WHAT IS A RESEARCH?

What is a Research?
A useful starting point in answering the question is to see how research is defined in a dictionary.

Look up the definition of the word research in a number of dictionaries, such as Collins, Oxford English Dictionary, Chambers, Websters etc.

Definitions
You might have found the following: Systematic investigation to establish facts or principles or to collect information on a subject
Collins
Dictionary

English

Careful search or inquiry; endeavour to discover facts by study or investigation; course of critical investigation.
The Little Oxford

Dictionary

Definitions

Clover and Balsley define research as the process of systematically obtaining accurate answers to significant and pertinent questions by the use of scientific method of gathering and interpreting information Emory defines research as any organized inquiry designed and carried out to provide information for problem solving

Research
There is no agreement or consensus between writers on how the word should be defined or interpreted. One reason for this is that research means different things to different people, for example: 1. Children at school research their local environment. 2. People research the times of trains from Waterloo to Paris. 3. Scientists research the effects of genetically modified food. 4. PhD students research and extend knowledge in their subject area.

Research
From the many definitions offered in textbooks, it can be said that research: Is a process of gathering facts (data) Is systematic Reviews, questions and synthesises existing knowledge Involves analysis Possibly increase knowledge Is a combination of all these Research is about process(the approach you take) and thinking (questioning, synthesis,

Who does a Research?

Academician Students Governments and commercial organisations Consultants Managers

Characteristic of Research
Systematic and critical investigation into a phenomenon. Not mere compilation but a purposive investigation; it aims at describing, interpreting and explaining a phenomenon. Adopts scientific method. Objective and logical. Based on observable evidence. Emphasizes the development of generalisation, principles or theories.

Concept, Theory and Model

Three words that occur very regularly in research texts are concept, theory and model. It is often assumed that everyone knows what these words mean and what the differences between them are.

Concept
Simply, concept is an abstarct notion or idea, something that is not concrete.
A concept is an abstract summary of characteristics that we see as having something in common. Concepts are created by people for the purpose of communication and efficiency. A word or set of words that expresses a general idea concerning the nature of something or the realtions between things, often providing a category for the classification of phenomena. Theodorson & Theodorson (1969)

Can you think of some concept words?

Some examples of concepts are...

Culture Society Personality Green Cost Money Profit Economics Motivation Learning and so on.

Theory
That part of the study of a subject which is not practical. An integrated body of definitions, assumptions and general propositions covering a given subject matter from which a comprehensive and consistent set of specific and testable principles can be deducted logically. (Arnold Rose) A theory is a set of interrelated principles and definitions that present a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relationships among variables with the purpose of explaining natural

Can you list any theories?

Some well-known theories are...

Motivational theory Chaos theory Theory of Knowledge Game theory Number theory Theory of Relativity Theory of Income and so on.

Examples
A frustrated person who is unable or afraid to express his aggression directly toward the perceived source of his frustration, may divert his aggression into another channel. This theory explains why frustrated manager takes it out on a subordinate instead of his boss.

Studying consumer behaviour and formulating appropriate marketing strategies. The standard living of a family is the function of its income, size and lifestyle.

Model
Any simplified abstract of reality. Lucey 1991 A pattern of relationships either conceptual or mathematical which is found in some way to imitate, duplicate or analogously illustrate a pattern of relationships in one observations of the world. Theodorson & Theodorson 199

Can you give any examples of conceptual models?

Some examples are

Porters (1985) value chain analysis

Porters (1980) five force model Parasuramans (1991) service quality model

Torkildsen (1992) pleisur model

The Research Process