Meaning of Research

 Introduction

• What is Research? Basically, it's like searching for knowledge. Think of it as:
1. Looking for information about something specific.
2. Like a detective trying to solve a mystery!
• Different Ways to Say "Research":
1. Common way: Just "searching for knowledge."
2. More formal way: "Scientific and systematic search for information on a topic." (Means it's organized and uses a method).
3. Fancy way: "Art of scientific investigation." (Sounds important!).
4. Dictionary says: "Careful investigation to find new facts in any area of knowledge."
5. Redman & Mory say: "Organized effort to get new knowledge."
6. Another idea: "Moving from what we know to what we don't know." Like an adventure of discovery!
• Why do we do Research?
1. We are naturally curious! When we see something unknown, we want to understand it.
2. This curiosity is the "mother of all knowledge".
3. Research is how we learn about the unknown.
• Research as an Academic Thing:
1. In school/college, "research" is more serious and technical.
• Clifford Woody's Steps for Research: (Like a recipe for research!)
1. Find and define problems: What are you trying to figure out?
2. Make a hypothesis: Guess a possible answer or solution.
3. Collect data: Gather information (facts, numbers, etc.).
4. Organize data: Put the information in order.
5. Evaluate data: Check if the information is good and makes sense.
6. Make deductions: Figure out what the data means.
7. Reach conclusions: Find the answer based on the data.
8. Test conclusions: Check if your answer is right and fits your guess (hypothesis).
• Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences says:
1. Research is "playing around with things, ideas, or symbols..."
2. "...to make general rules, fix mistakes, or prove what we know."
3. "...to help build new ideas (theories) or improve how we do things (practice)."
• Key Idea of Research:
1. Original contribution: Research should add something new to what we already know.
2. Pursuit of truth: Trying to find what's really true.
3. Using methods: Study, watching carefully (observation), comparing things, and experiments.
• Short and Sweet Definition:
1. Research = "Searching for knowledge using organized and step-by-step ways to solve a problem."
2. Also, research is about "making general rules and theories using a systematic method."
• Overall: "Research" is a systematic method (organized way) to:
1. Find a problem.
2. Guess an answer (hypothesis).
3. Collect information (data).
4. Analyze the information.
5. Find solutions or make general rules (conclusions).

In even simpler words: Research is like being a detective for knowledge! You find a problem, guess the answer, look for clues (information), and then figure out the solution in a careful and organized way. It's all about learning new things and understanding the world better!