So this quintessential research experience that everyone needs and talks about, what exactly does that entail?How is it different from an industrial experience? Does it have to check off the following boxes to count as "research experience"? 1)Be under the supervision of a professor. 2) Publish something.

Apart from this, how is it different from a normal project. For example, in my industrial internship, I had to read several research papers, perform simulations and analyse data. It was nothing different from what I did in an actual "research internship". In fact, I found my industry internship mentor way more involved in guiding me during the project than my professors in any "research" project. So what I don't understand is why universities prefer one over the other. In any project, you do refer existing literature, design your own stuff, analyse data etc. So what gives it the tag "research"? Am I missing something?