Research has many definitions; these vary and depend on the subject. What do you think?
In my opinion Research is a scientific problem that you try to solve it as possible as you can
My way of looking at it is, a certain activity anyone takes to figure out something they don't know or understand. According to my definition, a child trying to find out how to ride a bicycle, a guy trying to master a nice offensive tennis forehand stroke will be included. Just a plain "research" could be a quest, a search to achieve anything, it doesn't necessary have to be something new for the world. This is in a broad and general sense as possible.
It is a detailed study in a narrow subject area to establish facts and reach new conclusions. It is also used to collate and synthesize existing information. Research is also the term used to gather specific information about a topic.
I side with wikipedia, as most of the times; "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications"
Research is the search for the absolute and/or incontrovertible truth!
Period!
Careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something
Research is a way to resolve all kinds of problems, such as political, economical, technological, and sociological problems.
Research in my opinion is to create new things and discover novel ways of looking at old things; to believe things hard to believe, and question what seems to be understandable.
Research is the answer to a question of understanding nature and solving problems through a method accepted by all and that presently is the experimental method based on logical-mathematical arguments and on continuous experimental verifications.
Hi!
Research is an effort to understand an unknown concept or phenomenon.
Good time!
:)
IMHO, research is a loop, made of 4 steps: 1) Assumptions 2) Deductions of consequences from assumption; 3) Check if consequences are falsified by experiments 4) when the answer to 3) turns out to be affirmative, go back to 1).
Research, in my opinion is the looking for knowledge, search the answer to all the question in a topic or at a problem. the research is systematic and full of failures, is read papers, study, open the mind and find solutions that no one else find, is experiment over and over again until a solution full fill all the requirements to be the best solution, is a process of perfection.
Research is a systematic inquiry that investigates hypotheses, suggests new interpretations of data or texts, and poses new questions for future research to explore.
I absolutely agree with Mr. K. C. Patrick Low. Briefly speaking research is satisfying curiosity. In other words, research is to quench the thirst for knowledge.
From my point of view, I see the research is collecting data and information for progression knowledge which lead to a new development; way of dealing with problems such as answer distinguished question..or to reach a particular goal..it return to the purpose of the researcher...
According to me, Research is organisation and application of knowledge to find something new for the betterment of society.
Regards,
Nitish
The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English lays down the
meaning of research as “a careful investigation or inquiry specially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge.
Redman and Mory define research as a “systematized effort to gain new knowledge.
Some people consider research as a movement, a movement from the known to the unknown.
It is actually a voyage of discovery.
I agree with @Beata Borowska-Beszta. Research should be a life style.
Research is a sort of drug. When somebody is accustomed with some candidate the he needs more to get pleasure.
There are two parts in research: finding and reporting. Finding is a game that can be practiced by amateurs too. But reporting, writing papers and theses is a job, sometimes fun sometimes tedious, always necessary.
The possible motives for doing research may be either one or more of the following:
1. to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits;
2. to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e., concern over practical
problems initiates research;
3. to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work;===> life style
4. to be of service to society;
5. to get respectability.
Research is using an existing knowledge or experience in one or more fields to probe into a not-well-understood phenomenon of the same or new field, with the aim of improving human understanding and usability of the probed phenomenon or area.
Research is continuous inquiry. I feel, as a researcher, like a sponge which is never filled (:-))))
It is a method of stocking knowledge through a curious, creative and a systematic manner
I concur with Beata Borowska-Beszta that research is a life style. Instead of being work, research turns out to be one ongoing adventure. This adventure includes becoming acquainted with the discoveries of the past (those wonderful models of research that have come us via quite a number of written records) and extending, refining and augmenting recent results.
A result for me is a theorem (and its proof). Each theorem has the character of a universe and the proof of a theorem explains how to arrive at the conclusion of a theorem.
It helps to have a model for a personal research style. For me, a good example of someone who spent his entire life doing research is S. Ramanujan. Evidence of this comes from Ramanujan's Notebooks (see the attached pdf file). For example, during his early school days, he wrote down simple corollaries related to magic squares (see page 26). For more exotic theorems and proofs (still very simple but also beautiful), see Ramanujan's results about sums related to harmonic series (starting on page 35).
