Why Research is important?

Research plays a crucial role in making

informed decisions, whether it's in business,
healthcare, or government policy.

By conducting thorough research, we can gain

insights into customer needs and preferences,
identify gaps in the market, and develop new
and innovative products and services that meet
those needs.

In fact, according to a study by McKinsey &

Company, companies that prioritize research
and development are more likely to experience
sustained growth and profitability over time.
Why Research is important?
• Moreover, research helps to advance
knowledge in a field, leading to
breakthroughs in science, medicine, and
technology.
• For example, the discovery of penicillin
was the result of years of research by
Alexander Fleming, which ultimately
revolutionized modern medicine.
• By building on existing research, scientists
and researchers can continue to make
significant contributions to their respective
fields, pushing the boundaries of what we
know and what we can achieve.
What is a Database?
• A database is an organized
collection of data that can be
accessed, managed, and updated
quickly and easily.
• It is like a virtual filing cabinet
where information is stored in
tables with rows and columns. The
data can be sorted, searched, and
filtered based on specific criteria.
• Databases are used in various
industries such as healthcare,
finance, and retail to store
customer information, inventory,
and financial records.
What is a Database?
• For example, imagine a hospital
that needs to keep track of patient
records. Instead of using paper
files, the hospital can use a
database to store all patient
information such as medical history,
test results, and prescriptions.
• This allows doctors and nurses to
access the information quickly and
make informed decisions about
patient care. Databases also ensure
data accuracy and consistency,
reducing the risk of errors.
Types of Databases
• There are several types of databases,
each with its own set of benefits. One
type is a relational database, which
stores data in tables with columns and
rows.
• This type of database is useful for
businesses that need to organize large
amounts of structured data, such as
customer information or sales figures.
• Another type is a NoSQL database,
which is designed for unstructured data
like social media posts or sensor
readings. NoSQL databases can handle
large volumes of data quickly and
efficiently.
Types of
Databases
• A third type of database is a graph
database, which stores data as nodes
and edges.
• This type of database is useful for
analyzing complex relationships
between data points, such as social
networks or supply chains.
• Finally, there are time-series databases,
which are optimized for storing and
querying time-stamped data, such as
stock prices or weather measurements.
• By choosing the right type of database
for your needs, you can ensure that
your data is organized and accessible in
the most efficient way possible.
Why are Databases
Important?
• Databases are essential for organizing
and storing large amounts of
information. They allow for easy access
to data, which can greatly improve
efficiency in decision-making
processes.
• According to a study by IDC, businesses
that invest in databases see an average
return on investment of 449%. This is
because databases can help companies
make more informed decisions, leading
to increased productivity and
profitability. Additionally, databases
can facilitate collaboration among team
members, as everyone has access to
the same information.
Research and
Databases
• Research and databases are
closely intertwined. Databases
provide a structured way to
store and organize data, which
is essential for conducting
research.
• By using databases,
researchers can easily access
and analyze large amounts of
data, allowing them to draw
meaningful conclusions and
make informed decisions.
Research and Databases
• Moreover, databases can support
research efforts by providing a
centralized location for data storage
and collaboration.
• For instance, multiple researchers can
work on the same database
simultaneously, making it easier to
share information and coordinate
research efforts.
• Additionally, databases can be used to
track changes over time, allowing
researchers to identify patterns and
trends that may not be immediately
apparent.
Using Databases for
Research

• Step 1: Define your research

question and identify the
keywords that will help you find
relevant information in the
database.
Using Databases
for Research
• Step 2: Choose a database
that is appropriate for your
research topic. Consider
factors such as the scope of
the database, the type of
information it contains, and
its accessibility.
Using Databases
for Research
• Step 3: Use the search
function to enter your
keywords and retrieve
relevant articles,
reports, and other
resources from the
database.
Using Databases for
Research
• Step 4: Refine
your search using
filters such as
date range,
publication type,
and subject area.
Using Databases for
Research
• Step 5: Evaluate the quality and
relevance of the sources you
have found. Consider factors
such as the author's credentials,
the reliability of the publisher,
and the currency of the
information.
Using Databases for
Research
• Step 6: Organize your findings by
creating an annotated
bibliography or other summary
document that captures the key
points and insights from each
source.
Using Databases for
Research
• Step 7: Analyze and
synthesize the
information you have
gathered to answer
your research
question and draw
conclusions.
Using Databases for
Research
• Step 8: Cite your sources
properly using the
appropriate citation style for
your discipline.

