Why Is Research Important?

The main purpose of research is to inform action, to prove a theory, and contribute to developing
knowledge in a field or study. This article will highlight the significance of research with the following
points:
1. A Tool for Building Knowledge and for Facilitating Learning
2. Means to Understand Various Issues and Increase Public Awareness
3. An Aid to Business Success
4. A Way to Prove Lies and to Support Truths
5. Means to Find, Gauge, and Seize Opportunities
6. A Seed to Love Reading, Writing, Analyzing, and Sharing Valuable Information
7. Nourishment and Exercise for the Mind
Finding reasons why research is important seems like a no-brainer, but many people avoid getting
involved in research. The lazy (if not mentally-drained) student is probably thinking "not again," while
a disinterested academic could just be doing it to secure job tenure and/or a promotion. Yet, for
those who like to learn, whether they are members of a learning institution or not, doing research is
not just an imperative, but a need.
What reasons may drive one to appreciate research and to engage in it?

1. A Tool for Building Knowledge and for Facilitating

Learning
Research is required not just for students and academics, but for all professionals. It is also
important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online.

Among professionals and scribes, finding an interesting topic to discuss and/or to write about should
go beyond personal experience. Determining either what the general public may want to know about
or what researchers want others to realize or to think about can serve as a reason to do research.
"Knowledge" basically pertains to facts based on objective insights and/or study findings processed
by the human brain. It can be acquired through various ways, such as reading books and online
articles written by educators, listening to experts, watching documentaries or investigative shows,
conducting scientific experiments, and interaction with other people, among others. These facts can
be checked to ensure truthfulness and accuracy.

In epistemology, David Truncellito (n.d.) of Yale University identifies three kinds of knowledge:
procedural (competence or know-how), acquaintance (familiarity), and propositional (description of
"a fact or a state of affairs"). A factual proposition is commonly used to define "knowledge".

The Brain Research Trust acknowledges the importance of research in building knowledge.
Undoubtedly, it is crucial to finding possible cures for diseases, as well as how to prevent them.
Thus, research becomes a must to ascertain if one’s ideas are supported by previous studies or if
these ideas still need proof to be considered as knowledge.
An example of such endeavor is the 2016 study of several psychologists who examined how sleep
affects memory reactivation. In "Relearn Faster and Retain Longer: Along With Practice, Sleep
Makes Perfect", they "found that interleaving sleep between learning sessions not only reduced the
amount of practice needed by half but also ensured much better long-term retention. Sleeping after
learning is definitely a good strategy, but sleeping between two learning sessions is a better
strategy." This study supports the fact that: "Both repeated practice and sleep improve long-term
retention of information". Their findings also emphasize how highly important sleep is to healthy
brain function.
A study by The World Bank in 2006 also underscored sleep as a key factor of efficient learning or
the process of gaining optimal learning using few resources. The study reiterated the role of sleep in:
(1) protecting and restoring memory, (2) advanced learning, and (3) enhancing mathematical ability
and problem solving. It further noted that "knowledge is better consolidated when people study at the
time when they are supposed to be awake rather than, say, late-night sessions." It cited the need for
research on "the memory capacity of the poor in low-income countries" to enable teachers in helping
underprivileged students learn basic skills.

Said studies on the effects of sleep on the human brain are among the many topics that have
already been examined by academics and specialists in various universities and medical institutions.
A myriad of research ideas likewise awaits the attention of avid scholars and inquisitive writers.
Indeed, research is instrumental in building and improving knowledge, as well as in supporting such
knowledge with verifiable facts.

From: https://owlcation.com/academia/Why-Research-is-Important-Within-and-Beyond-the-Academe