How To Conduct Research: At one or many points in one’s life, one may be required to conduct a research. For some people, research is in fact a lifestyle. It is through the conduct of research that ideas are propagated and amplified. In other words, research is a means through which the society is developed. By way of definition, research implies a critical investigation into a subject matter for the purpose of improving it. Put in another way, research is a diligent inquiry into an area with the goal of revising facts, theories, principles and their applications. Research is a laborious search after the truth. Research is a process ventured into with an expectation of an output. Conducting a research is a skill; the more someone engages in research, the better the person becomes at it. Conducting research is basically reliant on information.
The onus is on the researcher to source for information relevant in his field of research. Getting the information is one thing; applying them is another. Research generally may be in the field of sciences or arts. Both fields have their peculiarities in the process of conducting a research; although, holistically, the steps can be lumped up to represent both fields. So, it is correct that the steps and expectations for both fields are holistically the same.
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10 Important Steps On How To Conduct A Research
1. Selecting a Topic/Title: Research cannot be done on a vacuum. There has to be a specific field being researched on, and it is important that it be narrowed down to a specific topic. Selecting a topic of research is not as easy as it may appear. It is in fact the most critical aspect of the research process. The topic encapsulates the totality of the research.
It is in fact a guide on the whole content of a research work. It is advised that one ventures into a research on a topic that is of interest to him because research works with emotion and passion. Note that one does not need to have a holistic knowledge of the field being researched on; after all, the essence of research is to acquire knowledge and improve further on it. After one must have selected a topic, it should then be properly titled. The final title need not be arrived at from the beginning. In fact, a title remains a draft until the work is utterly done. So, title can be restructured at any time. It is recommended that the title be captured to be befitting and captivating.
2. Review of Related Literature or existing outputs: Before commencing your research, it is important to study what has been done in the field and topic you intend to research on. The essence of this enormous, for it provides the researcher with astute information on what the interested field of research entails.
It is in fact a quality of a good research for a researcher to show that he has reviewed existing outputs by other researchers. By so doing also, the researcher gets to discover some gaps in the intended filed of research. In the course of the research, the researcher can also make reference to existing research outputs.
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3. Raise research questions: Every research work must have one or more questions to answer. Thus, it is necessary for a researcher to raise questions sought to be answered by his research work. The essence of this is that it guides the researcher as to the scope of his work.
Whenever the content of his research is going out of scope, a researcher reminded and reinstated on track by the research questions he raised earlier. It is through research questions that the purpose of the research is determined.
4. Study Design/Methodology: Every research work must follow a certain design. The design here entails how the research work is intended to be carried out. The two basic methods of research are doctrinal method and non-doctrinal method. Doctrinal method has to do with a library-based research method. Here, the researcher’s strength is one reviewing primary and secondary sources by consulting books and study materials. The non-doctrinal method has to do with field-based research.
It is also known as empirical research method. This method is employed by the field of social science. It has to do with collection of data which are testable by observation and statistics. It is noteworthy that there can also be a combination of both doctrinal and non-doctrinal method in one research. In the research work, it is important to indicate the research method employed by the researcher.
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5. Research Delimitation (scope): A fundamental principle of research is that it must not be left wide open. There has to be delimitation as to the scope of the research.
This enables the researcher to slimline the contents of the research to relevant information in order not to get the audience overflown with too many information which may be conflicting. The scope of the research must therefore be clearly mapped out by the researcher. This makes the output elegant and interesting.
6. Significance/impact of the research (Research input): Every research must come with a new knowledge or improve on an existing knowledge.
This is known as the significance of the research. The researcher is required to highlight the contribution to be made by his work in the field being researched on.
7. Collection and computation of data and information: As was earlier pointed out, research deals with information. After the data or information (as the case may be) are gathered, the next step is to compute them.
This is the stage where the research outputs are being put together in a manner that it is presentable, in preparation for communication of result. It is at this stage that the available data used in the research are analyzed by the researcher.
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8. Proper referencing: When sources are consulted by the researcher in the course of the research, the researcher must keep tracks of those sources for the purpose of referencing them. Referencing entails providing sufficient details of the source of information in a manner that any person who wants to verify the cited source can do so with the information provided.
Proper referencing is a sign of a good research. The more references provided, the merrier the research work. Proper referencing boosts the credibility and integrity of a research work. Asides that it makes one’s work credible, a researcher is duty bound to provide the sources of his information whenever he consults people’s works. Failure to do this amounts to plagiarism, even when the failure is an honest omission. Thus, a high degree of demand is placed on a researcher to do due diligence in this regard.
9. Implementation, Communication and Conclusion: At this point, the researcher has arrived at the end of his research work. So, he needs to implement his outputs.
This can come by way of proffering recommendations; and in the case of a scientific research, testing the output. At this stage, the researcher concludes his research role.
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10. Proofreading/verification: Human errors and mistakes are bound to occur in a research process. So, it is necessary to have one’s research output reviewed by another who is informed on the field the research was conducted in.
Another essence of proofreading a research work is to dictate the level of clarity of communication in the work. A research work is conducted for the benefit of the audience (the society). So, it must be tested as to whether its purpose is attained; and as such, whether the audience to whom it is meant for can appreciate it.
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Conclusion
Conducting of research is most encouraged in all fields, for it is through research that the society is developed. One need not be an expert in order to conduct an effective research. All that is needed is to understand what research and the procedures entail. Being a skill, the more one engages in research the better he becomes. More so, research it certainly a rewarding task and not just a mere exercise.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.