There is no hope of doing perfect research (Griffiths, 1998, p97). Research aims at investigating something, someone, or any given information that requires getting conclusion on the findings (McLaughlin 34). It involves establishing facts, collecting information and analyzing it before reaching a conclusion. Research on a certain topic, for example, can never be enough since every day, scientist come up with new inventions and findings. Different people can go out doing research and their conclusions will vary at the end as many as they are. This is because they will approach the topic differently and they will all be right depending on their arguments, test data, and environments. This difference in findings and continued research on subjects and fields once considered conclusively researched, led Griffith to claim, “There is no hope for doing a perfect research” (97). Considering the current and past trends in research, this claim cannot be farfetched. As long as the imperfect humans are the ones conducting research, there is never any hope for doing a perfect research. In 1876, the world awoke to an extraordinary research invention, the telephone (Hamill 30). After several years of research on the telegraph, which was the sole means of communication at the time, Alexander Graham Bell succeeded in inventing the telephone. The telegraph had been in use for more than 30 years, but inefficiencies such as the inability to transmit different messages at the same time, prompted Bell and other researchers to seek new ways of improving it. The invention of the telephone brought enthusiasm all over the world. Nations invested vast capital in laying infrastructure facilities, poles, wires, and other transmitting devises, to embrace the new technology. Evidently, no one ever imagined anything better could be invented. However, in 1940, Reginald Fessenden shocked the world by inventing a radiophone, a device that transmitted speech using radio network (Murray 43). Those baffled by the ability of sound to travel through wire, were in for a rude shock, sound travelling in space! The technology gained wide acceptance and was used during Second World War by many western armies. The inefficiencies of Reginald Fessenden's hand-held radio, such as one-way communication, led to continued research on the radio. What followed was a series of researches on the telephone over generations, resulting in the modern cell phones. This present generation has equally benefitted from continued research in the communication industry. The world was shaken yet again, In January 9, 2007 when the late Steve Jobs, the then chief executive officer of Apple international, introduced the iphone in the market (Imbimbo 21). The iphone brought a new dimension in communication. Not only was its portability a plus, but also its advanced gaming, internet connection, and easy to use applications. Dust had not even settled on this landmark invention, when other companies invested heavily in research aimed at producing better communication devices. Good examples are Samsung Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry Playbook, which were produced to cut iphone’s market share and growing preference. The past trends in research have set a well-defined precedence, that research will never be exceedingly conclusive to be considered final. The great advancement in human life is yet another reason for continued research. Despite the modern inventions and establishment of more accurate research procedures, errors in research cannot be entirely eliminated. I, therefore, unreservedly agree with Griffith’s’ claim that, "There is no hope for doing a perfect research" (91).
Works Cited
Hamill, Lynne. Mobile world: past, present and future. Guildford, UK: Springer, 2005. Print.
Imbimbo, Anthony. Steve Jobs: The Brilliant Mind Behind Apple. Pleasantville, NY: Gareth Stevens, 2009. Print.
McLaughlin, Hugh. Understanding social work research. California, CA: SAGE, 2006. Print.
Murray, Robert P. The early development of radio in Canada, 1901-1930: an illustrated history of Canada's radio pioneers, broadcast receiver manufacturers, and their products. Chandler, AZ: Sonoran Publishing, 2005. Print.