¶ … knowledge is so vast that no one really knows everything. One often discovers that what they know about something is not accurate or utterly wrong (Taflinger, 2011).
Research is normally conducted for two main reasons, i.e., to learn the facts around a phenomenon or to collect evidence. When one conducts research to learn about something, it is for their personal gain. The learning process is a continuous one in life. One cannot stop learning. Whatever new information you encounter constitutes some form of learning. It may be the data about your favourite rugby player or the relativity theory. Research, on its part, is a systematic form of learning. It is organized. Research entails a special focus on something to add to your knowledge base. One may peruse through the Scientific American for the latest research news on quantum mechanics or check the sports page for the results of last night's game. All these are research activities (Taflinger, 2011).
One's background knowledge; what has been learnt, is the basis for communication with others around them. People broach what they know in conversations. It is unlikely that one would pursue a conversation about a topic that they know nothing about. However, you will still find some people joining in such conversations anyway. Formal communication involves sharing with others information that has evidence as its basis. If your audience knows a lot more than you do, there is need for research (Taflinger, 2011).
The definition of the term research differs from one field to another. My journey through college keeps filling my knowledge about what I need to be a researcher within my specific area of interest. For instance, engineers with a focus on using scientific ideas to develop machines, designs or processes, conduct their research by use of mathematical models, simulations and a range of other tests to gauge how effectively their designs are. The definition of research...
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