Research, for me, is just trying to satisfy curiosity: going beyond all the possible answers to a particular lack of knowledge. Although, the entire scientific community said that an adequate research is the one that is validated through means of verification, and disseminated through valid means of publication, I think that the simplest definition is related to curiosity.
When we look at babies and toddlers doing their first steps, we observe a kind of primal stage of research: human beings trying to understand their surrounding environments and adapting to survive.
However, if you are looking for a more sofisticated (elaborated) definition of research, the babies' example could not be an appealing answer for the question.
James, much appreciated for sharing the Ramanujan's Notebooks pdf. Adding to the way you feel when dealing with theorems and proofs, I may permit myself to compare that feeling with the conquest of a mountain. You are at the top of the world (:-))
Hussin,
Wonderful analogy! Every theorem for me is comparable to a mountain (or hillock) to climb. From my experience, none of the theorems I know or have found are valleys to descend into :-).
There are two kinds of research basically:
(1) Applied research aims to produce new/better products/procedure/practice and inform policy making ...
(2) Fundamental research aims to discover/understand physical laws and make sense of life, the universe and everything (curiosity-driven).
Research begins with questions, not answers. Research papers are not arguments. If you are convinced that you know the answer, you are not asking questions. This is the simple answer to the question, "What is real research, and what is a real research paper?"
5 Skills You Need to Become a Researcher
1. Project Management
Every research project requires some degree of project management. Project management essentially means good planning. You will have to define your research in terms of achievable aims, the time and resources needed to do this. You will have to provide a step by step plan of how you intend to carry this out. This stage of your research must be completed in order to get external funding, so without this skill your research project will not even get off the ground. If you are currently working on someone else's project as an assistant, try to learn as much as possible from them about the details of planning and running a project. Set achievable aims and realistic estimates of time, manpower and money needed.
2. Handling Budgets
Another important skill is learning how to manage a budget effectively. As an academic you might have administrative support to help you hold the purse strings, but the final decision-making and responsibility will come down to you. As with your own domestic budget, keeping a regular check on monies in and out is vital: do not bury your head in the sand if things appear to be going wrong. Make sure you match your research goals to the money you have been awarded. Do not over-commit yourself in the hiring of other staff, or running collaborative workshops, both of which can cost a lot of money. But equally remember that the money is there to be spent, do not hoard it! And finally, make sure you keep good records of your income and spending: your university, funding body or the ‘tax man' may want to see your records at any time.
3. Team leading/managing
Being good at working with others is a difficult skill to achieve especially in the academic world when we are used to working with a large degree of autonomy. If you are managing the project you need to know two main things: how to get the best out of each of your workers, and how to make their working experience a positive one. Without both of those factors, your team may fall apart. Being a good communicator is important. Asking each person to play their part is vital, but so is listening to them, asking for their feedback on decisions or asking what is wrong if they are not happy. Being able to assess each colleague's needs and vulnerabilities is essential if you are going to be able to lead them as a team.
4. Handling Data
Depending on your field the sorts of results you get from your project will vary widely. You can handle data by being well organised and planning ahead successfully . While you may not be exactly sure of what you will produce, you will know what sort of data storage you need, both electronically and on paper, so organise this immediately. You must not lose any work because of incompetence or disorganisation. So design and set up your database now; organise storage for hard copies of raw materials and catalogue them clearly. Make sure you keep records of who is collecting what as you go along, so that when it comes to writing up your research later, you have all the answers you need at your fingertips.
5. IT skills
Closely linked with point 4 is the necessity of developing IT skills. It is unlikely you will be running your own research project without being fairly IT literate, but there are always new methods or packages to learn about, so don't stop! IT is a very important area for researchers. Like our own fields of interest, IT never stands still, there is always a way to improve your skills even further.
_______________________
by Dr Catherine Armstrong
From my point of view, a very good researcher must be creative, first of all. And that must be enough. A researcher is not necessarily a manager (it help, but no necessarily).
None of those 5 skills would help a researcher to dig all studies in his field of research and to apply all knowledge to achieve new properties, new devices and new approaches. Research is about move forward, not to do specific things.
Yes, I understand, the actual tendency is focus on researcher project, on fixed terms and anticipated results, on palpable applications. But doing research must not be productivity, but pure creativity.
That is what I think now, maybe next years I’ll be trapped in fixed researcher projects and yes, I will develop myself those 5 skills to survive decently.
