What is Research?
Welcome back. In this article you will know more about :
- Applicability of research to address normal day-to-day problems as well as larger intellectual issues.
- Scientific approach to arrive at unbiased conclusions / answers.
Research is a process where the researcher or investigator, systemically tries to attempt solution to a problem or a question in mind. The problem may be a day to day one like:
“What is the consumer perception of a particular brand of toothpaste?…. What are the investment habits of urban youth?…. What is the life style of young generation BPO employees? …..Where should I invest my money?”.
Or it may be an intellectual dilemma or curiosity like:
“What is the relationship between leadership styles, organizational climate & firm’s performance?… Which instructional strategies are best suited for the pre school children of first generation?…. How to inculcate value systems using play way methods? ….How is information processed in value crisis? ….How to use social cognitive theories & constructivist approach in business education?….. How to create mindset of voters to elect the right candidate for their constituency?….. How to reduce the suicidal tendencies in students who fail in examinations?
In order to seek answers to these questions, a researcher undertakes a systematic process. He collects information or data from the concerned people, analyses it and finally arrives at a conclusion . Thereby he tries to understand the phenomenon. Research is not just the forte of rocket scientists. Research can be done by anybody – student, scientist, doctor, psychologist or any person who is interested in finding out a solution.
“Research” and “Researcher”:
Our knowledge of our world is incomplete and many problems are yet to be solved. We address the gaps in our knowledge and these unresolved problems by raising relevant questions and finding answers to them in a scientific manner.
Research may be defined as a systematic process of collecting and analyzing information to increase our understanding of the phenomenon under study. A researcher contributes to the understanding of the phenomenon and communicates that understanding to others. For this, he may publish his findings noting the process he followed , supporting data and final conclusion. Research is a process of investigation. Researcher tries to bring to the fore various points of view, thereby encompasses activities that increase human knowledge.
The role of research , therefore, is to provide a method for obtaining these answers by conducting scientific inquiry to study the evidence within the framework of the scientific method.
What is a scientific method, then? For this matter we may have to see, what science is.
The “Science” in research
Science is a systemic body of knowledge comprising facts, principles, laws, theories, equations, symbols, formulae, which is able to explain phenomena under the domain or purview of that subject.
We all know science as a branch or subject of study right from our school days. But science also refers to a system of acquiring knowledge.
Science is an intellectual activity carried out by human in order to find out information about the world in which we live. This information is then organized in the form of generalizations, theories, laws, and principles to form a body of knowledge.
Science is characterized by purposiveness, objectivity, replicability, precision & confidence, testability and generalizability. Most scientific investigations use some form of scientific method. Scientific method is a logical method of arriving at generalizations. It uses the processes such as observation, induction, generalization & deduction.
The major steps of scientific method are :
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Identification of a problem
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Preliminary observation of phenomenon or review of related literature to formulate a hypothesis
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Formulation of a hypothesis to explain the phenomenon
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Collection and analysis of data
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Testing the hypothesis
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Conclusion & generalization
Research is a scientific process as it undergoes all the steps mentioned above. Good research requires interest and curiosity to find answers to unanswered questions. In doing so the researcher should possess dedication, perseverance, critical thinking skills, attention to detail, and a certain level of knowledge of the subject matter. He needs to be open-minded, unbiased, honest, resourceful & inventive. Although there is no need to be a hard core statistician, he should have some understanding of basic mathematical and statistical techniques in order to be able to interpret results and to study critically the findings of other research work. Research develops the personality of the researcher as well. The researcher becomes more objective in his views, takes decisions rationally, and develops perseverance. He develops the skill of technical writing, critical evaluation and problem solving. The researcher must remain ethical in the entire process of research. Ethics in research is another important area and a detailed topic of discussion by itself…..Enjoy your journey of knowledge… Keep watching this space.