Research Notes 1

Study Notes

Research stems from the Middle French term ‘recherché,’ meaning ‘the act of searching closely.’
The prefix ‘re-’ signifies ‘again’ and ‘search’ means ‘to look for,’ thus research is the process of seeking information repeatedly.
Its primary objective is to answer questions and acquire new knowledge to solve problems or clarify uncertainties.

Curiosity and doubt drive individuals to seek better understanding of phenomena through various information sources.
Informal research relies on diverse resources without strict procedures.
The scientific approach emphasizes systematic investigation, aiming to describe, explain, and predict events through observations and controlled methods.
Scientific research is grounded in objective evidence, enhancing accuracy, reliability, and validity.

Scientific processes adhere to rigorous protocols, making findings more trustworthy.
Research based solely on casual observation might be met with skepticism despite potentially providing answers.
Embedding science in research amplifies its accuracy and benefits.

Empirical Approach: Knowledge is derived from direct observation and experimentation, dismissing personal biases.
Observation: Awareness generates ideas; however, it may lead to information bias without proper measuring instruments.
Question: Effective knowledge arises from answerable inquiries that conform to current scientific procedures.
Hypotheses: Testable educated guesses aim to explain phenomena; they guide experimentation and analysis.
Experiments: Rigorous testing of hypotheses serves to yield accurate results through scientific procedures.
Analyses: Data undergoes statistical scrutiny to substantiate validity, minimizing faulty conclusions.
Conclusion: Must derive solely from data, emphasizing objectivity without adding unrelated information.
Replication: Repeating studies with different participants tests reliability, uncovers new insights, and assesses the generalizability of findings.

Describe: Involves defining, classifying, and categorizing studied phenomena to provide essential information.
Predict: Entails forecasting potential outcomes of current events based on existing knowledge for careful action planning.
Understand/Explain: Focuses on analyzing information to identify causes behind phenomena, requiring established relationships between events.