作创新发展，是顺应时代发展、完成使命任务的必然要求。

Establish and improve the normalization mechanism of investigation and research. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “We must vigorously promote the practice of investigation and research, go more often to the grassroots frontline in the areas under our charge, and go more often to places with many difficulties, where the masses’ opinions are concentrated, and where work cannot be carried out, to observe the actual situation, dissect a sparrow [1]1 “Dissect a sparrow” (解剖麻雀) is a Chinese idiom meaning to analyze a typical case in detail to understand the general situation., comprehensively grasp the situation, and have a clear picture in mind.” Strengthen the investigation and research work system for leading cadres; leading cadres should take the lead in going deep into investigation and research, especially principal responsible persons who should personally preside over the investigation of major topics, get down to work, do practical things, seek practical measures, and strive for practical results. Refine the regulations for Party members and cadres to conduct investigation and research, establish a system for setting up contact points at the grassroots level, making it an important means to prevent leading cadres from becoming detached from the masses and an effective way to discover and solve problems. Adhere to and improve the system of investigation and research and argumentation for important decisions, integrate investigation and research throughout the entire process of decision-making, and improve the scientific level of decision-making.

建立完善调查研究常态化机制。习近平总书记强调，“要大兴调查研究之风，多到分管领域的基层一线去，多到困难多、群众意见集中、工作打不开局面的地方去，体察实情、解剖麻雀，全面掌握情况，做到心中有数”。强化领导干部的调研工作制度，领导干部要带头深入调查研究，特别是主要负责人要亲自主持重大课题的调研，扑下身子干实事、谋实招、求实效。细化党员干部进行调查研究的规定，确立在基层建立联系点的制度，使之成为防止领导干部脱离群众的重要手段，成为发现和解决问题的有效途径。坚持和完善重要决策调研论证制度，把调查研究贯穿决策的全过程，提高决策的科学化水平。

Vigorously improve the ability to conduct investigation and research. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that we must “go deep into investigation and research with problems, be good at seeing the essence through phenomena, and improve the ability to grasp the essence of problems and the laws of contradictions.” This requires Party members and cadres, when conducting investigation and research, not to skim the surface or touch water like a dragonfly [2]2 “Skim the surface or touch water like a dragonfly” (走马观花、蜻蜓点水) are Chinese idioms describing a superficial or cursory approach to investigation., nor to become complacent with a single gain or generalize from a partial view. First, focus on prominent contradictions and problems. We must closely focus on new problems encountered in practice, deep-seated problems in reform, development, and stability, urgent problems of the people, major problems in international changes, and prominent problems faced in Party building, conduct meticulous investigation and research, continuously propose new concepts, new ideas, and new methods that truly solve problems, and provide important references and bases for the Party and government to make scientific decisions and implement effective policies. Second, comprehensively grasp the situation. Investigation and research should extensively listen to opinions and suggestions from all sides, through vertical and horizontal comparisons, conduct analysis to discard the false and retain the true, proceed from the surface to the core, and correctly grasp the essence and laws hidden behind complex surface phenomena. Third, focus on practical results. With a work style of seeking truth from facts and doing solid work, promote the process of investigation and research to become a process of deepening the understanding of the Party’s innovative theory, a process of maintaining flesh-and-blood ties with the people, and a process of promoting the development of the cause.

大力提高调查研究能力。习近平总书记指出，要“带着问题深入调查研究，善于透过现象看本质，提高把握问题实质、把握矛盾规律的能力”。这要求党员干部在开展调查研究时，不能走马观花、蜻蜓点水，一得自矜、以偏概全。其一，聚焦突出矛盾和问题。要紧紧围绕实践遇到的新问题、改革发展稳定存在的深层次问题、人民群众急难愁盼问题、国际变局中的重大问题、党的建设面临的突出问题，开展深入细致的调查研究，不断提出真正解决问题的新理念新思路新办法，为党和政府科学决策、有效施策提供重要参考和依据。其二，全面掌握情况。调查研究要广泛听取各方面意见和建议，通过纵向和横向比较，进行去伪存真、由表及里的分析，正确把握掩盖在纷繁复杂表面现象背后的本质和规律。其三，注重实效。以求真务实、真抓实干的作风，推动调查研究的过程成为加深对党的创新理论领悟的过程、成为保持同人民群众血肉联系的过程、成为推动事业发展的过程。

Continuously innovate the methods and means of investigation and research. In addition to using methods accumulated by our Party in long-term practice, such as station-based investigation and dissecting a sparrow, we must also adapt to new situations and new circumstances, especially the characteristics of today’s information network society, to further expand investigation channels, enrich investigation means, and innovate investigation methods. We must make full use of modern information technologies such as the Internet and big data to quickly process massive amounts of data and information, accurately capture the needs of the people, take the online mass line well, and continuously improve the pertinence and scientific nature of investigation and research. At the same time, we must vigorously strengthen cyberspace governance, vigorously eliminate all kinds of false and erroneous information, create a clean and upright cyberspace, and create a good online environment for Internet-based investigation and research.

不断创新调查研究方式方法。除了运用我们党在长期实践中积累的蹲点调研、解剖麻雀等方法，还要适应新形势新情况特别是当今社会信息网络化的特点，进一步拓展调研渠道、丰富调研手段、创新调研方式。要充分利用互联网、大数据等现代信息技术，快速处理海量数据信息，精准捕捉人民群众需求，走好网上群众路线，不断提高调查研究的针对性和科学性。同时，要大力加强网络空间治理，大力清除各类虚假错误信息，营造风清气正的网络空间，为互联网调研创造良好网络环境。

(Author: Wang Guowei, Special Researcher of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era of the Ministry of Education, Associate Professor of the School of Marxism, Northeast Normal University)

（作者：王国伟，系教育部习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、东北师范大学马克思主义学院副教授）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