Introduction to research in relation to professional practice

Kirsty Williamson; Frada Burstein; Sue McKemmish

Objectives

At the end of this chapter you will be able to:

 understand how research is defined;

 have begun to learn some of the specific terminology used by researchers;

 understand the major elements of a research project and how they are covered in this book;

 be aware of the roles which research can play and should play in professional practice; and

 understand the kinds of workplace issues which might warrant research.

Introduction

This introductory chapter considers how research is defined, both in general and more specific ways. This will lead to the roles which research can and should play in professional practice, particularly in the field of information management and systems - in corporate, government, educational and community sectors.

For many of you, some of the terminology used to describe research methodology will be new. A glossary of terms describing various aspects of research, is included at the end of the book. It would be a good idea to check it over now, and then be sure to refer to it as you meet an unfamiliar term along the way.

What is research?

The need to know, to interpret the environment or the world, is basic to us all. There is a sense in which research is simply one of the fundamental activities of human beings. The main difference between our everyday activity and formal research is the rigour and discipline with which the latter is carried out and the making of that process highly self-conscious. Below are a number of different definitions, not all from the 'information' field. The first two are very simple; the second two a lot more complex.

Research is any conscious premeditated inquiry - any investigation which seems to increase one's knowledge of a given situation (Goldhor 1972, p. 7).

Research is a systematic investigation to find answers to a problem (Burns 1990, p. 1).

Research . [is] an organised, systematic, data-based, critical, scientific inquiry or investigation into a specific problem, undertaken with the objective of finding answers or solutions to it (Sekeran 1992, p. 4).

For the social scientist or researcher in applied fields, research is a process of trying to gain a better understanding of human interactions. Through systematic means, the researcher gathers information about actions and interactions, reflects on their meaning, arrives at and evaluates conclusions, and eventually puts forward an interpretation (Marshall and Rossman 1995, p. 15).

The third of these definitions emerges from the positivist tradition of research, which sees links between the ways in which the natural sciences and social sciences should be investigated. The emphasis in this tradition has been on the collection of quantitative data, which are data in the form of numbers collected by techniques such as questionnaires and other instruments of measurement. The fourth comes from the interpretivist approach, which emphasises meanings created by people and data which are qualitative (or in the form of words), collected by techniques such as interviews and observation. However, at least some of the time, both types of data and data collection are used by both types of researchers. The two different traditions are described in Chapter 2.

A fifth definition comes from Hernon (1991). It encompasses all styles of research and is said to cover the types of research in library and information studies:

Research is an inquiry process that has clearly defined parameters and has as its aim, the:

 Discovery or creation of knowledge, or theory building;

 Testing, confirmation, revision, refutation of knowledge and theory; and/or

 Investigation of a problem for local decision making (Hernon 1991, pp. 3-4).

In professional practice in information environments, the most obvious uses of research are for problem solving, for development, evaluation and improvement of services and systems, or to provide information before introducing new systems or services (probably through the assessment of user needs). This should not rule out 'theory building', which provides an important underpinning for all professions. The role of theory will be discussed in Chapter 3.

Research is often described as a linear, organised process. In fact, it is a good idea to realise that usually the process is less under control than the text books indicate. Figure 1.1 (The island of research) is provided with 'tongue in cheek', but contains more than an element of truth! As Marshall and Rossman (1995, p. 15) say: 'real research is often confusing, messy, intensely frustrating, and fundamentally nonlinear'.

Basic versus applied research

There are many ways of categorising and discussing research. As already mentioned, in Chapter 2 we shall explore the two major traditions of research. For now, the discussion concerns the categories of basic and applied research.

Basic research, also referred to as pure, fundamental or theoretical research, is primarily concerned with deriving new knowledge and is only indirectly involved (if at all) with how that knowledge will be applied to specific, practical problems. Basic research tends to focus on theory building and/or hypothesis testing. It extends horizons in a general, fundamental way. (See Box 1.1 for examples of basic research.)

Box 1.1

Examples of basic research

1. A study (Williamson 1995) investigated the information, communication and telecommunications needs of older adults, aged sixty and over, along with the behaviours associated with these. This included a fundamental examination of the ways in which older people communicate: how they establish and maintain relationships which are important to their lives and how they seek and/or acquire information which they need for everyday living. Also included was the involvement of the telephone in information seeking and communication. There was no specific problem to solve, but a wealth of detail, helpful in understanding communication and information-seeking behaviour, emerged from the study. There was also a contribution to the theory of information-seeking and communication behaviours.

2. Another example of basic research is from the information systems field (Paranagama and Burstein 1996). This research established the influence of the personality types of managers. It looked at the ways personality types influenced preferences when managers make decisions with multiple evaluation criteria.

Applied research is concerned with solving specific problems in real life situations. It is much more pragmatic and emphasises information which is immediately usable in the solution of actual problems. It is more likely to be the type of research which is applicable to information environments and in business. In terms of information environments, an example might be the evaluation of whether an innovative system of electronic recordkeeping is meeting the needs of users. In the business environment, an organisation contemplating a paperless office and a networking system for the company's personal computers, may conduct research to learn the amount of time its employees spend at personal computers in an average week (Zikmund 1994, p. 7).

In fact, the distinction between basic and applied research is not clear-cut. Many of the same techniques are used in both. Research can be practical (applied) and still generate new theory and make a contribution to fundamental knowledge. Conversely, the findings of basic or pure research will often have practical applications in the long term. (See Box 1.2 for an example of basic research with 'applied' elements.)

Box 1.2

Example of basic research with 'aplied elements'

Returning to the first research example in Box 1.1 above, it was found that a number of respondents with limited mobility had incorporated some of the rituals of social intercourse into their use of the telephone. In one case, a female respondent who was eighty-three years old and virtually housebound, had daily 'drinks on the phone at 5 o'clock' with an elderly male friend, who was in a nursing home on the other side of Melbourne. In another case, a respondent recorded in her diary that when her cousin, George, rang from England he suggested that next time they talked on the phone they make a cup of tea beforehand and drink it together (Williamson 1995, p. 233). The question which arises from this finding is: what telecommunications equipment will enhance the lives of people in this kind of isolated position? It could be a video phone, for example. This is an example of basic research having practical applications.

In the same research, respondents indicated that...