Welcome to this learning outcome. The objective is to understand what is research. Research is referred to as:

Intellectual application of the investigation of a matter
Used for discovering, interpreting and developing methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge.
“Research can be described as a systematic and organized effort to investigate a specific problem that needs a solution” (Sekaran 2003).

The keywords in the definition are:

  1.   Systematic and organized
  2.   It encompasses the processes of inquiring /   investigating – end result would help to solve   problems or suggest ways to solve problems.

You also need to understand the importance of research.

  1. Research activities provide the knowledge and skills needed for the manager in the fast-paced decision-making environments.
  2. Research helps in decision making because the analysis of data provides the clear picture to the manager concerning to the underlying problem, the associated factors, and offers the possible solution.
  3. The researcher interprets the results from the analyzed data and makes a thorough evaluation on the benefits and consequences for every possible solution.
  4. The researcher also proposes certain recommendations for the next course of action to be taken by the manager.

Thus, the manager is able to make a better decision with the help of research.

You also need to understand the characteristics of a good research.
  1. It is based on the work of previous researchers in the area. This does not necessarily mean that the new researcher duplicates their work, but the new researcher refers the work of others and continues from where they stopped.
  2. It can be replicated in another set of population.

If research examines the relationship between problem-solving ability and arithmetic reasoning of primary school students, the same study should also be replicable to the secondary school students

  1. It is generalizable to other population possessing similar characteristics.

In other words, the conclusion from the study can also be applied to other population if their characteristics are almost equal.

  1. Good research is based on certain rationale, and it relates to certain theoretical foundation

To enhance your understanding of research, view the video provided and consult the PowerPoint slides available under 'Reference Materials'.


Last modified: Wednesday, 3 July 2024, 10:46 PM