Research

What is Research?

Research is the creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It’s like a treasure hunt where you gather clues, organize them, and analyze them to understand something new. But it’s not just about finding answers; it’s also about asking the right questions and ensuring that your findings are reliable and unbiased.

The Purposes of Research

Research has several primary purposes: documentation, discovery, interpretation, and method development. These goals are like the different tools in a toolbox—each serves a unique purpose but all work together to build something new.

Different Types of Research

Depending on your field, research can take many forms. For instance, scientific research follows a structured process: observations and topic formation, hypothesis testing, conceptual definition, operational definition, data collection, analysis, data interpretation, test, revising the hypothesis, conclusion, and reiteration if necessary. A hypothesis is like a guess that you test through experiments to see if it holds up.

Originality in research is crucial; it’s often required for graduate students as part of their dissertation. A new hypothesis will arise to challenge the old one, and if it makes more accurate predictions than the previous one, it supplants it. This process ensures that knowledge evolves and improves over time.

Research in Different Disciplines

Scientific research is a systematic way of gathering data to understand the world. It’s like building a puzzle where each piece fits perfectly into place, revealing a bigger picture. The steps include observations and topic formation, hypothesis testing, conceptual definition, operational definition, data collection, analysis, data interpretation, test, revising the hypothesis, conclusion, and reiteration if necessary.

Research in the humanities involves different methods such as hermeneutics and semiotics. Humanities scholars usually explore issues and details surrounding a question rather than searching for an ultimate correct answer. Context is always important; it can be social, historical, political, cultural, or ethnic.

Artistic research, also known as ‘practice-based research,’ considers creative works both the research and the object of research itself. It’s like a dance where each step is carefully crafted to explore knowledge and truth in an alternative way compared to purely scientific methods.

The Historical Method

Historical method comprises techniques and guidelines by which historians use historical sources and other evidence to research and write history. Common steps include identification of the research problem, literature review, specifying the purpose of research, determining specific research questions, specification of a conceptual framework, choice of methodology, data collection, verifying data, analyzing and interpreting the data, reporting and evaluating research.

Research Methods

Research methods take three main forms: exploratory research, descriptive research, and empirical research. Constructive research tests theories and proposes solutions to a problem or question. Empirical research tests the feasibility of a solution using empirical evidence. There are two major types of empirical research design: qualitative research and quantitative research.

Qualitative research is non-quantitative, subjective methods for collecting data, analyzing data, interpreting data for meanings, definitions, characteristics, symbols, metaphors. It’s like exploring the depths of a lake to understand its ecosystem in detail. Qualitative research includes ethnography, grapho, phenomenology, and PMP (project management approach).

Quantitative research is systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena. It links to positivism philosophy and theory. Designs include experimental, correlational, and survey methods.

Data Collection Methods

Data collection methods rely on random sampling and structured data collection instruments. Primary data is collected specifically for the research, while secondary data is re-used from existing sources whenever possible. Mixed-method research combines qualitative and quantitative elements using both primary and secondary data.

Big Data and Research

Big data has brought new impacts to research methods, with reduced effort put into data collection and developed analysis methods. Correlation research method is a key tool in this context, helping researchers understand relationships between variables more effectively.

Non-Empirical Research

Non-empirical research involves developing theory using existing knowledge as its source, rather than observation and experimentation. It can be used together with empirical research to strengthen a research approach. Non-empirical research includes prototyping new ideas and innovations within established knowledge, such as the development of business processes or cosmological theories.

Cultural Sensitivity in Research

Western methods of data collection are predominant in many disciplines, but may not be accurate or relevant for non-Western societies. Culturally sensitive methods are needed for research on indigenous populations to ensure that the context is respected and understood.

Bias in Research

Research can often be biased due to language (linguicism) and geographic location. Periphery scholars face challenges of exclusion and linguicism, while Western countries dominate single-country studies. Generalization involves applying valid results from one study to broader audiences, but this is not always possible due to regional factors.

Peer Review and Publications

Peer review is a crucial process in academia to maintain quality, improve performance, and provide credibility, often conducted by experts in the same field at no cost. Publications from periphery countries face challenges due to limited resources, leading to underrepresentation among prestige publications.

The Open-Access Movement

The open-access movement assumes that information should be free and belongs to a ‘public domain, but ignores alternative conceptions of knowledge circulation. There is alleged double standard in the Western knowledge system regarding access control and privacy.

A Plural University World

A plural university world could become dominant, with the East Asian Confucian model potentially replacing the Western model due to changes in funding priorities. Funding cuts for research in the West may lead to a decline in Western dominance in research, while formal job titles have emerged in some national and private academic systems.

Academic Publishing

Academic publishing is necessary for peer review and making research available, with various forms of publication such as journal articles, books, and thesis/dissertation form. Most established academic fields have their own scientific journals, which vary in interdisciplinary focus and format.

Research Funding

Research funding primarily comes from corporate research departments, private foundations, and government research councils, managed through universities or military contractors. Researchers spend significant time applying for grants to secure funds not only for research but also for merit. Government and private foundation funding sources are available for researchers.

The Future of Research

The number of researchers per million inhabitants varies by country, and research expenditure as a share of GDP differs among countries. These factors influence the direction and scope of future research. As we move forward, it’s important to consider how these dynamics will shape the landscape of knowledge creation.

Condensed Infos to Research

In conclusion, research is a dynamic and evolving field that requires creativity, systematic methods, and cultural sensitivity. As we continue to explore new frontiers of knowledge, it’s essential to embrace diverse approaches and ensure that our findings are accessible and inclusive for all.