Research is a process of finding facts and arranging them in such a manner that information is obtained regarding any fact, figure or phenomenon. Research process has been conducted from the time since human being was first created and it is a never ending process.
Definition
More than hundreds of definitions of research have been available in written form in different books, encyclopedias, dictionaries and in research literature. These definition may have difference in wordings but meanings are similar. Online encyclopedia Wikipedia defines research in the following words: research is a search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, with an open mind, to establish novel facts, usually using scientific methods.
There are other definitions of research which also state that research is the seeking of knowledge in systematic, organized manner. The system that a researcher follows to find out the facts that are hidden and not known to people, determines the validity, genuineness and reliability of research. A research is biased or fake if there is no validity or reliability in the research process. To undertake researches in different fields there are variety of procedures and tools set by experienced researchers. The reliability of these tools have been checked over a period of time and are therefore approved to be fit for undertaking research. With the advancement in research processes each day new methods, tools and procedures are developed and each tool or procedure is suitable for one form of research but has limitations for another form of research.
Characteristics of Research:
Certain terms are very commonly used in research and the success of any research depends on these terms. These terms determine whether a research is free of biases, prejudices and subjective errors or not.
1. Reliability is a subjective term which can not be measured precisely but today there are instruments which can estimate the reliability