Research is the process of asking questions about the world around us and seeking answers to those questions. It is the cornerstone of scientific inquiry and drives our understanding of the natural world.
At its heart, research is about curiosity – asking why something happens, or how something works. It’s about trying to find solutions to problems, or new ways of doing things. And it’s about making new discoveries, whether that’s discovering a new species of plant or animal, a new drug to treat a disease, or a new way to make energy more efficient.
Research can be divided into two main types: basic research and applied research. Basic research is often described as ‘blue skies’ research because it explores ideas with no immediate practical applications. Applied research seeks to solve specific problems and has direct implications for practice. Both types of research are important: basic research helps us understand the world we live in and applied research takes that knowledge and uses it to improve our lives.
In order to conduct effective research, scientists use the scientific method. This involves formulating a hypothesis – an educated guess about how something works – and then testing that hypothesis through experiments or observations. If the results of these tests support the hypothesis, it becomes theory. If not, the hypothesis is rejected or modified and further testing is conducted until a theory emerges that best explains the data collected during experimentation.
The scientific method is an iterative process; each time a researcher conducts an experiment they learn something new that informs their next experiment. In this way, science progresses incrementally as our understanding of the universe improves bit by bit over time