What is research (meaning, objective and motivation)

The advanced Learner’s Dictionary of current English lays down the meaning of research as a “careful
investigation or inquiry specially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge”. Redman and Mory
define research as a “Systematized efforts to gain new knowledge” some people considered research as a
movement, a movement from the known to the unknown.
Objectives of Research:
The purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific
procedures. The main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered
as yet. Though each research study has its own specific purpose, we may think of research objectives as falling
into a number of following broad groupings:
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables.
Motivation in Research
What makes people to undertake research? This is a question of fundamental importance. The possible
motives for doing research may be either one or more of the following:
1. Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits;
2. Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e., concern over practical problems initiates
research;
3. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work;
4. Desire to be of service to society;
5. Desire to get respectability.
However, this is not an exhaustive list of factors motivating people to undertake research studies. Many more
factors such as directives of government, employment conditions, curiosity about new things, desire to
understand causal relationships, social thinking and awakening, and the like may as well motivate (or at times
compel) people to perform research operations.
According to its Purpose
Theoretical Research
Theoretical research, also referred to as pure or basic research, focuses on generating knowledge, regardless of
its practical application. Here, data collection is used to generate new general concepts for a better
understanding of a particular field or to answer a theoretical research question.

Results of this kind are usually oriented towards the formulation of theories and are usually based on
documentary analysis, the development of mathematical formulas and the reflection of high-level researchers.

For example, a philosophical dissertation, since the aim is to generate new approaches from existing data
without considering how its findings can be applied or implemented in practice.

Applied Research
Here, the goal is to find strategies that can be used to address a specific research problem. Applied research
draws on theory to generate practical scientific knowledge, and its use is very common in STEM fields such as
engineering, computer science and medicine.

This type of research is subdivided into two types:

Technological applied research: looks towards improving efficiency in a particular productive sector through the
improvement of processes or machinery related to said productive processes.

Scientific applied research: has predictive purposes. Through this type of research design, we can measure
certain variables to predict behaviours useful to the goods and services sector, such as consumption patterns and
viability of commercial projects.

For example, market research, because by examining consumption patterns, strategies can be developed for the
development of new products and marketing campaigns, etc.

Note: Applied research is usually based on knowledge or results obtained through theoretical research.

In fact, it is common for research projects to first establish the theoretical framework both to define the field of
study and to identify possible theories that could be tested or applied to solve the specific problem posed in the
project.
According to your Depth of Scope
Exploratory Research
Exploratory research is used for the preliminary investigation of a subject that is not yet well understood or
sufficiently researched. It serves to establish a frame of reference and a hypothesis from which an in-depth study
can be developed that will enable conclusive results to be generated.

Because exploratory research is based on the study of little-studied phenomena, it relies less on theory and more
on the collection of data to identify patterns that explain these phenomena.

For example, an investigation of the role social media in the perception of self-image.

Descriptive Research
The primary objective of descriptive research is to define the characteristics of a particular phenomenon without
necessarily investigating the causes that produce it.

In this type of research, the researcher must take particular care not to intervene in the observed object or
phenomenon, as its behaviour may change if an external factor is involved.

For example, investigating how the public census of influential government officials differs between urban and
non-urban areas.

Explanatory Research
Explanatory research is the most common type of research method and is responsible for establishing cause-and-
effect relationships that allow generalisations to be extended to similar realities. It is closely related to
descriptive research, although it provides additional information about the observed object and its interactions
with the environment.

For example, investigating the brittle behaviour of a specific material when under compressive load.

Correlational Research
The purpose of this type of scientific research is to identify the relationship between two or more variables. A
correlational study aims to determine whether a variable changes, how much the other elements of the observed
system change.

According to the Type of Data Used

Qualitative Research
Qualitative methods are often used in the social sciences to collect, compare and interpret information, has a
linguistic-semiotic basis and is used in techniques such as discourse analysis, interviews, surveys, records and
participant observations.

In order to use statistical methods to validate their results, the observations collected must be evaluated
numerically. Qualitative research, however, tends to be subjective, since not all data can be fully controlled.
Therefore, this type of research design is better suited to extracting meaning from an event or phenomenon (the
‘why’) than its cause (the ‘how’).

For example, examining the effects of sleep deprivation on mood.

Quantitative Research
Quantitative research study delves into a phenomena through quantitative data collection and using
mathematical, statistical and computer-aided tools to measure them. This allows generalised conclusions to be
projected over time.

For example, conducting a computer simulation on vehicle strike impacts to collect quantitative data.

