'research-oriented' originates from the combination of 'research' and 'oriented', where 'research' means 'systematic investigation' and 'oriented' means 'aligned or directed towards'.

'research' comes from the Old French word 'recercher', and 'oriented' comes from the Latin word 'orientare'.

Initially, 'research' meant 'to seek out', and 'oriented' meant 'to rise or face east'. Over time, 'research-oriented' evolved to mean 'focused on research'.