Norah Krishna
BA Psychology Hons. Graduate
27th November, 2024
Socrates' words “Life without inquiry is not worth living for a human being” are worth recalling when it comes to research. As humans we are inquisitive people who search for new information everywhere, in order to make sense of the world and life. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) quoted, “cogito ergo sum”, “I think therefore I am”. This emphasises upon the essentiality of knowledge to mankind's existence. Research cannot be detected by simply collecting information or data analysis. They also include the tradition, personal experience or intuition that characterise the well-organised method that we now call science. And it goes well beyond merely acquiring data; it tests hypotheses and processes the results to draw educated conclusions. In everyday life we might use varied means for learning or problem solving but the scientific method is unique of all these due to its structured approach and reliance on evidence. This testing and analysis prone process makes it the best mechanism to reveal robust truths, find good explanations, and develop our knowledge. so it is obvious what research means (Navidhra Naidoo, 2011) Western University Sydney defined Research “Research is defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings. This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it leads to new and creative outcomes”(Dong Wook-Song, 2021). In 1906, the editor of the journal Science compiled approximately 4000 biographies of men who engaged in research, primarily in the field of medicine, science and psychology. The list exclusively included personalities that carried out research in universities, not the industrial side. They predominantly focused on research that was referred to as “pure”, which was strictly for improving knowledge, not for practical applications. At the time the research fell into two distinct types, and the basis of the categories were not on how it's carried out but for what purpose, educational purposes or to address and solve real-world problems (Joseph Lane, 2005).
Research, as scholars opine, is an academic endeavour, primarily accessible for academicians. However, tracing back, can individuals argue that research stemmed out from human curiosity? There are numerous definitions and history for how research started what was carried out first in laboratories, who invented the different methodologies. But then our ancestors discovered fire from the necessity to keep themselves warm, and a simple thought of rubbing stones together led to one of humanity's most significant innovations. Similarly, later generations' curiosity to know about history and the natural world enabled groundbreaking works, such as Darwin’s publication on evolution. When thinking about research, one typically envisions laboratories, scholars, innumerable books, technologies, equipment. Yet, one of the most iconic discoveries of science, the observation of an apple falling from a tree led to Sir Issac Newton’s formulation of the law of gravity, displaying that research often begins with a simple question “why?”, “How?” A common contemporary view of curiosity is that it is a special form of information-seeking distinguished by the fact that it is internally motivated (Loewenstein, 1994; Oudeyer & Kaplan, 2007). This drive is fundamental to humans and it can directly be proportional to research. When humans encounter something that stems the smallest amount of interest or basic questions in them, an individual's natural response is to seek more about it. This is curiosity in action. The natural instinct to fill the gap between what we already know and what we don’t know. Research in many ways the more advanced, formalised, organised extensional search of this curiosity. The curiosity is derived into hypotheses, and provides a structure and methodology to answer these questions systematically. Curiosity never allows an individual to sit with those questions, the human race is haunted with the urge to dig deeper into a topic, to ask why and how and explore the explanations. In both the lives of an individual, everyday life, and academic fields, even ordinary people are to explore new ideas, analyse them and solve them. Without curiosity research might lack its motivation and dedication which might later contribute to the lack of originality in the work and satisfied exploration and explanation.
Shaping the Future Through Deeper Inquiry
The chase for further information and deeper understanding lies at the heart of the research, and the integration of such information into human activity happens without conscious recognition of the individuals. Research in both categories, applied and academic, contributes to enhancing the quality of life. For instance, a study by the University of Canada reveals that even the smallest findings in research have led to astonishing innovations with successful commercial and societal implications, such as the discovery of lasers, vaccines, radio and television. These discoveries have a great impact in healthcare, entertainment and communication. Moreover they demonstrate how research serves as a catalyst for addressing and solving global issues. Whether it be in the field of healthcare or entertainment, research drives progress by turning curiosity and necessities of the individuals into solutions. It can be argued that research is not merely an academic exercise, but the steering wheel that enhances human life
While it is widely believed that academicians and scholars are the major ones who conduct research and contribute, the entire population benefits from the efforts of the scholars. Especially in sectors like healthcare, the accessibility of information and results of the research enables the individuals to enhance their knowledge. Such information are to be applied in the everyday situations, contributing to better decision-making and well-being One prominent example is the response of the masses to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, research played an important role in understanding about the condition, virus, its transmission, and preventive methods. While a part of the population were using their maximum capacity of brain and knowledge on how to tackle this global issue, the other half of the people were eagerly waiting for the answers/information, or knowledge to protect themselves and the communities. Practices such as wearing masks, social distancing, and sanitization were employed. Over time the widespread utilisation of the preventive methods contributed to the reduction rates. This example demonstrates the impact academic research has on society.
