Research is a blend of a wide range of activities and skills. In an attempt to be a good researcher, it is required that one is able to work with diverse people, understand those specific methods that have to be adopted for conducting research, have thorough knowledge about your topic of study, be able to articulate thoughts vocally as well in a written way, and so on. The list of qualities and skills desired in a good researcher are endless.
Though, the aspects related to contemporary social research can be described through an endless list, but some of the most explicit and straightforward aspects that relate to research are:
Theoretical: Social research is primarily theoretical as its major concern is with the development, exploration, testing of ideas of the researchers regarding the way the world operates. But is it only theoretical?
Empirical: In addition to be being theoretical, it is also empirical, which means that its foundation rests on observation and measurements of reality of the perception that we carry of the world around us. Most of the research that we see around, is a good blend of the theoretical as well as the empirical aspects of research.
Probabilistic: Another word that describes Contemporary Social Research in a good way is a Probabilistic. This is because this research is based on probabilities. All the inferences that are made in social research have probabilities that are associated with them and the word certainty does not have much to do with research. Research only helps us to approximate probabilities for the situations studied.
Causal: This term means, that most of the research is focused on looking at cause and effect relationships. Though this may not be true for all studies, as some of the studies are only observational and some are attempted to explore relationships. However, studies are beneficial and useful, only when they go beyond observation and exploration. As, change can only be brought by understanding the cause and effect between the factors, so that the problems can be eliminated.
These are some of the important components of Contemporary Social Research and though the list is not exhaustive, and one can surely add more factors to it, but these are the important and definitive components that are used in defining the basic meaning of Research. Researchers must acquaint themselves with the meaning and thorough understanding of these terms, so that they know what their study expects from them.
Want to seek your help in my research…