Introduction to Research
interface between local knowledge
What is Research?
RESEARCH is a systematic and exhaustive
inquiry, investigation or experimentation
with the aim of finding new facts
(knowledge) in explaining the problems
associated with our day to day relations
with our environments (social, natural,
political, economics, physical) to come up
with working solutions in facing them.
It deals in bringing in something new or
novel through analytical reasoning, which
the product is an organised knowledge.
It is the crux of human development—a
human product that is generating more
and new products / ideas.
What are Theories and Knowledges?
When the logical relationships among
problems, experiences and reasons are
established and arranged systematically
through a series of human interactions
with their social, natural, physical,
economics, etc. environments, this lead
to THEORIES. Therefore, theories are
products of research.
Theories are used to solve
‘environmental’ phenomena and their
associated problems. They can be
recycled, which may lead to the formation
of new ones in favour of the existing
ones. The word "theory" most simply
means "explanation."
Theories explain "How" and "Why"
something operates as it does. They are
made-up of concepts and principles for
ease of understanding them.
When theories are compiled, related to or
impinged with other theories, they form
the human KNOWLEDGE or bodies of
knowledge.
KNOWLEDGE is a central product of
research, be it academic, formal,
indigenous, local or practical. Be in
different forms, they are reiteratively
treated as both a resource and source of
power and conflict among human beings.
Thus, by looking at the knowledge
against the universal, one will be able to
see the contestations related to these
contexts.
What are 'universal' and 'traditional'
knowledges?
‘Universal’, ‘Western’ or formal
knowledges are those that are taught in
schools and found written in books,
journals and scientific magazines.
They are products of research in
‘generalised form’ and generally made by
‘experts’, researchers and academe.
‘Local’, ‘indigenous’, ‘folk’, ‘rural’ or
traditional knowledges are socio-
culturally, geographically and politically
multi-sited. They differ from culture to
culture, as these are based from the
experiences of people within their
geographical, political and social
environments. They are also historically
based.
Building of know-ledges
Paradigm in the generation of theories
and knowledges.
When these bodies of knowledge are
internalised by the human actor, they
become a part of their traditions and
practices—culture.
Theori
es
Deduction
Induction
Patter Hypot
ns heses
Observ
ations/
Data
Knowledge is a product of research
through the process of logical reasoning
or rationalism. It can be done in two
ways:

1. Deductive reasoning (i.e., the process

of drawing a specific conclusion from a
set of premises).

2. Inductive reasoning (i.e., reasoning

from the particular to the general). The
conclusion from inductive reasoning is
probabilistic (i.e., you make a statement
about what will probably happen). The so-
called “problem of induction” is that the
future might not resemble the present.

S&T a product of Research

If SCIENCE is a body of ‘organised

knowledge’ that we use in explaining our
day to day relations with our
environments and the problems
associated with them (know-why), then it
is also a product of RESEARCH.

When these organised bodies of

knowledge are put into useful objects,
processes and or outcomes, then
TECHNO-LOGY (know-how) becomes an
outcome of RESEARCH.

R&D, the marriage of Research &

Development

If RESEARCH is the continuous search for

knowledge (SCIENCE) which are put
together into important objects and
processes (TECHNOLOGY), then the act of
putting them together to improve human
lives and his environments refers to
DEVELOPMENT.