THE RESEARCH PROCESS

Overview:  This page will focus on the importance of Research and how much it “Matters” to individuals, businesses and organizations of all kinds. It will review topics of interest, products, services, etc., see what, if anything, research says about them … and what the implications may be for any evidence discovered.

For my first post, I want to provide a basic overview of the meticulous Process that must be followed by anyone designing, conducting, and publishing Research. I don’t think this is something that is well known outside the academic community.

NOTE: This is my take on the subject; I am writing as a former professor at a major research university who published more than 60 research papers during his time in academia.

What is The Research Process?

The Research Process is a well-established, objective methodology that provides a framework for rigorous investigation and analysis. Research – when correctly conducted – can be the best approach, in the broadest sense, to improve human lives. It can, for example, drive innovation, expand our understanding of the world, as well as help us uncover and understand new solutions and new knowledge across diverse fields.

Does Research lead to “The Truth?”

Few, if any, researchers would tell you they are seeking “Truth”, and this can sometimes – mistakenly – be viewed as a negative factor for the lay person. In reality, a researcher’s goal is to seek understanding of a topic by gathering evidence, then carefully analyzing and interpreting their findings based on the available data. Importantly, such interpretations can be reexamined – and changed – in the light of new evidence or new research.

This is a strength of the Process.

“Doing” Research

We hear a lot today about “Doing your own Research”. This, of course, is an excellent way for anyone to determine the accuracy or significance of a topic or product in which they have an interest. However, “Doing your own Research”, has a different meaning for non-scientists compared to scientists.

Here’s how I see the differences…

For non-scientists there are, basically, two approaches to the “Doing”

1. To actually read research studies relevant to your topic of interest

This is definitely the best (and highly recommended) approach because any claims/questions can be investigated and directly evaluated by tracking down and reading pertinent studies.

HOWEVER: This is likely the least frequent approach chosen, in part because of the relative inaccessibility of research Journals to the general public.

THE GOOD NEWS is that, even if actual research Journals can’t be accessed, there are some great (free!) online resources like PubMed. This site allows anyone to search for and read short abstracts (summaries) of most published studies. In some cases free pdf copies of entire studies are also downloadable.

Check it out. Just type in your key words, hit “Enter”’ and see what you get.

2. To obtain information from print or social media sources

Newspaper/Magazine articles, Blogs, Podcasts, X, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, etc.

This particular “investigative” method, unsurprisingly, is very popular, because (a) it’s more accessible (Research journals are not only difficult to obtain for non-scientists but often require some kind of subscription) and, (b) is likely to be more entertaining/easy to read (Research studies can often be quite dry).

HOWEVER: this kind of information often involves second hand reporting and/or is unconfirmed and/or is opinion based. Relying solely on such indirect sources is not the most dependable or trustworthy method of gathering and/or confirming information.

THE GOOD NEWS is that whether or not these sources mention supporting research, any relevant studies can be located using a “key word search” of, for example, PubMed After finding and reading these, informed conclusions can be drawn. NOTE: If no supporting studies can be found it does not mean the information is untrue – just that the topic of interest has not been investigated or confirmed yet. Conclusions/implications can be drawn from this result also.

For research scientists there is really only one way of “Doing your own Research”

1. They actually do the research!

Here is a step by step overview of the actual Research Process: what it involves, how long it takes, and how it is used to assess/critique the work of potential authors.

It’s a lot.

Again, I don’t think this is something that is much appreciated outside the academic community. 

Overview of Research Process

* STEPS: These have been simplified for easier reading and may overlap in places.

^b TIME FRAME: This can vary greatly depending on things like the Research Question and study design. However, evena small study can take many months to go from “Research Question” to publication. Larger scale studies will take much longer.

^d ANONYMOUS REVIEW: After all the time and effort taken by the author to complete the study and submit their manuscript, it now gets “red penned” by anonymous reviewers. These individuals may require written clarification, explanation, and/or justification of any and all aspects of the manuscript before it can be considered for publication.

^f MANUSCRIPT NOT ACCEPTED: If this happens authors are free to submit to another Journal, where the same Review process will be followed, though with different reviewers.

NOTE: Even after publication, the study is still open to review/criticism. Journal readers can take issue with the authors’ work and address their concerns in a “Letter to the Editor”. This will be forwarded to the author for a written response and then both criticism and response are published in the Journal. In worse case scenarios this can lead to the editor withdrawing the paper from the Journal and notifying Journal readers of this action in an editorial comment!

Take Away Message …

Publishing a research paper is nothing like writing a blog or posting on social media. It is a lengthy, meticulous, and often arduous process that also has to run the gauntlet of mandated criticism from anonymous experts in the author’s field. These (occasionally severe) criticisms require informed responses/justifications before – and sometimes after – publication is approved. The “Search for Understanding” in Research is an ongoing, always needing to be validated, process.

NOTE: If you are interested in obtaining more information on The Research Process or if you feel that Research could Matter to some aspect of your business or lifestyle…

Contact Dr. Phillips directly at wphillips@syfound.com – or use our Contact Page