According to the Degree of Manipulation of Variables

Experimental Research
It is about designing or replicating a phenomenon whose variables are manipulated under strictly controlled
conditions in order to identify or discover its effect on another independent variable or object. The phenomenon
to be studied is measured through study and control groups, and according to the guidelines of the scientific
method.

For example, randomised controlled trial studies for measuring the effectiveness of new pharmaceutical drugs
on human subjects.

Non-Experimental Research
Also known as an observational study, it focuses on the analysis of a phenomenon in its natural context. As
such, the researcher does not intervene directly, but limits their involvement to measuring the variables required
for the study. Due to its observational nature, it is often used in descriptive research.

For example, a study on the effects of the use of certain chemical substances in a particular population group
can be considered a non-experimental study.

Quasi-Experimental Research
It controls only some variables of the phenomenon under investigation and is therefore not entirely
experimental. In this case, the study and the focus group cannot be randomly selected, but are chosen from
existing groups or populations. This is to ensure the collected data is relevant and that the knowledge,
perspectives and opinions of the population can be incorporated into the study.

For example, assessing the effectiveness of an intervention measure in reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant
bacteria.

According to the Type of Inference

Deductive Investigation
In this type of research, reality is explained by general laws that point to certain conclusions; conclusions are
expected to be part of the premise of the research problem and considered correct if the premise is valid and the
inductive method is applied correctly.

Inductive Research
In this type of research, knowledge is generated from an observation to achieve a generalisation. It is based on
the collection of specific data to develop new theories.

Hypothetical-Deductive Investigation
It is based on observing reality to make a hypothesis, then use deduction to obtain a conclusion and finally
verify or reject it through experience.

Descriptive Research Design

According to the Time in Which it is Carried Out
Longitudinal Study (also referred to as Diachronic Research)
It is the monitoring of the same event, individual or group over a defined period of time. It aims to track changes
in a number of variables and see how they evolve over time. It is often used in medical, psychological and social
areas.

For example, a cohort study that analyses changes in a particular indigenous population over a period of 15
years.

Cross-Sectional Study (also referred to as Synchronous Research)

Cross-sectional research design is used to observe phenomena, an individual or a group of research subjects at a
given time.

According to The Sources of Information

Primary Research
This fundamental research type is defined by the fact that the data is collected directly from the source, that is, it
consists of primary, first-hand information.

Secondary research
Unlike primary research, secondary research is developed with information from secondary sources, which are
generally based on scientific literature and other documents compiled by another researcher.

Action Research Methods

According to How the Data is Obtained
Documentary (cabinet)
Documentary research, or secondary sources, is based on a systematic review of existing sources of information
on a particular subject. This type of scientific research is commonly used when undertaking literature reviews or
producing a case study.

Field
Field research study involves the direct collection of information at the location where the observed
phenomenon occurs.

From Laboratory
Laboratory research is carried out in a controlled environment in order to isolate a dependent variable and
establish its relationship with other variables through scientific methods.

Mixed-Method: Documentary, Field and/or Laboratory

Mixed research methodologies combine results from both secondary (documentary) sources and primary
sources through field or laboratory research.

What is research ethics? What are the principles of research ethics? 

What is plagiarism?
What is Research Ethics?
Research ethics provides guidelines for the responsible conduct of research. In addition, it educates and
monitors scientists conducting research to ensure a high ethical standard. The following is a general summary of
some ethical principles:
Honesty:
Honestly report data, results, methods and procedures, and publication status. Do not fabricate, falsify, or
misrepresent data.
Objectivity:
Strive to avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis, data interpretation, peer review, personnel decisions,
grant writing, expert testimony, and other aspects of research.
Integrity:
Keep your promises and agreements; act with sincerity; strive for consistency of thought and action.
Carefulness:
Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and critically examine your own work and the work of your
peers. Keep good records of research activities.
Openness:
Share data, results, ideas, tools, resources. Be open to criticism and new ideas.
Respect for Intellectual Property:
Honor patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property. Do not use unpublished data, methods, or
results without permission. Give credit where credit is due. Never plagiarize.
Confidentiality:
Protect confidential communications, such as papers or grants submitted for publication, personnel records,
trade or military secrets, and patient records.
Responsible Publication:
Publish in order to advance research and scholarship, not to advance just your own career. Avoid wasteful and
duplicative publication.
Responsible Mentoring:
Help to educate, mentor, and advise students. Promote their welfare and allow them to make their own
decisions.
Respect for Colleagues:
Respect your colleagues and treat them fairly.
Social Responsibility:
Strive to promote social good and prevent or mitigate social harms through research, public education, and
advocacy.
Non-Discrimination:
Avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or other factors that are
not related to their scientific competence and integrity.
Competence:
Maintain and improve your own professional competence and expertise through lifelong education and learning;
take steps to promote competence in science as a whole.
Legality:
Know and obey relevant laws and institutional and governmental policies.
Animal Care:
Show proper respect and care for animals when using them in research. Do not conduct unnecessary or poorly
designed animal experiments.
Human Subjects Protection:
When conducting research on human subjects, minimize harms and risks and maximize benefits; respect human
dignity, privacy, and autonomy.

