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Research


Research

Research is the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.
Research and experimental development is creative work undertaken systematically to increase the stock of knowledge. It is used to establish or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new or existing problems, support theorems, or develop new theories. A research project may also be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects, or the project as a whole. The primary purposes of basic research (as opposed to applied research) are documentation, discovery, interpretation, or the research and development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge. Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences.
A broad definition of research is given by Martin Shuttleworth - "In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge."
Another definition of research is given by Creswell who states - "Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue". It consists of three steps: Pose a question, collect data to answer the question, and present an answer to the question.
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines research in more detail as "a studious inquiry or examination; especially  : investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws".

The objective of research is to find the answers to certain questions of scientific procedures.
Objectives:
  1. 1.       are the steps you are going to take to answer your research questions or a specific list of tasks needed to accomplish the goals of the project
  2. 2.       emphasize how aims are to be accomplished
  3. 3.       must be highly focused and feasible
  4. 4.       address the more immediate project outcomes
  5. 5.       make accurate use of concepts and be sensible and precisely described
  6. 6.       are usually numbered so that each objective reads as an 'individual' statement to convey your intentions
  7. 7.       It is done to test our hypothesis (that we have set up for the problem) and relationship between the variable.
  8. these objectives are not completely independent from each other, for the explanation of a phenomenon relies in part on its description; its forecast requires a detailed explanation, and so on. The two most frequent objectives are description and explanation. Description is most often an exploratory phase undertaken using graphical representations and statistical measures that are not inferential, while explanation involves precise hypotheses to be confronted and employs inferential statistical tests.

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