The Research Department of the General Office of the Central Committeee of the Chinese Communist Party is an internal agency of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party, responsible for investigation and research work.
In 1988, the General Office of the CCP Central Committee underwent an institutional reform. After the reform, it was divided into 12 bureau-level institutions: the Research Department, the Secretariat, the Security Bureau, the Confidential Bureau, the Confidential Transportation Bureau, the Central Administrative Bureau, the Central Archives, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall Administration, the Special Accounting Office, the Veteran Cadre Bureau, the Personnel Bureau, and the Office of the Party Committee of the Central Committee. In December 1993, after the institutional reform of the General Office of the CCP Central Committee, the General Office of the CCP Central Committee was divided into one vice-ministerial-level institution (the Central Archives and the National Archives Administration) and 10 functional bureaus: the Research Department, the Secretariat (of which the Legal Affairs Office is a vice-bureau-level institution located in the Secretariat), the Security Bureau, the Confidential Bureau, the Confidential Transportation Bureau, the Central Administrative Bureau, the Special Accounting Office, the Veteran Cadre Bureau, the Personnel Bureau, and the Office of the Party Committee of the Central Committee.
The Research Department originally consisted of a political group, a united front group, a science and education group, a publicity group, and a comprehensive group. Later, it was changed to groups one to eight and a comprehensive research group.