Research has a crucial role in helping individuals make sense of the dynamics of the society and the impacts of their actions in the broader population. Research offers better analytical skills, and shaping judgement based on evidence based information rather than rumours and general opinion. Research provides valuable insights enabling individuals to better comprehend the people around them making social interactions more effective. Particularly research in the field of mental health has been instrumental. The topic remains stigmatised in many parts of the world including India, mental health is considered in most states. Despite the general behaviour towards mental health issues, research findings on the topic are widely read and studied by laymen, for a deeper and better understanding of the issue. As awareness increases, the information generated by mental health research contributes to changing and evolving perceptions, instilling more empathetic and supportive attitudes towards individuals facing difficult times due to mental health problems. Ultimately research leads to better changes in society, leading to more appropriate knowledge of specific fields.
It's been analysed that research is the cornerstone for human progress, consistently making advancements across various fields, particularly science and healthcare. In the healthcare sector, research has been the medium to communicate some pressing medical challenges. Including the tough times when fighting against diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. These two diseases were once a significant threat to human survival. Humans have witnessed remarkable improvements in the prevention, management, due to sustained scientific enquiry and medical research. These scientific advancements draw the base of how important research is in securing human health and survival. By continually exploring new ways to face various diseases, researchers contribute to ongoing development in healthcare systems world wide. Such examples reveal how research literally saves lives, along with enhancing human lives, quality of life and reinforcing the essential role of scientific inquiry in the progress of humanity.
Unveiling Research Methods in Everyday Moments
According to Theodorson and Theodorson, “Research is a careful and exhaustive investigation of a phenomenon with an objective of advancing knowledge.” Robert Burns describes research as “systematic investigation to find solutions for a problem” (2003). In research there are different ways scholars carry out research, one such method is Qualitative research. Qualitative research claims to describe life worlds “from the inside out”, from the point of view of the people. By adapting such a method, it provides a better understanding of social realities, and gives attention to the meaning patterns and structural features. (Flick, Kardoff, & Steinke, 2004).
Qualitative research focuses on understanding the individuals, and meanings of their behaviour, and actions or words. Qualitative research predominantly focuses on the subjective experiences of the individual. Qualitative research investigates different aspects of the society, such as social hierarchies, institutions, and systems, that influence individual behaviour. In its approach to the phenomena under investigation, qualitative research is more involved, than other research strategies, that work with large quantities and standardised and therefore more objective methods and normative concepts (Wilson 1970). Qualitative research extracts the subject’s feelings, and thoughts and concerns. For instance a person with chronic illness, their experience and thoughts cannot be captured by a standardised questionnaire, therefore qualitative research comes in. Qualitative research has a long tradition tracing back to the early development of social sciences. In the 1960s in the United States while in the German-speaking countries in the 1970s, qualitative research started gaining popularity as this period also marked a renaissance in qualitative methodologies. Since then qualitative research has only been widely known, contributing to valuable insights into complicated social phenomena. The development of qualitative research has been by its extraordinary application in various fields. Different fields within the social sciences have approached qualitative research with different perspectives on reality, leading to the formulation of specific methodologies. These approaches reflect the independent assumptions of each discipline. Qualitative research is not a single practice but rather a collection of varied approaches focused on a particular need, contributing to its overall evolution and richness.
The workplace dynamics, and culture can be better studied by conducting qualitative research in the corporate setting. The investigator can conduct interviews and observe the employees across various levels within a company. This approach will allow an in-depth study of employees experience, perceptions and attitude towards their work environment and culture. Utilising open-ended interviews, the researcher can extract detailed narratives of the employees regarding their feeling of belongingness in the corporate, engagement in the work assigned, and belonging with the team. Such narratives have the potential to reveal issues related to hierarchical structures, communication barriers and influence of management practices on employee morale. Observation can make the collected data stronger by allowing the researcher to note nonverbal cues among the team members and overall atmosphere within the workplace. Through qualitative analysis the investigator can identify behaviours that indicate discomfort. Thorough analysis of qualitative research in a corporate setting can derive insights which will contribute in introducing new strategies for organisational development, such as implementing team building initiatives, enhancing communication channels,and promoting vulture inclusivity. By addressing the concerns raised by the workers, and prioritising the importance of the feelings of belongingness, companies can improve job satisfaction, increase employee retention, and cultivate a more positive workplace culture. This qualitative approach not only illuminates the lived experiences of employees but also serves as a catalyst for meaningful change within the organisation, benefiting both the individuals and the overall performance of the company.