The creativity in research has no boundaries, however to produce innovative outcomes a structure has to be followed. Research for the sake of research only, has no purpose.
A good overview of the basic components of research is given in
S. Rajasekar, P. Philominathan, V. Chinnanthambi, Reseach Methodology,
arXiv: phyics/0601009v3 [physics.ed-ph] 14 Oct. 2013
http://www.unhas.ac.id/rhiza/arsip/kuliah/Metode_Penelitian/REFERENCES/Research_Methodology_1.pdf
This paper looks at research in general with an underlying interest in the basic components of research in mathematics. From the authors' point of view, research is a logical and systematic search for new and useful information on a particular
topic (p. 1).
Research methodology is a systematic way to solve a problem. It is a science of
studying how research is to be carried out. Essentially, the procedures by which researchers go about their work of describing, explaining and predicting phenomena are called research methodology (p. 5) .
Perhaps the most interesting part of this article concerns the notion of basic research.
Basic research is an investigation on basic principles and reasons for occurrence of a particular event or process or phenomenon. It is also called theoretical research. Study or investigation of some natural phenomenon or relating to pure science are termed as basic research. Basic researches some times may not lead to immediate use or application. It is not concerned with solving any practical problems of immediate interest. But it is original or basic in character. It provides a systematic and deep insight into a problem and facilitates extraction of scientific and logical explanation and conclusion on it. It helps build new frontiers of knowledge. The outcomes of basic research form the basis for many applied research (p. 7).
Thanks @Prof. James Peters for the rerview of the basic components of research; it contains interesting points.
At first, I thought the answer to the question for this thread is obvious. But, after reading the paper by S. Rajasekar, P. Philominathan, V. Chinnanthambi, Reseach Methodology, I now realize that the answer to the question for this thread has considerable breadth and depth. Excellent question!
@Fausto, interesting approach toward re-search.
@James, An interesting paper by S. Rajasekar, P. Philominathan, V. Chinnanthambi, Reseach Methodology.
Research is the systematic collection & analysis of information to increase understanding of the subject under study & making a contribution which benefits society . It is a way of thinking which is motivated by burning desire from within & driven by intellectual curiosity . It is not a one time effort of searching & leaving it , but needs persistence & sustained efforts . Research is the creative effort of the individual & therefore is a way of life . But , it is also essential to take feedback & make necessary course correction . It is a innovative way of thinking , conceptualizing new ideas , problem solving & understanding something differently & deeply . Finally , it should be relevant , referred to & respected .
Dear Singh, thank you for the compact definition of research and motivating us to do research.
Fausto, I like the way you look at things and putting the right perspective to statements. One has to be involved in the full process (cycle) described by Fausto to feel the significance of what research is all about. Maybe the root to research was searching for a certain truth, but very few followed the full cycle to explain and add value to the truth encountered.
Thanks @Hussin, I also do think that "One has to be involved in the full process (cycle) described by Fausto to feel the significance of what research is all about."
Fausto,
Not only is research a serious activity, it is also an engrossing, enjoyable, intense, intriguing, sometimes frustrating, sometimes rewarding activity.
Dears @James and Fausto, I think that frustration is part of research, so being patient is the key for successful researcher.
Dear Abedallah,
Yes, another important characteristic of research activity is "patience-demanding". Perhaps this is the most important characteristic of research activity, since the duration of discovery cycles (duration between discoveries) tends to vary in length with many of cycles having quite a long duration. Discovery cycle durations can be hours, days, months, years, decades and even centuries long.
Consider the duration between the introduction of Euclid's geometry (300 B.C.) and the introduction of Riemannian geometry (Riemannian manifolds) by Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann (a student of Gauss) in his habilitation document presented in a lecture at Gottingen in 1854 but not published until 1866. For more about this, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernhard_Riemann
I will second Fausto in his approach and I will add, a researcher has to admit the erros he/she commits for the sake of truth, and not stopping there rather implement a corrective action. Younger researcher are there trying to learn and their new intents has to be met with reliable and valid reported findings and implications.
Dear @James, Thank you for the proper example of a case of human-patience to develop geometries. Actually, most of the simple concepts in basic Mathematics took long period of time, just few examples to mention: Transcendental functions, concepts of limit, continuity, derivative, integration, etc.
