Relevance of Research

Relevance of Research

Relevance of Research can be summarized as follows:

• Research is a Tool for Building Knowledge and Efficient Learning
• Research Means to Understand Various Issues
• Research is an Aid to Business Success
• Research is a Way to Prove Lies and to Support Truths
• Research Means to Find, Measure and Seize Opportunities
• A Seed to Love Reading, Writing, Analyzing, and Sharing Valuable Information
• Nourishment and Exercise for the Mind

Research is a Tool for Building Knowledge and Efficient Learning

Research is required not just for students and academics, but for all professionals. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online. Among professionals and scribes, finding an interesting topic to discuss and/or to write about should go beyond personal experience.

Determining either what the general public may want to know about or what researchers want others to realize or to think about can serve as a reason to do research. Undoubtedly, it is crucial to finding possible cures for diseases, as well as how to prevent them. Thus, research becomes a must to ascertain if one’s ideas are supported by previous studies or if these ideas still need proof to be considered as knowledge.

Example: An example of such endeavor is the 2016 study of several psychologists who examined how sleep affects memory reactivation. In “Relearn Faster and Retain Longer: Along With Practice, Sleep Makes Perfect”, they “found that interleaving sleep between learning sessions not only reduced the amount of practice needed by half but also ensured much better long-term retention. Sleeping after learning is definitely a good strategy, but sleeping between two learning sessions is a better strategy.” This study supports the fact that: “Both repeated practice and sleep improve long-term retention of information”. Their findings also emphasize how highly important sleep is to healthy brain function.

Research by The World Bank in 2006 also underscored sleep as a key factor of efficient learning or the process of gaining optimal learning using few resources. The study reiterated the role of sleep in: (i) protecting and restoring memory, (ii) advanced learning and (iii) enhancing mathematical ability and problem solving. It further noted that “knowledge is better consolidated when people study at the time when they are supposed to be awake rather than, say, late-night sessions.” It cited the need for research on “the memory capacity of the poor in low-income countries” to enable teachers in helping underprivileged students learn basic skills.

Said studies on the effects of sleep on the human brain are among the many topics that have already been examined by academics and specialists in various universities and medical institutions. A myriad of research ideas likewise awaits the attention of avid scholars and inquisitive writers. Indeed, research is instrumental in building and improving knowledge, as well as in facilitating learning.

Research Means to Understand Various Issues

Television shows and movies secretion with research both on the part of the writer(s) and the actors encourage to understand various issues. Though there are hosts who rely on their researchers, there are also those who exert effort to do their own research. This helps them get information that hired researchers missed, build a good rapport with the interviewee, and conduct a good interview in the process.

For their part, some film and TV actors would take time to interview detectives, boxers, scientists, business owners, criminals and teachers, among others. Others even go through immersion to make them understand the issues of their respective characters better, such as living in jail or in a drug rehabilitation center. Many would read literature, biographies, or journals to have a better view or context of the story.

As what Terry Freedman says in “The Importance of Research for ICT Teachers” (2011): “Research can shed light on issues we didn’t even know existed, and can raise questions we hadn’t realized even needed asking.” Thus, almost all writers of imaginary and non-fictive tales also do research, for doing so helps them create a good story and/or achieve strong credibility as an academic.

Research is an Aid to Business Success

Research benefits business. Many successful companies, such as those producing consumer goods or mass-market items, invest in research and development or R&D. Different business industries with science and engineering processes like agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, computer software, semiconductor, information and communication technology, construction, robotics, aerospace, aviation and energy have high R&D expenditure because it is critical to product innovation and to improving services.

R&D also helps secure a vantage point over competitors. Finding out how to make things happen and what could differentiate them from others that offer similar products and services can raise the company’s market value. Certainly, having relevant knowledge in achieving a good commercial image through sound business strategies like investing in R&D can boost its profitability.

Research is a Way to Prove Lies and to Support Truths

Several experienced feeling that your mate is having an affair behind your back. Some people would overlook that and say that it’s better not to know; others though would take discreet action, hiring detectives to do the work. Doing research to reveal lies or truths involving personal affairs contributes in either making a relationship work or in breaking away from a dysfunctional one.

For the monogamous lot, doing research to disprove or prove infidelity is not simply a trust issue, but a right to find out the truth – unless one’s intimate partner has already admitted being polyandrous even before the relationship started. When a person dislikes answering relationship-related questions, including her or his whereabouts, it is better to see that as a red flag and take baby steps to save yourself from what could become a more serious emotional mess later.

Scientists also deal with research to test the validity and reliability of their claims or those of other scientists’. Their integrity and competence depend on the quality – and not just quantity – of their research. Nonetheless, not everything scientists come up with get accepted or learned by everyone, especially when factors like religion, state suppression, and access to resources and social services (e.g., education and adequate health programs) either feed the poor majority with lies or deter them from knowing truths to preserve the status quo.

Professional and credible journalists undertake thorough research to establish the veracity of their stories.

Fact-checking to know the truth is integral to the process of research, for it is fueled by an inquisitive and critical mind. Murray, Social News and UGC Hub (2016) suggest that before news readers share information on social media, they need to assess the integrity of the news source and check for similar news on legitimate media outlets. Genuine journalists do not rely on imagination for their news reports nor do they avoid doing research. They eschew propaganda and have no intention of misleading the public. They are messengers of truth, not lies.

Research Means to Find, Measure and Seize Opportunities

Research helps people nurture their potential and achieve goals through various opportunities. These can be in the form of securing employment, scholarships, training grants, project funding, business collaboration and budget traveling, among others.

For those looking for a job or for greener pastures, research is necessary. Through this process, not only will the unemployed increase their chances of finding potential employers either through job posting sites or employment agencies, but it can inform them if work opportunities are legitimate. Without research, the gullible, yet hopeful jobseeker or migrant worker may fall prey to unscrupulous headhunters who might be involved in illegal recruitment and/or human trafficking.

After finding a free or low-cost academic course or skills development training, students and professionals can assess their eligibility and know about application requirements and deadlines. Such an opportunity could hone their skills and knowledge, as well as enable them to build new connections.

Doing research also benefit civil society and its members. Funding for projects and research initiatives has been a top concern for those who want to address social issues. However, not all funding organizations accept neither proposals year-long nor are they interested in solving many social problems. Thus, it is necessary to research for agencies that match the objectives of individuals and non-profits involved in advocacy or programs that seek social change.

A wannabe business owner can likewise meet potential investors through research. He/She can examine their profiles and they can do the same. A good fit in terms of vision, mission, goals and work ethic, as well as the capital needed to launch the business is critical to making the opportunity succeed for both.

Some hobbies and interests are expensive to pursue. One of these is traveling. For budget-conscious tourists, searching for airfare and hotel promos, discount rides, and cheap markets is certainly a must to maximize the value of their money.

Seizing opportunities can broaden one’s social network, raise one’s awareness, or secure the support one direly needs to start a project or a business. Indeed, research contributes to a person’s ability to make life-changing decisions. It encourages self-growth, participation in worthwhile causes, and living productively.

A Seed to Love Reading, Writing, Analyzing, and Sharing Valuable Information

Research entails both reading and writing. These two literacy functions help enable computation and comprehension. Without these skills, it is less likely for anyone to appreciate and get involved in research. Reading opens the mind to a vast horizon of knowledge, while writing helps a reader use her/ his own perspective and transform this into a more concrete idea that s/he understands.

Apart from reading and writing, listening and speaking are also integral in conducting research. Interviews, attending knowledge-generating events, and casual talks with anyone certainly aid in formulating research topics. They can also facilitate the critical thinking process. Listening to experts discuss the merits of their studies helps the listener to analyze a certain issue and write about such analysis.

With the wide array of ideas available, scholars and non-scholars involved in research are able to share information with a larger audience. Some view this process as ego-boosting, while others see it as a means to stimulate interest and encourage further studies about certain issues or situations.

Nourishment and Exercise for the Mind

Curiosity may kill not just the cat, but the human as well. Yet, it is the same curiosity that fuels the mind to seek for answers. The College Admissions Partners notes how scientific research in particular “helps students develop critical reasoning skills helpful for any field of higher education.” Such search or the thinking process is food for the brain, allowing creativity and logic to remain active. It also helps prevent mental illnesses like Alzheimer’s.

Several studies have shown that mentally stimulating activities like doing research can contribute to brain health. Margaret Gatz (2005) enumerated research findings that support such position. However, she also noted that there may be other factors involved in averting said mental problem. One of these is intelligence. A study involving 11 year-old pupils in Scotland in 2000, for instance, pointed to intelligence quotient (IQ) scores as “predictive of future dementia risk”. Gatz opined that clinical trials are needed and that “conclusions must be based on large samples, followed over a long period of time.”

She further posited: Indeed, research and doing research encourage people to explore possibilities, to understand existing issues, and to disclose truths and fabricated ones. Without research, technological advancement and other developments could have remained a fantasy. Reading, writing, observing, analyzing, and social interaction facilitate an inquisitive mind’s quest for knowledge, learning, and wisdom. Research serves as a bridge to achieve that goal.