What Research Means to Me

Research! A word with several implications and connotations, a word commonly associated with various misconceptions, a word that describes an activity that has become a pivotal tool in the advancement of the human race. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (http://thefreedictionary.com/research) formally defines "research" as the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon with which we are concerned or interested. Such a straight-forward definition underestimates the actual usage of the word, that has come to refer to several activities dependant on the individual concerned.

"I know how the Ancient Egyptians built those huge pyramids!" claims an over-excited seven-year-old boy," I researched it in the library." Ever since our intermediate school years, my classmates and I have been accustomed to utilizing the word research in reference to the search for new information. In general, schools and educational institutions currently try to instill the concept of research in young minds by introducing them to books as sources of information discovery. Unconsciously, pupils develop an incomplete idea about research; an idea that frequently remains uncorrected. Another common misconception correlated to the word research is browsing the internet for news such as the latest mobile phone releases or the methods to operate an iPod. Such activities can be more precisely termed as probing and searching for information rather than researching.

Exploring new data and examining facts, organizing and assembling the collected information in a presentable, comprehensive and systematic manner has long been my idea of research. Biased by the misconceptions I had grown up to accept whole-heartedly, I have come to realize that it was about time that I placed the word "research" in its proper perspective. The activities listed above are only stages of the entire process, the stages concerned with increasing our understanding about a topic. Consequently, the missing link remains in analyzing the available data.

Research mainly aims at solving a problem or discovering an answer to an elusive or challenging inquiry. However, answers do not materialize out of nothingness. Therefore, research primarily relies on previous findings and requires the organization of acquired knowledge; yet, it must ultimately lead to a novelty. "Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected" (William Plomer. (n.d.). Quotes.net. Retrieved November 25, 2008, from Quotes.net Web site: http://www.quotes.net/quote/16422) as William Plomer had once stated. Research requires a touch of creativity in order to be capable of interpreting, evaluating, formulating contemplating and reading between the lines. Scientists for instance, apply the word research in its proper field: either the in the basic or applied types of research, scientists utilize this process as an investigation tool in the scientific hunt for new discoveries and advancement of knowledge. Various aspects have to be considered in order to launch a proper research. Firstly, one must recognize the problem at hand and focus on a certain goal in solving it. Secondly, research integrates the concept of information literacy as a vital stage in the cascade of steps that characterize it. Information literacy is an activity that allows us to identify the sources needed and to organize our gathered information, orienting ourselves in a flexible manner by considering the eclectic critical perspectives on the matter (http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/). Finally, I believe that the greatest emphasis lies in the actual interpretation of the gathered information. Accepting previous facts and accumulating them will lead to no new knowledge let alone the risk of gaining faulty information from unreliable sources. Therefore, the assessment of the obvious and stated is the underlying trick in producing a proper research.

In a world where humans discovered the genome and cloned animals, where astronauts have walked the moon and marine biologists tried interpreting the sounds of whales, our curiosity and thirst for new findings has become limitless. Such a passionate drive can only find a satisfying outlet in research, which is not a mere investigation of knowledge but a process rooted in interpreting our currently huge knowledge base in order to stimulate new ideas and innovations. Surprisingly, as flabbergasting as it seemed at first, researching the word "research" served the core purpose of the research activity: It allowed me to modify my concept of research and come up with my own point of view regarding this process .......... But then again, I guess this means I did a proper research!

Works Cited

http://thefreedictionary.com/research. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.freedictionary.com.

http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/. (n.d.).

William Plomer. (n.d.). Quotes.net. Retrieved November 25, 2008, from Quotes.net Web site: http://www.quotes.net/quote/16422. (n.d.).