Research tasks



Research tasks are a game mechanic that offers rewards for Trainers who complete daily research objectives. Many of these tasks focus on skill and execution rather than depending on random chance.

Field Research
Field Research are tasks that can be gathered by spinning nearby PokéStops (Gyms do not work). Each PokéStop can only give one task per day. Each PokéStop changes the tasks at 00:00 AM local time per day. Once the Trainer has completed that PokéStop's task for the day, a small icon in top right displays this at the PokéStop.

Field Research tasks have objectives that include catching certain Pokémon, performing basic actions in the game or battling in Gyms or Raid Battles. These tasks are directed as more casual so players can complete them in 15 to 30 minutes.

While Special Research tasks have specific rewards for each task and each set of tasks, for Field Research there seems to be variety of different rewards for each task completed. The more difficult the task, the greater the reward. Trainer can have up to three Field Research tasks at a time, but they can be also cancelled at any time, so other tasks can be gathered (trainer can obtain the deleted one from the same PokéStop during the same day). There is no limit to the number of research tasks that can be completed each day.

Beginning in 2019, there has been a Limited Research event. During the event, PokéStops will assign tasks to Trainers and reward them with a featured Pokémon. The Pokémon that is rewarded will have a chance to be shiny.

Special Research
Special Research are campaigns split into parts with sets of unique tasks requested by Professor Willow himself. Each Special Research task can be completed only once per player and for each set of three Special Research tasks there are unique special rewards.

Stamps and Research Breakthrough
Trainers can earn one Stamp per-day by completing a Field Research task. Once seven stamps have been obtained, a Research Breakthrough can be achieved.

These breakthroughs offer exclusive rewards such as randomly given valuable item and a chance to encounter a Legendary Pokémon.

It is currently unknown what is the purpose of Special Research stamps that are present in the game files, as only Field Research stamps can be currently obtained by players.

Promotional artwork


Icons


Preview of research screens


Trivia

 * Few mentions about this game feature was found in the game code few times before it was finally implemented and released, by the name ' '.
 * The research feature launched on March, 2018.
 * According to game creators, research tasks are designed to be exciting and promote exploration with skillful challenges so that encountering Pokémon should never feel like a chore.
 * Research tasks icon has the same location on the Map View screen that the weather icon used to use.
 * Hence, the weather icon is now placed above the compass icon.
 * The same Field Research task can be obtained from one, particular PokéStop during the day, so more than one player can have the same task with the same reward simultaneously.
 * Until game update to version 0.103.3, the Field Research stamps progress was displayed above the tabs with Field and Special Research tasks which made this progress graphic visible above both Field and Special Research tasks. This caused confusion to many players.
 * Now as tabs has been moved to the top of the page, the Research Breakthrough progress graphic with stamps is visible only in the Field Research tasks tab and not any more above Special Research tasks.