Research 101: The Basics You Need To Know
Written by Erin Stacey
Thumbnail and Header Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash
The results of research are all around us, from the medicine we take to the technology we use to make our lives easier. Research has been the driving force of the advancement of society for thousands of years. When speaking of research, the mind tends to wander toward disciplines such as chemistry and biology, but research encompasses much more than that. Studies in culture, ethics, and psychology are examples of necessary research that have shaped current society.
To understand what research is, we have to look at the fundamental principles of the practice. Although research can be involved in many different fields, there is still a general guideline for research that is typically followed. Research begins with forming a hypothesis to propose a suspected explanation for a given phenomenon, creating a primary starting point to guide the investigation. For example, a drug company performing research on a sleeping drug to help with insomnia may hypothesize that individuals who take the drug will sleep more hours than those who do not take the drug.
Once the hypothesis is formed, determining a method of data collection is the next step. Depending on the research being performed, methods of data collection can vary to best reflect the topic. In our sleeping drug example, the scientists may have the subjects record how many hours they sleep at night. This aspect of research also involves the researchers deciding on experimental groups. Experimental groups involve the subjects being exposed to a change in the independent variable. In our sleeping drug example, this may involve taking the drug and variations of its dose. Contrasting the experimental group is the control group, a group where no one takes the drug but they may be given a placebo pill like a sugar pill. A control group is used to avoid bias and as a point of comparison to the experimental group that is undergoing the experiment.
Once the data is collected, it is analyzed and interpreted to form conclusions. These conclusions are then shared with the scientific community, where they are reviewed by other scientists and may be used for further research. For the sleeping drug example, the scientists would review the data collected and determine whether the drug worked to increase the amount of sleep individuals received.
The method of data collection is a vital step in the process of doing research. As previously stated, there is a large variety of methods of data collection. For example, branches of academia like the social sciences would likely be collecting qualitative data, whereas physical sciences may be more likely to collect quantitative data. This fact does not mean each faculty is limited in their methodology, however. The type of research performed is the deciding factor in identifying the data collection method required. Some examples of types of data collection include experiments, surveys, questionnaires, interviews, case studies, and observational studies.
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Research can be seen as stepping stones to the truth, as it is able to be built upon and continuously worked upon to make new discoveries. Just because research is presented and a conclusion is made does not necessarily mean the end of the research on that topic. The intention of research is to be built upon to further the knowledge of society as a whole. A great example of this is the pursuit to determine how evolution works.
The concept of evolution and the desire to uncover the origin of humans began in Ancient Greece 2600 years ago when a pre-socratic philosopher named Anaximander proposed an idea. He said that humans did not appear on the earth in their current form but rather evolved from wet environments and then spread to dry climates. Much later, in 1744, Carl Linnaeus, a natural scientist, proposed a new idea for evolution. He thought God placed a few species on an island and allowed them to interbreed, produce hybrids, and create more species.
From there, in 1800, a man named Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed a new idea built upon the previous theories. Lamarck suggested the famous theory of evolution that the offspring of species inherit the characteristics that their parents had used the most, slowly and gradually. His theory centred on the specific example of giraffes and how their necks evolved to be long. He believed the adult giraffes would stretch their necks to reach the leaves high in trees, causing the offspring's necks to grow longer to achieve this more successfully. These different theories accumulated and led to the joint paper written by the famous Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, which was read to the Linnean Society in 1858. This paper detailed the well-known and still accepted theory of evolution by natural selection, which would later be further detailed in Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species, published in 1859.
Research is often performed through a university, using the fundamental principles previously mentioned to cultivate knowledge and conduct accurate and rewarding research. Saint Mary's University has an extensive research program branching over many faculties. SMU’s research mission is to perform research that will relate to and benefit local communities and those around the world. Additionally, the university strives to cultivate the intellect, curiosity, and creativity within the Saint Mary's University community through research, including students and faculty alike. SMU has four primary research objectives, which are as follows:
"To carry out high-quality research that builds on existing strengths and partnerships, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary endeavours."
"To develop research programs that are valued by, relevant to and engage communities locally, regionally, nationally and internationally."
"To ensure that students, both undergraduate and graduate, benefit from research activities at the University."
"To disseminate and translate the outcomes of our research to receptor communities who can best benefit from them."
With these objectives in mind, Saint Mary's University aims to provide research opportunities to all students. Although the focus is typically research conducted by graduate students, undergraduate students still have opportunities to experience conducting research. Many faculties provide an honours program — for a Bachelor of Science, there are ten faculties with an honours program such as astrophysics, geography, psychology, and geology. The Sobey School of Business offers one honours program in economics. For a Bachelor of Arts, seventeen faculties provide an honours program such as anthropology, criminology, Atlantic Canada studies, philosophy, and religious studies. To read more about SMU’s honours program check out this article by Payton McPhee.
With research all around us in our daily lives, it is no surprise the importance it has on civilization as a whole. Research performed at Saint Mary's University has the opportunity to cultivate knowledge that may advance society for decades and maybe even centuries to come. SMU aims to provide new knowledge to our community and communities across the world. To learn more about the research being done at Saint Mary's University, you can visit the Research page on the Saint Mary's University website.