• By following these steps, you

can use databases effectively
to conduct research and find
high-quality information to
support your work.
Challenges of Research
and Databases
• One of the biggest challenges when
conducting research is ensuring the
quality of the data being collected.
• Data quality issues can arise from a
variety of factors, including human error,
bias, and incomplete or inaccurate
information.
• It is important to take steps to minimize
these issues by carefully designing
research studies, using reliable sources,
and properly organizing and analyzing
data.
Challenges of Research
and Databases
• Another challenge when using
databases is ensuring the security of
the information stored within them.
• Databases can be vulnerable to
hacking, theft, and other forms of
cyber attacks, which can compromise
sensitive information and damage the
reputation of the organization.
• To overcome these challenges, it is
important to implement strong
security measures, such as encryption
and access controls, and regularly
monitor the database for any
suspicious activity.
Best Practices for Research and
Databases
• When conducting research, it is essential to use reliable
sources. This means ensuring that the information you are
using is accurate and up-to-date. One way to do this is to use
peer-reviewed articles from reputable journals. Additionally, it
is important to consider the biases of your sources and to seek
out multiple perspectives on a given topic. By using reliable
sources, you can ensure that your research is based on sound
evidence.
• Properly organizing data is also critical when conducting
research. This means keeping detailed records of your sources,
methods, and findings. It also involves using consistent
formatting and labeling conventions to make it easy to find
and analyze your data. By organizing your data effectively, you
can save time and avoid errors in your analysis.
 Public safety communications research
• Here are 10 findings (of thousands) from the behavioral sciences that
shed important and novel light on the human experience.
 Under some conditions, paying people for their work makes them
work less hard.

• Classic work on the topic of 

cognitive dissonance has found that
under many conditions, if you pay
someone to do some task, they realize
that they are only doing it for the
money, and their motivation regarding
the task itself reduces dramatically (see
Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959).
Many people are capable of killing someone who is totally
innocent if an authority figure requests them to do so.

• In his classic research on

obedience to authority, Stanley
Milgram found that a substantial
portion of regular Americans are
capable of engaging in behavior
that would kill an innocent man
simply because an authority figure
requested that they do so
(Milgram, 1963).
Reactions to infidelity account for about one-
third of homicides in the modern world.

• An analysis of thousands
of homicides from two
large North American
cities found that a full
one-third of homicides are
connected, in a significant
way, with infidelity (Daly
& Wilson, 1982).
Basic facial expressions of emotions cut across all cultures of the
globe.

• The way that people express

and understand emotional
facial expressions varies
almost zero percent across
all human groups that have
ever been studied (Ekman
& Friesen, 1986).
We tend to see people who are in "other" groups as all the same as
one another relative to people in our own groups.

• When we think of people as

being members of some "other"
group from our own, we
literally are unable to see
variability among them; we
literally tend to see them as "all
the same" (Haslam et al., 1996).
This phenomenon is known
as outgroup homogeneity.
Our psychological connections with dogs and cats have strong
roots in the human evolutionary story.

• Next time you look at your

dog or your cat, realize that
our psychological connections
with these creatures
 actually go far back into hum
an evolutionary history.
 They joined us in this journey
for very specific, evolution-
based reasons.
 The same five basic personality traits characterize people across
the globe.

• Research into basic personality

 traits, which shows much
variability from person to
person, has found that the same
basic personality traits—
extraversion, emotional stability,
open-mindedness, agreeableness,
and conscientiousness—
characterize how people differ
from one another in all corners
of the Earth (see Schmitt et al.,
2007).
 Situational factors account for more "evil" behavior than
dispositional factors.

• A mountain of research on
"evil" or anti-social behavior
points to this conclusion: Evil
behavior is much more the
result of situational factors than
dispositional factors. Thus, it is
more accurate to talk about
environmental conditions that
facilitate evil behavior than it is
to talk about "bad people" (see
Zimbardo, 2007).
Anxiety actually has an important role in human functioning.

• While on the surface, we tend to

think of anxiety as simply
problematic and as something that
we need to reduce, in fact, anxiety
acts very much like a Darwinian
adaptation, leading to benefits
such as success at all kinds of
tasks. A moderate degree of
anxiety is, in fact, a good thing
(see Nesse & Williams, 1994).
There really is something to the idea of true love. And we can see
it in people's brains.

• True love really is a thing,

and it can be observed in 
neural activity in the brain.
Helen Fisher has dedicated
a lifetime of intensive
research that ultimately
points toward this
conclusion (see Fisher,
2012).