Meaning of research

Research is
- A process using specific principles and techniques to
- Create knowledge
- a body of knowledge
- a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic
- art of scientific investigation
- systematic method consisting of enunciating the problem, formulating a hypothesis,
collecting the facts or data, analysing the facts and reaching certain conclusions either
in the form of solutions(s) towards the concerned problem or in certain generalisations
for some theoretical formulation.
Five sources of evidence in the pursuit of truth
1. Custom and tradition
2. Authority
3. Personal experience
4. Deductive reasoning
5. Scientific inquiry
How Do We Know What We Know?
i. Understanding Research
Research is an on-going process of search and working towards truth
Research is a (slow) process that results in a product
Research is not 100% fool proof
ii. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking = a highly aware perspective that tries to
- avoid fallacies
- reveal assumptions
- adopt multiple viewpoints
- keep an open mind while questioning simple solutions
Critical thinking uses a special type of argument called empirical evidence
- Argument = set of logically connected statements that start simple and end in a clear
conclusion.
- Empirical evidence = evidence of actual events occurring in the world, that come
from direct or indirect observations.
iii. Learning how to conduct good research:
New skills (that many people do not have)
Better understanding and interpretation of the literature
Recognize new questions that need investigation

iv. Objectivity is the key element of research

Objectives of research

- To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it

(exploratory or formulative research studies);
- To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a
group (known as descriptive research studies);
- To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is
associated with something else (known as diagnostic research studies);
- To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables (known as
hypothesis-testing research studies).

Empirical Social Research

Research:

- Closely reading and studying specific documents

- Gathering pre-existing information from academic journals or official government
sources and making sense of it
- A process of applying accepted techniques and principles
- Applying critical thinking and adopting an orientation

Research is a Process that Results in a Product

- The product is knowledge or information.

- Research results are answers to questions.
- Good research raises new questions.

Empirical Social Research:

All of the above, plus

- Results stated in terms of probabilities or likelihoods

- Evidence based
- Constantly changing