PRINCIPLE ONE
Minimising the risk of harm

Dissertation research should not harm participants. Where there is the possibility that participants could be
harmed or put in a position of discomfort, there must be strong justifications for this. Such scenarios will also
require (a) additional planning to illustrate how participant harm (or discomfort) will be reduced, (b) informed
consent, and (c) detailed debriefing.

There are a number of types of harm that participants can be subjected to. These include:

 Physical harm to participants.

 Psychological distress and discomfort.

 Social disadvantage.

 Harm to participants? financial status.

 An invasion of participants? privacy and anonymity.

Typically, it is not harm that we need to think about since a researcher does not intentionally go out to cause
harm. Rather, it is the risk of harm that you should try to minimise. In order to minimising the risk of harm you
should think about:

 Obtaining informed consent from participants.

 Protecting the anonymity and confidentiality of participants.

 Avoiding deceptive practices when designing your research.

 Providing participants with the right to withdraw from your research at any time.

We discuss each of these ethical principles in the sections that follow, explaining (a) what they mean
and (b) instances where they should (and should not) be followed.
 PRINCIPLE TWO
Obtaining informed consent

One of the foundations of research ethics is the idea of informed consent. Simply put, informed consent means
that participants should understand that (a) they are taking part in research and (b) what the research requires of
them. Such information may include the purpose of the research, the methods being used, the possible outcomes
of the research, as well as associated demands, discomforts, inconveniences and risks that the participants may
face. Whilst is it not possible to know exactly what information a potential participant would (or would not)
want to know, you should aim not to leave out any material information; that is, information that you feel would
influence whether consent would (or would not) be granted.

Another component of informed consent is the principle that participants should be volunteers, taking part
without having been coerced and deceived. Where informed consent cannot be obtained from participants, you
must explain why this is the case. You should also be aware that there are instances informed consent is not
necessarily needed or needs to be relaxed. These include
certain educational, organisational and naturalistic research settings. We discuss these in more detail under the
section: Avoiding deceptive practices.

PRINCIPLE THREE
Protecting anonymity and confidentiality

Protecting the anonymity and confidentiality of research participants is another practical component of research

ethics. After all, participants will typically only be willing to volunteer information, especially information of a
private or sensitive nature, if the researcher agrees to hold such information in confidence. Whilst it is possible
that research participants may be hurt in some way if the data collection methods used are somehow insensitive,
there is perhaps a greater danger that harm can be caused once data has been collected. This occurs when data is
not treated confidentially, whether in terms of the storage of data, its analysis, or during the publication process
(i.e., when submitting your dissertation to be marked). However, this does not mean that all data collected from
research participants needs to be kept confidential or anonymous. It may be possible to disclose the identity and
views of individuals at various stages of the research process (from data collection through to publication of
your dissertation). Nonetheless, permissions should be sought before such confidential information is disclosed.

An alternative is to remove identifiers (e.g., vernacular terms, names, geographical cues, etc.) or provide proxies
when writing up. However, such a stripping of identifiable information may not always be possible
to anticipate at the outset of your dissertation when thinking about issues of research ethics. This is not only a
consideration for dissertations following a qualitative research design, but also a quantitative research
design [for more information, see the article: Research strategy and research ethics].

For example:
Imagine that your dissertation used a quantitative research design and a survey as your main research method. In
the process of analysing your data, it is possible that when examining relationships between variables (i.e.,
questions in your survey), a person's identity and responses could be inferred. For instance, imagine that you
were comparing responses amongst employees within an organisation based on specific age groups. There may
only be a small group (or just one employee) within a particular age group (e.g., over 70 years old), which could
enable others to identify the responses of this individual (or small group of employees).

Therefore, you need to consider ways of overcoming such problems, such as: (a) aggregating data in tables
and (b) setting rules that ensure a minimum number of units are present before data/information can be
presented.

A further alternative is to seek permission for access to data and analysis to be restricted to the published
material, perhaps only allowing it to be viewed by those individuals marking your work. If the work is later
published, adjustments would then need to be made to protect the confidentiality of participants.

