Since we are looking for the fiqhi ruling on this issue, we asked the question from the offices of the grand Ayatullahs (may Allah protect them) and also from Ayatullah Hadavi Tehrani, the following are the responses we received:

The office of the Grand Ayatullah Makarem Shirazi:

It is permissible.

The office of the Grand Ayatullah Sistani:

It is permissible per se.

The office of the Grand Ayatullah Safi Golpaygani:

It is permissible per se, of course if it entails other bad things, like paving the way for making mistakes in certain matters or making certain false claims or deception or any other bad thing, it will no longer be permissible as a result.

Ayatullah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani’s response:

Such research is permissible per se.