Research is the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. Data is a plural noun that is a piece of information about something interesting. Data are usually numerical, i.e. 35 percent of the citations were to periodicals. Qualitative research places much less emphasis on the numbers.
What do we count? We examine variables and then list the values for that variable. For example, if the variable is container type, values might be book, periodical, dissertation, or website. In order to see which container if most often used, we might examine references at the end of a scholarly article and see how many of these were from books or periodicals. The attributes or qualities of a variable are usually called values.
Data analysis is the process of organizing the data into tables and graphs as well as the use of statistical tests. The result of data analysis is a finding or a group of findings. The finding that 43 percent of those who publish astrological research [made up] use periodicals in their research is a finding. Data interpretation is the process of making sense of the findings and considering what they mean. Interpretation answers the question: so what? We call these "so whats" conclusions. The conclusion that the astrological research library should spend about one-half of its materials budget on periodicals is the result of data interpretation.
Research is a word much corrupted. School children do "research" on the www or in the encyclopedia. Sales people do "research" to determine if your carpet needs cleaning or if you need a cemetery plot. Consumers do "research" before they purchase a new computer.
It is a useful exercise to spend a few moments with a blank sheet of paper and list the associations that come to your mind when you hear the word "research." Which associations are important and why? Is research a cheery, positive word or a gloomy, negative one? These associations are important because the impact those who may or may not conduct research as well as those who fund research. The associations that funders have are particularly important for scholarly research.
Dictionary definitions are not particularly helpful. The OED [1557] simply says that research is "searching closely." Many other definitions are vague. In the literature,we find these notions as part of a definition of research:
Research is obviously a process that usually begins with a problem and a problem statement and ends with a published product. The several steps in this process are highly interdependent activities with considerable back and forth interaction. It is difficult to divide the research process into neat, discrete steps. The steps are inevitably arbitrary an over-simplified. While there are certainly similarities, the research process is more than a recipe in a different sort of cook book.
For many researchers, the heart of the process is the scientific method. This method typically includes these steps:
An example of the research process might involve planning decisions of shifting material in the stacks or a move to a new building. The question is "How many U.S. Federal government documents/publications are in a linear foot"? By measuring enough "typical" shelves, the University of Colorado discovered 52 items per foot. By measuring daily receipts, they discovered how many feet were added in a single day (number of pieces divided by 52).
Please note that research nomenclature for these various activities and tools may vary from discipline to discipline. For example, "factor" in medical research is the same as an "independent variable" in social science research.
Research is also a product with certain attributes: