Definitions
of Research
The discovery and the creation of
knowledge, therefore, lies at the heart of research, or as Leedy puts
it, research is “a systematic quest for undiscovered
knowledge”. Good research is “systematic” in that it is planned, organised and has a specific goal.
It is also a never-ending process:
discoveries and creations lead to new discoveries and new creations, and
so on. As you read this, millions of people around the world are
involved in research, some of it minor, some major.
(Goddard and Melville, 2001)
Research is not
just a process of gathering information ... it is about answering unanswered questions or
creating that which does not currently exist. Research can be seen as a process
of expanding
the boundaries of our ignorance.