Research

Research Computer

 The research computer serves one simple purpose.  It allows you to view the technology tree as you understand it.  You start with a few technologies, such as knowledge of the new metals, basic understanding of the makeup of materials, and basic circuity.  The computer gives you insight into how the technologies you know may be combined together, with a hint towards what you're working towards.  Thus you can always see what is available for you to head towards next.

Technology

 Technologies are the individual milestones in the research tech tree.  Technologies are either hidden, discovered, or researched.  When all prerequisite technologies are researched, a technology becomes discovered, and visible in the tech tree.  Clicking on the technology at this point will give you a name, a crafting grid, and a small descriptor of what the possibility of this technology is.  Putting the listed materials into a Research Console allows you to create a data card with the information corresponding to this technology, which can be used to unlock it for a player.  Only players who have the technology discovered can use the data card.

Once a technology is discovered, it will give recipe patterns for all of the items associated with this particular technology.  It may also give additional information about the technology as a whole.

Research Console

This is where the research actually happens.  Placing the materials from a discovered Technology into the console, you can begin the process of analyzing these materials.  This takes time, but nothing else.  It will continue even if you walk away from the console.  Once this process is done, you receive a data card that can be used to change the corresponding Technology from discovered to research.

Additionally, certain technologies may generate items as part of the discovery process.  This is often the case when the technology research items correspond to a recipe, or portion of one.  By creating this object, you discover additional uses, and thus, technologies.