What is Research?

Jose David Salazar Moreno | Research Seminary | 24/08/2018

Along the humanity history we constantly try to improve own lifestyle, considerer using different
things or methods that can help us, by example the invention of the wheel, before this object we
use own capacity to move heavy things in differents environments, we can consider this how
research.

Constantly we use research like any animal in the world, because you use your knowledge and
your creativity to solve different problems that can appear; just like “Research is a systematic
inquiry to describe, explain, predict and control the observed phenomenon. Research involves
inductive and deductive methods ” (Babbie, 1998) , with differents definition about one theme or
one word in this case we can consider so many ways to try to search correct form or simply
considerer own definition based in the opinion of the other people.

Then when we can define “research” it´s time to focus in another important aspect, in this
moment we necessarily start to talk about “how”, so how we can research differents topics about
an infinite number of issues around any person, ambient or another thing that can you imagine.

One interesting way about the differents contributions that research can give is proposed by Gall
based in four types of knowledge; description, the results of research can describe a specific
phenomenon about a determinate issue, prediction, try to predict a phenomenon that will occur in
a determinate period of time obviously based on the knowledge that we acquire, improvement,
based in the effective intervention of the research, explanation, This type research subsumes the
other three: if the researchers are able to explain an educational phenomenon, it means that they
can describe, can predict its consequences, and know how to intervene to change those
consequences (Gall, 1996). Consider this we have an idea about “how” we do research, but not
necessarily this types of knowledge are approved for every researcher, because any issue have
differents ways to treat it, just then we only have one option, study the problem and try to adapt
different methods to develop a solution, all of this based in own ideas and creativity, in this way
we are not going to try solve a problem about art in the same way we try to solve a problem
about maths. Trying to formalize the research Creswell propose a series of steps in a way to
improve the way in which the research was perceived, some of them are identification of the
problem, the purpose of the research, collection and verification of data, communication the
results of the research(Creswell, 2008).
So what is the purpose of research, we like animals try to solve a problem, but we are humans
then we have so many types of problems then how we can classify, Patton purpose four types of
research; Basic, this focus into understand and explain, Applied, help people understand the
nature of human problems, Evaluation, studies the processes and outcomes aimed at attempted
solution, Action, solving specific problems within a program, organization, or community.
Patton (1990), we can see the purpose of the research is so variety and totally dependent about
the type of problem that we research in a moment by a determinate community in a determinate
environment.

Actually we have an idea about research, but now is time to start to talk about a specific form of
research. Scientific research, properly this form of research is structured in this way we can see
in a linear way and one of the most iconic method is the Scientific method, based in the
observation, hypothesis, conceptual and operational definition, gathering and analysis of data,
interpretation, test and the conclusion, but not necessary have a conclusion, because the issue
may vary in time or not necessarily the conclusion is the conclusion that we try to search.

In conclusion research try to improve the life of any living being in the earth and with this try to
solve every problem about own existence, but the most important thing this is based on own
curiosity like animals we are, all of this considerer we are unique not necessarily like specie, but
as a unique and different living being .

Bibliography

Babbie, E. R. (1998). The Practice of Social Research. Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Gall, M. D. (1996). Educational Research: An Introduction ( Sixth ed.). White Plains,NY:

Longman.

Creswell, J.W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative
and qualitative research (3rd). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 2008

Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. ( 2nd ed.). Newbury Park,
CA: Sage.