THe word research covers a broad spectrum of meaning, which possibly makes it a confusing term for students - especially graduate or research students- who must lear to use the word in its specialised donotation. Figure 1.1 gives some examples of definition of the word research, in particular, with regard to scientific research. The following paragraphs give several explanations the meaning of resarch.
Research is often described as a systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising facts. This intellectual investigation produces a greater knowledge of events, behaviours, theories and laws, and makes practical applications p[ossible,. THe terms research is also used to descirbed an entire collection of information about a particular subject, and is usually associated with the output of sicence and the scientific method. The word research dericefs from the French recherche, to search closely where chercher means," to search', its literal meaning ' to investigate thoroughly'.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), research and development (R&D) comprise creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knwoledge of man, culture and society and the use of this stock of knwoledge to devise new applications. This terms covers three activities: basic research applied research and experimental development.
Researcg is the term applied to any form of systematic and organised investigations to establiush facts or collect information, and is usually related to a problem that need to be solved.
The word research has a certain mystique about it . It suggests to many people an actibity that is exclusive and removed from everyday life. Researchers are sometimes regarded as esoteric invidivuals who seclude themselves in laboratories, in scholarly libraries, or within the precincts of an academic environment. The public generally is not aware of their daily atibity or of the important contributions their work frequently makes to people's comfort and generral welfare. Many people, therefore, regard research as a way of life dissociated from the common activities of the verday world. Resarch plays and important role in underpinning a country;s economic and social life. Research institutes and higher learning institutions are at the centre of the research and human capital generating process.
wHAT is research ?
- Application of the scientific appproaches to study a problem
- Finding out
- problem solving
- Controlled inquiry concerning a certain event or events
- Systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of natural phenomena guided by theory and hypothesis about the presumed relations among such phenomena.
In general, research is a process through which an attempt to achieve systematically and with the support of data the answer to a question, the resolution of a problem, or a greater understanding of phenomenon. THis process, which is freqeutnly called research methodology, has eight distinct characteristics :
- Research originates with a question, idea or problem
- Research requires a clear articulation of a goal.
- Research follows a specific roadmap.
- Research usually divides the principal problem into more amangeable subproblems.
- Research is guided by the specific research problem, question, or hypothesis.
- Research accepts certain critical assumptions
- Research requirews the collection and interpretation of data in attempting to resolve the problem that initiated the research.
- Research is, by its nature, cyclical; or more exactly , helical.
The core of research actiuvities is to build-up understanding of researchers on research philosohy and how it is embraced through the implementation of research process starting from problem identification, develop the hypothesis and ending-up with the data analysis and report writing.
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