What Is Research?
When some people hear the term “research” they think of laboratories and lab coats. However, not all research takes place in the lab or involves chemical reactions.
Research typically starts with a desire to understand observable phenomenon, to predict future phenomena, or to use an understanding of phenomena to solve a problem. At its core, research answers questions and solves problems through systematically gathering information.
From that starting point, researchers design experiments that will either support or refute a hypothesis or parts of it. Other types of research are more preliminary in nature, focused on generating rather than testing hypotheses. This type of research may be guided by “research questions” rather than a hypothesis.
Research can be classified as Basic or Applied, or as Quantitative or Qualitative. It can be conducted in the field or in the lab and can involve chemicals, living organisms or human subjects. Sometimes, research is even conducted virtually using computer models.
Basic research seeks to contribute to overall scientific knowledge. Sometimes it is referred to as fundamental research because it informs the foundations of a subject area. It often does not produce results that are of immediate practical or commercial value.
Applied research seeks to solve practical problems in the real world. It often uses the results of basic research to create solutions to real-world problems.
At the heart of quantitative research is measurement. Research is considered quantitative if it is observational or experimental in nature and results in numbers—data—that can be compared to past results or to project possible future results.
Qualitative research has no hard and fast numbers. It analyzes subjective data, such as what people do and say. It is exploratory and open-ended. Qualitative research deals with characteristics, symbols, definitions, metaphors, and descriptions of things, rather than measurable data.
