March 5, 2016

The Importance of Research Research studies these days are gaining an unprecedented focus and attention. A researchable area in any academic discipline is an area that has an ample scope to be explored. If the scope in itself poses some potential problems that need to be answered, a research methodology offers solutions for dealing with them effectively. The very path one traverses in search of authentic solutions to a specific academic problem constitutes what we call ‘research’. This research question posed by the researcher and the methodology that he adopts to get solutions is the most valuable part of the research work. Research is a careful and detailed study into a specific problem, concern, or issue using the scientific method. It's the adult form of the science fair projects back in elementary school, where we try and learn something by performing an experiment. This is best accomplished by turning the issue into a question, with the intent of the research to answer the question. In the Code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR 46.102(d)) pertaining to the protection of human subjects research is defined as: “A systematic investigation ( i.e., the gathering and analysis of information) designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” The National Academy of Sciences states that the object of research is to “extend human knowledge of the physical, biological, or social world beyond what is already known.” Research is different than other forms of discovering knowledge (like reading a book) because it uses a systematic process called the Scientific Method. The Scientific Method consists of observing the world around you and creating a hypothesis about relationships in the world. A hypothesis is an informed and educated prediction or explanation about something. Part of the research process involves testing the hypothesis , and