What's the difference between benkyo (勉強) and kenkyuu (研究) ?
I was watching a Japanese drama and they were talking about studies saying kenkyuu. But I've only used Benkyo to speak about studies, for example:
僕はいっぱい日本語を勉強しました。

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Hi,

勉強「べんきょう」means (to) study
研究「けんきゅう」means (to do) research.

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Professors and researchers do 研究.
Students or those who regard themselves students do 勉強.
What foreign Japanese learners do is 勉強／学習／学ぶ／習う.
It is not 研究.