Research

Research can be defined as the search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation,
with an open mind, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or
develop new theories, usually using a scientific method. The primary purpose for basic research
(as opposed to applied research) is discovering, interpreting, and the development of methods
and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of
our world and the universe.
Scientific research relies on the application of the scientific method, a harnessing of curiosity.
This research provides scientific information and theories for the explanation of the nature and
the properties of the world around us. It makes practical applications possible. Scientific research
is funded by public authorities, by charitable organizations and by private groups, including
many companies. Scientific research can be subdivided into different classifications according to
their academic and application disciplines.
Artistic research, also seen as 'practice-based research', can take form when creative works are
considered both the research and the object of research itself. It is the debatable body of thought
which offers an alternative to purely scientific methods in research in its search for knowledge
and truth.
Historical research is embodied in the historical method.
The phrase my research is also used loosely to describe a person's entire collection of
information about a particular subject.
OBJECTIVES:
Aim
To identify, describe and produce an analysis of the interacting factors which influence the
learning choices of adult returners, and to develop associated theory.
Objectives
The research seeks to determine:
1. The nature, extent and effect of psychological influences on choices, including a desire to
achieve personal goals or meet individual needs.
2. The nature, extent and effect of sociological influences on choices, including
background, personal and social expectations, previous educational experience and social
role.
3. The nature and influence of individual perceptions of courses, institutions and subject,
and how these relate to self-perception and concept of self.
4. The influence on choice of a number of variables such as age, gender, ethnicity and
social class.
5. The role and possible influence of significant others on choice, such as advice and
guidance workers, peers, relatives and employers.
6. The nature and extent of possible influences on choice of available provision,
institutional advertising and marketing.
7. The nature and extent of possible influences on choice of mode of study, teaching
methods and type of course.
8. How and to what extent influencing factors change as adults re-enter and progress
through their chosen route.
The objectives of research

There are 5 general objectives that research - in general and more specifically about processes -
may attempt to achieve. They are [Kendall OrdKendall Ord1990]:
1. description
2. explanation
3. forecasting
4. control
5. modelling
These objectives are not completely independent from each other, for the explanation of a
phenomenon relies in part on its description, its forecast requires a detailed explanation, and so
on. But researchers may concentrate on one or the other aspect. Most important, the objective
pursued will affect the tools and techniques employed for the analyses.
The two most frequent objectives are description and explanation. Description is most often an
exploratory phase undertaken using graphical representations and statistical measures that are not
inferential, while explanation involves precise hypotheses to be confronted and employs
inferential statistical tests.
Modelling is the latest, broadest objective [BosselBossel1994]. It requires that the descriptive

and explanatory phases brought sufficient information and knowledge about the system, so to
build a model that synthetically gathers the various variables in a coherent and parsimonious
way.
Control is an objective rarely set in psychological research (for it brings important ethical
considerations), and forecasting is just a little more frequent. We will not address these two
objectives in this work.
The Five Research Methods Lab

After completing the Research Methods Lab, you will be able to:
 Differentiate the five basic research methods.
 Identify the strengths of each method.
 Identify the limitations of each method.

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Research can be defined as the search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation,

Historical research is embodied in the historical method.

The research seeks to determine:

The objectives of research

Modelling is the latest, broadest objective [BosselBossel1994]. It requires that the descriptive

The Five Research Methods Lab

 Differentiate the five basic research methods.

 Identify the strengths of each method.

 Identify the limitations of each method.

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