Scientific research: what it is and how to conduct it

Scientific research is a dynamic process that is characterized by being rigorous and leading to the acquisition of new knowledge. Their job is to describe, explain, understand, control and predict facts, phenomena and behavior.

Scientific rigor is guided by the notion of objectivity, meaning the researcher addresses only the facts within a framework established by the scientific community.

Here we find out more about these Types of research and their characteristics.

What is scientific research?

Scientific research is a mathematical and experimental method that consists of exploring, observing and answering questions that allow the establishment and testing of a previously established hypothesis.

The process consists of developing a hypothesis that is tested and modified using various methods until the results agree with the observed phenomena and the test results.

The hypothesis is fundamental to the process because it is a tool that allows scientists to collect information that leads the researcher to investigate a hypothesis and develop general explanations or scientific theories.

Discover these too Types of research.

What is a scientific research project?

The goal of a scientific research project is to submit a research proposal. This research may result in one or more scientific publications (conferences, scientific articles) being published.

In short, it is about justifying interest in a research idea. By attracting attention, a good research project can be selected for funding or publication.

It is possible to write a research project for various reasons. Most often it is a response to an external request, be it a call for projects, or

a possibility of research funding or for a doctoral project, for example.

Characteristics of scientific research

The key features of the scientific research process include the following:

• The hypothesis must be testable, even if the result is a negative.
• The investigation must involve deductive reasoning to involve true premises to reach a logical conclusion and inductive reasoning to take an opposite approach.
• It must consist of an independent, i.e. unchanging, variable and a dependent, i.e. changing, variable.
• The experimental process consists of an experimental group being compared with a control group.

Importance of conducting scientific research

Scientific research attempts to minimize scientists' bias or prejudices, that is, it prevents them from being influenced by personal beliefs.

This method enables an objective and standardized approach to conducting experiments and thus improves their results. By using a standardized approach, researchers can be confident that they are sticking to the facts and limiting the influence of personal preconceptions.

Scientific research works well, and when the hypotheses are confirmed, theories that have great impact can be put forward.

Advantages and disadvantages of scientific research

Through rigorous and systematic methods, scientists seek to understand natural phenomena, discover new truths, and improve our understanding of the world around us. However, this process is not without challenges and limitations.

Stages of scientific research

Scientists often say that they do not speak without basis, but rather that they rely on certain facts. By this they mean that scientific knowledge does not come out of the blue, but is built on the basis of existing theories and previous studies.

Now let's get acquainted with the individual stages of scientific research:

Selection of the topic

Scientific research begins with choosing a topic. Typically, this choice is the result of a personal interest in a particular issue, a change in society, a funder's interest in a particular issue, or the availability of new information.

The motivation for research can be politically motivated. Since the research topic is often general and broad, it is necessary to define a specific perspective for the research and determine the research question.

Establishing questions and hypotheses

The research question and hypotheses are established based on previous reading and considerations. The research question should be clear, precise and answerable. The hypotheses should be specific, testable and reversible. There are four types of research questions: the descriptive question, the comparative question, the evolutionary question and the theoretical question.

Theoretical question. A research project can contain more than one question.

Selection of research method

This phase includes the choice of a qualitative or quantitative method depending on the question and the allocation of main and subtopics based on clear criteria.

This phase also creates a structure for searching and classifying information.

Preparation of field research

This phase includes the selection of the sample and the questionnaire Selection of the sample and design of the questionnaire (quantitative research) or the development of research questions (qualitative research).

In this phase, people who can facilitate the research and help achieve the desired sample are contacted.

data collection

At the beginning of the field research, the researcher collects information according to the research methodology used and within the agreed scientific research ethics.

Analysis of the information

At the end of the fieldwork, the researcher finds himself in the midst of a wealth of information. So what should be done? The first step is to refine the information obtained by emphasizing the original sources, looking for information from more than one source and focusing on the most recent references, whether in the form of statistics, figures or documentation.

You should discard information that is not directly related to the research topic so as not to go in the wrong direction and save time and effort.

Writing and publishing the results

There are specific methods for formulating and publishing study results and specific means of scientific dissemination.

Steps to Conduct a Scientific Investigation

The following steps are necessary to conduct a scientific investigation:

1. Observe

The first step in conducting scientific research is observation, that is, identifying a phenomenon that we want to study.

Observation is often overlooked, but how do you raise questions when you have a phenomenon to study?

2. Ask a question

This is about finding out what you want to know. The scientific method begins by asking a question about an observed phenomenon.

The question is to define what you want to find out about this phenomenon by asking the questions What, Who, How, Why, Where, When?

3. Create a hypothesis

An Hypothesis is a formal assumption about a phenomenon. This step attempts to answer the question with a testable explanation, that is, a theory about how something works.

The hypothesis is a brief statement of the question you want to answer or a statement that needs to be tested through experiments.

4. Test the thesis

With your experiment you test whether your prediction is correct and whether your thesis is correct. This requires accurate and fair scrutiny. If the hypothesis is not feasible, it is most likely false.

We recommend repeating the experiment several times to ensure that the initial results were not a coincidence.

5. Run one Intelligent Data Analysis through and draw a conclusion.

Once you have completed the experiment, you should collect and analyse the measurements to see if they support your hypothesis.

If this is not the case, scientists develop a new procedure based on the information received.

6. Communication of results

The final step of the scientific research process is presenting the results by preparing a report.

The scientists can present the results obtained in the research process in various online journals, blogs or other specialized platforms.

Conclusion

Since science provides a way to answer questions in a clear and rational way and support them with evidence, a reliable process is required to obtain the best information.

Applying the scientific method involves asking questions, gathering and examining evidence, and determining whether the answers to those questions can be found through that evidence.

Scientific inquiry helps determine whether all of the information presented and found can be combined into a logical answer.

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KEYWORDS OF THIS BLOG POST

Scientific research | Research | Science