There are also a wide range of potential legal protections that may affect what research you can and cannot
perform, how you must treated the data of research participants, and so forth. In other words, you don?t simply
have a duty to protect the data you collect from participants; you may also have (in some cases) a legal
responsibility to do so. Since this varies from country-to-country, you should ask your dissertation supervisor
or Ethics Committee for advice (or a legal professional).

PRINCIPLE FOUR
Avoiding deceptive practices

At first sight, deceptive practices fly in the face of informed consent. After all, how can participants
know (a) that they are taking part in research and (b) what the research requires of them if they are
being deceived? This is part of what makes the use of deceptive practices controversial. For this reason, in most
circumstances, dissertation research should avoid any kinds of deceptive practices. However, this is not always
the case.

Deception is sometimes a necessary component of covert research, which can be justified in some cases. Covert
research reflects research where (a) the identity of the observer and/or (b) the purpose of the research is not
known to participants. Cases where you may choose to engage in covert research may include instances where:

 It is not feasible to let everyone in a particular research setting know what you are doing.

 Overt observation or knowledge of the purpose of the research may alter the particular phenomenon
that is being studied.

Let's take each of these in turn:

It is not feasible to let everyone in a particular research setting know what you are doing

By feasibility, we are not talking about the cost of doing research. Instead, we mean that it is
not practically possible to let everyone in a particular research setting know what you are doing. This is most
likely to be the case where research involves observation, rather than direct contact with participants, especially
in a public or online setting. There are a number of obvious instances where this may be the case:

 Observing what users are doing in an Internet chat room.

  Observing individuals going about their business (e.g., shopping, going to work, etc.).

Clearly, in these cases, where individuals are coming and going, it may simply be impossible to let everyone
known what you are doing. You may not be intentionally trying to engage in deceptive practices, but clearly
participants are not giving you their informed consent.

Overt observation or knowledge of the purpose of the research may alter the particular phenomenon that is
being studied

Where observations or a participants? knowledge of the true purpose of the research have the potential
to alter the particular phenomenon that you are interested in, this is a major concern in terms of the quality of
your findings.

Therefore, when you think about whether to engage in covert research and possibly deceptive practices, you
should think about the extent to which this could be beneficial in your dissertation, not research in general; that
is, everything from the research paradigm that guides your dissertation through to the data analysis
techniques you choose affect issues of research ethics in your dissertation [see the article: Research strategy and
research ethics].

Imagine some of the following scenarios where covert research may be considered justifiable:

 Scenario A

You are conducting a piece of research looking at prejudice. Whilst participants are given a
questionnaire to complete that measures their prejudice, it is not obvious from the questions that this is
the case. Furthermore, participants are not told that the research is about prejudice because it is felt that
this could alter their responses. After all, few people would be happy if other people thought they were
prejudice. As a result, if participants knew that this is the purpose of the study, they may well provide
responses that they think will make them appear less prejudice.

 Scenario B

You are interested in understanding the organisational culture in a single firm. You feel
that observation would be an appropriate research method in such a naturalistic setting. However, you
feel that if employees knew that you were monitoring them, they may behave in a different way.
Therefore, you may have received permission to go undercover or provide a story to explain why you
are there, which is not the truth.

Whilst such covert research and deceptive practices, especially where used intentionally, can be viewed as
controversial, it can be argued that they have a place in research.
 PRINCIPLE FIVE
Providing the right to withdraw

With the exception of those instances of covert observation where is not feasible to let everyone that is being
observed know what you are doing, research participants should always have the right to withdraw from the
research process. Furthermore, participants should have the right to withdraw at any stage in the research
process. When a participant chooses to withdraw from the research process, they should not
be pressured or coerced in any way to try and stop them from withdrawing.

If your supervisor and/or Ethics Committee expect you to complete an Ethics Consent Form, it is likely that you
will have to let participants know that they have the right to withdraw at any time [see the article: Ethics consent
form].

What is Plagiarism?

The plagiarism meaning comes from the Latin word ‘plagiarius,’ which means to kidnap. As the plagiarism
definition suggests, when someone uses the work of another artist without properly citing the source or giving
credit, then that will be an instance of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a punishable offense, and it is a form of
intellectual theft.

It is effortless to plagiarise any content or article from the website, but at the same time, it has grave
consequences. Plagiarism can affect someone’s career adversely. The student often uses parts of an article in his
project without crediting the source, therefore, committing plagiarism. The teachers must warn the students
about plagiarism as well as the plagiarism meaning to ensure that this offense does not occur.

