The Purpose of Research and Its Characteristics (3-5 min read)
The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through scientific theories, concepts and ideas. A research purpose is met through forming hypotheses, collecting data, analysing, etc. It summarizes the research study’s specific topic and goals, providing readers with an accurate, concrete understanding of the findings, the purpose of research and its characteristics. The basic properties of the research purpose are given below:
- The research purpose should be Specific and precise – not general, broad or obscure.
- It should be defined concisely (within one or two sentences)
- The research goal should be apparent. It should not be vague, ambiguous or confusing to the readers.
- All the statements should be Goal-oriented and also stated in terms of desired outcomes.
Example: Research on the effect of learning an additional language on children
United College of Engineering and Research [2021 Update]
Here are some key points to remember for the purpose of research and its characteristics.
1. State the general purpose of the Study:
The study’s overall purpose is to examine the effect of learning a foreign language early and how it will affect them.
2. Identify the specific purpose of every key variable:
How they grasp, reading fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and interest in the language are the particular variables.
3. State the specific purposes for the research study:
- Identify how often parents enrol their children in learning a foreign language or how often does school teaches.
- Determine the effect of learning a foreign language on the children’s reading fluency of their mother language.
- Ascertain the effect of learning a foreign language on the children’s reading comprehension of their mother language.
- Determine the effect of learning a foreign language on children’s vocabulary of their mother language.
Characteristics of Research
The investigation of the research topic can be classified into eight types:
1. Empirical Research
Research proves scientific methods derived from real-life observations. It is also a way of gaining knowledge using direct and indirect observation or experience. There are two ways to examine Empirical Evidence – quantitative and qualitative. Many researchers can easily quantify the given evidence or challenge the evidence and make sense of it in its qualitative form.
2. Logical Research
This research methodology follows sequential procedures based on valid principles. Analytical research implies that the study goes by logical reasoning rules and the logical process of induction and deduction. Induction is the reasoning process from a part to the whole, whereas deduction is reasoning from the premise.
3. Cyclic Research
As the name suggests, the cyclic research starts and ends with a question. It is a cyclical process of steps that typically begins with identifying a research problem or study issue. It then involves reviewing the literature, specifying a purpose for the study, collecting and analysing data, and forming an interpretation of information.
4. Analytical Research
In this type of research, data is generated, recorded and analysed using proven techniques to ensure high accuracy and repeatability while minimizing potential errors. A variety of people, including students, doctors and psychologists, use analytical research during studies to find the most relevant information. A person finds out necessary details from analytical research to add new ideas to the material being produced.
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5. Controlled Research
Controlled research investigates with vigorous measures by keeping all research variables constant, excluding the variables under investigation. IN simpler words, it compares results from a treated group and a control group. The control group may receive no treatment, a placebo, or a different treatment.
6. Research-based on Objective
The researcher uses sound judgment to ensure that the research findings are valid. Objective-based types of Research can be classified as descriptive, co-relational, explanatory and exploratory.
7. Research-based on statistical treatment
Researchers apply statistical methods to a data set to transform it from a group of meaningless numbers into meaningful output. The mathematical treatment is involved in turning the available data into something more meaningful from which information can be derived.
8. Hypothesis-based Research
This research is a statement about a scientific study’s expected outcome (a dissertation or thesis). This statement needs to have three attributes – specificity, testability, and falsifiability for a genuine research hypothesis. The hypothesis-based research design produces evidence that satisfies the research objectives and can prove or refute the hypothesis.
This is all about the purpose of research and its characteristics.
Board of Governors Graduate Students Research Scholarship in the University of Lethbridge, Canada
Important FAQs
Q1. What are the characteristics of research methodology?
Try to usually collect data at sight, where the participants are experiencing issues or problems. These are real-time data and rarely bring the participants out of the geographic locations to collect information.
Q2. What is the primary purpose or goal of research?
The ultimate goal of research within any scientific area is to understand how things work. The results of a study can then be put to use to create advanced possibilities for further research.
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Q3. What is the nature of research?
Establishing hypotheses, gathering data, evaluating, and so on all contribute to achieving a research purpose. It explains the particular topic and aims of the research study, giving readers with a precise, clear grasp of the outcomes.
Q4. What are the three primary goals of research?
Exploration, explanation and description are three most significant and prevalent study goals.