Dear @Hussin, You get a vote for your support of junior researchers; senior researchers are usually committed to give a real support for the sake of continuation of research.
Hi Fausto, your question is very real. Looks like those who omitted or cancelled it, do not believe in the corrective actions for the sake of integrity and credibility.
I do not see any problem in your question @Fausto; it is related to research, positive, and non-offensive.
Dear @Kamal, I totally agree with you about research and its importance to correct errors.
Dear @Hussin, well said "Research is continuous inquiry. I feel, as a researcher, like a sponge which is never filled".
Research may be
- Looking to the problem solution different ways so that better outcome may be obtained or
- Repeated evaluation of the same solution with different cases, places over the time for confirmation
Dear @Trushar, Thank you for the simple definition of research.
A definition of research is given by Creswell book (Below):
Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue.
It consists of three steps: Pose a question, collect data to answer the question, and present an answer to the question.
Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Dear @Behrouz, thank you for the above definition of research; however, research can not have the same definition for all fields. For example, the educational's definition of research can not be applied for the field of Mathematics.
Dear Abedallah,
I appreciate it if you could clarify the following:
in what ways the definition in the field of Mathematics would be different from the definition given by Creswell ?. it seems to me that posing a question , collecting data and information (literature review of previous works) can be parts of any research project. Thank you
Dear @Behrouz, thank you for the question; the concept of research varies even in the same field. For example, in approximation theory, an issue is tackled by first choosing the norm and form of approximation, then proving that a solution exist, thereafter proving that the solution is unique. These steps must be followed by 2 more steps: fixing a form for the solution and characterizing it by finding a method to write it.
As an example: choosing the second norm and approximating using polynomials of degree 1 leads to the regression line. Engineers, for example, do not need to go through the last process; they merely apply the model to their data.
Dear @Abdallah, thank you for the answer. I think that the procedures you mentioned are part of third step (present an answer to the question). Obviously for doing this step, one must try different assumptions/ hypothesis/ analysis procedures which can be different in various fields of science and engineering.
Dear all. What is important is the systemic approach where well defined steps are followed. Irrespective of the field of application such a condition is a must to guarantee objectivity, consistency, reliability, etc...
Dears @Hussin and @Behrouz, I totally agree with you that a researcher should try different approaches toward solving the problem.
For me there are three categories of research in mathematics. The first category can be called Study. In this case one studies new material and in order to deepen his knowledge obtains new results which mainly are technical. The second category can be called Architecture. In this case the researcher designs and constructs structures which become a natural part of the previous construction. The third category can be called Alpinist. In this case one tries to achieve heights which were impossible for others.
I think this is the beauty of Mathematics to reach heights which were impossible for others.
Dear Kazaros, your description goes along other fields using different dimensions where in Business we start with exploratory research, then descriptive and then causal. Where complexity is in an ascendant order demanding more validity and reliability testing for the sake of generalization of results (sure this process is for quantitative analysis). Research is a representation of hunger for answers and solutions to make this world better and better.
I like your contribution for sure.
Yes indeed dear @Kamal; Mathematics is the mother of all kinds of sciences. At these days, it's concepts and results are used and applied every where.
Dear @Hussin, Sure every field has it's beauty and charm; so that people find in it what they like.
Dear Hussin,
Thank you for your post. It will be interesting to see if in other areas of research it is possible to speak about different categories of research.
Dear @Kazaros, as a mathematician, I understand the nature of research in Mathematics; sometimes, research's definition is totally different in other fields. Doing research in Mathematics means proving a result using the methods of proof.
Dear @Fausto, thank you for this message; I appreciate your trust and I am really sorry for the downvoting issue and hope that this will not prevent you from giving other contributions; your contribution widen the discussion and enrich our forum. Usually, I do not judge others' works. However, regarding the issue you raised, quality, originality, and objectivity is not an optional matter, it is a must in the research society. Thanks for your contribution and you are always most welcome with your contributions.
Research refers to a search for knowledge. One can also define research as a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic.
In fact, research is an art of scientific investigation.
Dear All, In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge. To read more about the definition of research, see the following link:
https://explorable.com/definition-of-research
Having the passion to seek the truth, whatever it is, following a step by step approach will add reliability and validity. Parallel to the above, honesty and truthfulness are a must.
Research is a hunt for the truth and the way you educate yourself.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Mathematics