What Is Research
...confidence, these referencing many different themes and schemes as well as common assumptions. Given the large amount of material accessible to the notionally non-confluent realms of academia (obscure/elitist agendas-not useful for society in general), business (research for commercial purposes) and entertainment (research for mass-media utility) in this the Information Age, it is perhaps not surprising that the process or methodology of research is more in need of evaluation and (re?) re-definition than in times past. The role of the human agent in the academic practice of cogent and coherent knowledge-generation must be well understood by the protagonist if they are to attempt veracious research worthy of constructive peer review and of being recognized as a valid contributor to the sum of human sagacity and intellectual capacity. Although a completely thoroughgoing analysis and commentary on the problems of self-referencing phenomenology/consciousness-perceptive categorisation (the concept and actuality of ‘pure' or academic/unbiased information gathering being fallacious) is without the scope of this paper, a survey of definitions, models and practical encounters will lead to a clearer understanding of the issues involved in conducting research and will allow the Author to outline his own imperfect theory of what research involves (I think it a safe assumption, if unromantic aim, that any research project or definition thereof is likely to be contingent on some level.)
1. Introduction
1.1 Definitions
Dictionary.com defines research as being:
A: Scholarly or scientific investigation or inquiry.
B: Close, careful study.
C: To study something thoroughly so as to present in a detailed, accurate manner.
D: To search again, to examine anew.
E: Diligent inquiry or examination in seeking facts or principles; laborious or continued search...
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