Research is not just searching information on a subject. It is not about copy/paste data. It is not about reading a blog and formulating pros and cons based on the text. Research is a rigorous scientific process, which involves certain steps and generates new knowledge and insights into a topic or uses existing knowledge in new and creative ways to find solutions to a problem.

 

Research involves a systematic process of discovery, called the scientific method. The scientific method allows a more thorough investigation of a subject or topic. As such, it formulates and tests hypotheses about the subject, involves a specific, well defined and reproducible investigation approach, observes the principles of ethics, integrity, and responsibility. Thus, the purpose of research is to find new knowledge in response to a problem.

​

The scientific method ensures that the research is logical, reproducible, and based on factual evidence. There are academic disciplines and fields of inquiry that do not allow the scientific method to test their theories and hypotheses, hence they cannot be called “science” (for example, humanities, literature, arts, music, law).

​

​

Sources:

​

Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices. Textbook Collection. Book 3. Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=oa_textbooks

​

Creswell, J.W. (2012). Educational Research. Planning, Conducting and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. 4th edition. Boston, USA: Pearson Education, Inc.

​

Creswell, J.W. (2014). Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. 4th edition. USA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

​

​

​