Quantitative research is a form of research that solely relies on the scientific method of gathering data and hard facts. The primary aim of the quantitative research method is to establish the cause and effect relationship between two variables by systematic utilisation of mathematics, computational and statistical methods. Quantitative research is often referred to as empirical research as it provides precise and accurate measurements. The data collected by the investigator can be classified into different ranks and can be measured in terms of units of measurement, making it highly structured, enabling the researcher to compare different groups, conditions, or phenomena which contributes to the high reliability and validity of the research. Furthermore the use of tables, charts, graphs is commonly used in quantitative research to demonstrate the structured and accurate comparison of the variables, these contribute to the visualisation of raw data as it helps the researcher to interpret and analyse the results. Formulation of structured data facilitates data-driven conclusions, supporting decision making based on clear evidence in various fields including social science, medicine and economics (Ahmad et al., 2019).
In our everyday life, for instance cooking, cooking based on precise and accurate measurements and informed by background knowledge from various sources, indeed can be viewed as utilising quantitative methods in daily life. Quantitative research predominantly relies on numerical data, standardisation, just as cooking, as cooking often involves accurate measurements of ingredients, time, and temperature to achieve consistent results. A cook might follow specific proportions, such as using specific measurement of ingredients similar to a researcher collecting data to produce reliable results. Consulting various sources, whether it is cookbooks, online recipes, or advice from experts in the field reflects how the various ways researchers conduct a literature review, gathering knowledge to enhance their approach. By putting together the pieces of information and adjusting the variables like cooking time, or seasoning, an expert applies experience and evidence to perfect a dish, similarly a researcher refine their hypothesis based on the data gathered. This structured, standardised, evidence-based method of cooking aligns with the sole principles of quantitative research, where perfection, accuracy, consistency is clearly visible. Cooking is essential to our daily life and biases towards the creative aspects of the humans, but deeply analysing the steps of how cooking is done, data collection to perfect a dish matches to the paradigm of quantitative research.
Mixed method research approach describes the method of both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. This method offers a holistic understanding of the research method. By utilising this approach, the researchers are prone to extract the advantages and strengths of both methods, incorporating numerical data and with deeper understanding of the context. How this process carries away depends on several factors such as specific research question, the study’s design and environment, whether personal, social or interpersonal where the research takes place. By integrating these approaches researchers can tackle complex questions more effectively, capturing both the measurable results and the richer human experiences behind them. This not only strengthens the validity of the research but also gives a more rounded interpretation of the data (Clark and Ivankova, 2015) One great everyday example of applying mixed method research in everyday life would be the example of an individual deciding on buying a house. This process incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methods. In a hypothetical situation, a typical home buyer looks at various aspects into buying a home. He/she solely majorly relies on quantitative data such as their budget, mortgage rates, neighbourhood, and property size. They will also run through the statistics alongside qualitative information such as area of residence, emotional appeal, and long-term personal preferences.
On the other side, that is the quantitative side, the buyer focuses on specific numbers such as price of the home, whether it is affordable for the buyer considering different monetary aspects of the buyer, interest rates, and comparing it to the current location the individual resides. Property taxes and square footage. The individual might compare market trends and use this data to figure out what is affordable within their budget, even calculating potential monthly payments of their future home’s value. This standardised data driven approach helps the buyer to ensure that the individual makes a financially sound decision.