If the student is changing the word order or summarising the work or using exact lines from a text without using
quotation marks or citing the source, that is not crediting the source correctly, then it will be considered
plagiarism.

However, reusing a previous work or parts of it without the professor also comes under plagiarism. It is called
self-plagiarism, and if the teacher finds an instance of self-plagiarism, the student may end up with a poor grade.

Plagiarism is applicable for writing or website articles, but it is also applicable in stealing intellectual property
like music, images, videos, and even choreography of a dance.

Plagiarism can fail a piece of work trying to serve its primary purpose. While artwork or writing is considered
successful if it reaches the audience, plagiarism takes away the work’s credibility, and the artist or writer’s
message fails to reach the audience. Therefore, the students or artists must not plagiarise, neither deliberately
nor accidentally.

Types of Plagiarism

Considering the pattern, plagiarism can be of different types. They are:

 Direct Plagiarism
 Mosaic Plagiarism
 Accidental plagiarism
 Self-plagiarism
 Paraphrasing plagiarism

Self-plagiarism and mosaic plagiarism are the two most common forms of plagiarism.

What is Self-Plagiarism?

If someone reuses his own work again without the permission of the professor, it will be considered self-
plagiarism. In the case of publishing, the writer must keep in mind that the citation must include all the works he
is utilizing as a reference, even if the work is a previous work of the same writer. Otherwise, they may end up
plagiarising themselves. By making sure you understand the plagiarism definition and work towards adding
citations, you can ensure no work is copied and all work produced is 100% authentic.

Consequences of Self-Plagiarism

Academic institutions take self-plagiarism seriously, and that can affect the grade of the student. But what does
plagiarism mean for you in terms of the impact it could have on your grade? First, this will be an instance of
academic misconduct, and therefore the student may get a bad degree or even probation as a result. Second,
considering the institution’s stand on plagiarism, the student can get a failing grade in that semester, affecting
the student’s academic career adversely.

If self-plagiarism is being done by a writer, then the publishing house can take action against him, considering
their policies. Besides this, the writer may lose his set of readers because of the credibility issue.

Therefore, even if you are using parts of your previous work in your assignment or writing, you must remember
that citation is essential.

How Do You Define Plagiarism When Using Images, Videos, And Music?

For images, videos, and music, if you are using it in your work without mentioning the source or taking
permission from the artist, it will be considered plagiarism. Here are some instances that can be regarded as
plagiarism while using images, videos and music:

 If you copy any image and use it for your work without crediting the source, then that will be
plagiarism.
 If the music produced by someone is partially or exactly similar to already existing music.
 Using parts of videos in your own video without permission or credit.
 For performing copyrighted music without mentioning the source.
 Recreating any painting or image with the same set-up or precisely the same idea, then it will be
considered plagiarism.
 Shooting a video clip with copyrighted music playing in the background will be another instance of
plagiarism.
 Illegal distribution of any content that has copyright will be punishable as it will be considered as
plagiarism.

Direct Plagiarism:

Most commonly, the crime of plagiarism involves adopting parts from the writing of another writer without
proper mention of the source. Often the person copying from the text does not change even a single word. The
plagiarist can also change parts of sentences or replace some of the words with his/her own. However, it also
comes under the crime of plagiarism. 

Among the different forms of plagiarism, direct plagiarism is the most harmful one. When the plagiarist copies
and paste the text from someone else’s work and neglects to cite the source or remove quotation marks, then it is
direct plagiarism. 

The identical copying or cloning of a text is a severe offense. This duplicate content falls under the category of
deliberately plagiarised content. It is unethical, and the writer of the original content can take disciplinary
actions against the plagiarist.

Mosaic Plagiarism: 

There is another type of plagiarism which is unintentional. In this case, the plagiarist may have mentioned the
source of the content he has referred to. But, if he/she does not acknowledge the quoted part or put them under
the quotation marks correctly, then the writer commits the crime of plagiarism. 

Whether intended or unintended, plagiarism is a serious crime as it ensures writing to be the property of a writer.

Self-Plagiarism:

Self-plagiarism is one of the common types of plagiarism, where high school students copy and paste part of
their previously submitted academic paper. If the student submits the same paper for two different class projects
without asking the concerned teacher, then that is considered as self-plagiarism. 
Though self-plagiarism does not often end with serious legal action, that can affect the presentation for
academic papers, research papers.

Accidental Plagiarism:

Another common form of plagiarism involves accidental plagiarism. When the plagiarist misquotes the phrases
or parts of the text he/she has taken from the source material or does not cite the source even or adequately or
cites a wrong source, they that is considered as plagiarism.