Qualitative data is as important as other information that falls into place in the process of buying a house. The buyer might showcase the urge to visit different neighbourhoods to understand better about the place and feel the tension in the atmosphere. Check out the proximity in which the school and workplace and access to public transport are accessible. They might check out on all factors that contribute to the better quality of life in the new residential area. Observation is predominantly the method the buyer adopts in such situations. Another way of data collection is interviewing the other residents of the area, and addressing the concerns and receiving their inputs in certain issues raised. These aspects are more personal and subjective and therefore influenced by the interactions of the people and how safe the locality is. The investigator can stay neutral in all these data collection methods while analysing the data and probably racing a sound conclusion. By the careful blending of qualitative data like pricing and property details with qualitative insights like emotional appeal of the neighbourhood, the buyer is able to make an appropriate decision suitable for the individual. Much like formal research this mixed method approach makes sure that both measurable factors and personal, contextual elements are considered, leading to a more balanced and satisfying outcome into the home-buying process.
From Falling Apples to Daily Insights: The Art of Data Collection in Everyday Life
Human observation, both conscious and unconscious, plays a critical role in everyday life, much similar to data collection in research. As individuals learn to absorb their environment they instinctively try to record what they observe and process information, whether through noticing distinctive patterns in behaviour, interpreting, or giving attention to the sudden changes in their surroundings. Some of this information is consciously recorded and used in the decision making process, while the other recorded observations and information subtly influence human behaviour. This very natural ability to observe, extract and apply information projects the structured methods applied in research in the process of data collection. Just as how individuals observe and react to their environment with the observed or gathered information, researchers utilise structured tools like interviews, observation, experiments, or surveys to gather information pertinent to the study. It can be opined that, different methods used in research to collect data, whether it be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method, are in many ways the standardised versions of the instinctive data gathering humans perform daily. For instance in our everyday life, we casually listen to normal conversations constantly happening, and analyse it with the already existing personal judgement of an individual and form our own judgement and opinions about various topics. While in research, interviews or focus groups provide structured ways to gather similar data. The methods researchers or scholars employ arise from the same instinctive process of observations of individuals. Similar to how inquiring and thinking is like breathing for humans, research methods arise from the same contexts. Thus, data collection techniques in research are an extension of natural human actions, refined and formalised to ensure precision and reliability.
One major primary data collection is experiment. In the experiment the investigator has the full authority of who participates in the experiment. The researcher manipulates one or more independent variables following a planned design and observes the effects of the independent variable on dependent variables. An example of the experiment would be, suppose an individual is unsure about which cleaner product to be used to clean the kitchen counter. To make an apt decision on this the investigator might try out a product and then decide on which one to use with respect to the outcomes of different products. This resembles a controlled experiment where variables are manipulated to test the hypothesis. In this case the hypothesis is that one cleaner will outperform. And the experiment is designed to test these controlling variables such as the type of stain, surface, and time allotted for cleaning. This process resembles the experimental method used in structured research, where data is collected and analysed and reached to a conclusion. Even though the experiment is happening in a domestic setting, it reflects the almost the same principles of controlled testing and systematic observation found in research.
There are various methods such as surveys, interviews, questionnaires through which data is collected. All of those methods stem from the every-day life of humans and how humans navigate through different aspects. Some are inherited, and instilled in humans. Humans' thought process and necessities are the basis for the innovations that have happened till date.
Conclusion
"All progress is born of inquiry. Doubt is often better than overconfidence, for it leads to inquiry, and inquiry leads to invention" is a famous quote by Hudson Maxim, which contributes to how significant research is. Research integrates scientific thinking and it develops the logical habits of thinking and organisation. It’s been discussed that how research roots from the normal, inherited activities of humans, research appears as the organised version of the human mind. These days, research plays a much bigger role in many applied economies sectors, whether they are business-related or pertain to the economy as a whole. The use of research to solve operational challenges has gained prominence due to the complexity of industry and government today. Not only does it give the intellectual joy of knowing a few things for the sake of knowledge, but it also serves a practical purpose for social scientists to know in order to do tasks more effectively or efficiently (Kothari,2004). In the social sciences, research focuses on knowledge for its own sake as well as knowledge that can address real-world issues. In social science, this twofold emphasis is probably especially appropriate. As a science, on the one hand, it must create a set of rules that enable comprehension and forecasting of the entire spectrum of human interactions. However, due to its social orientation, it is becoming more and more sought after for helpful advice in resolving pressing interpersonal issues. As it addresses the pressing global issues, it cannot be categorised into scholarly methods, and studies done by academicians. It is observable in the tiniest human activities and everyday life.
Norah Krishna is part of the Global Internship Research Program (GIRP) under IJNGP.
TAGS RESEARCH | CURIOSITY | EVERYDAY LIFE | INQUIRY
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