Design: Team Nebula
Imagine this: You wake up one morning, still drowsy, and instinctively reach for your phone on the nightstand to check the time—only to come up empty-handed. As confusion sets in, a startling realization hits—you’re not in your bed at all. Instead, you’re lying on the cold, hard ground. And to make matters worse, you’re not even inside your house but out in the open, beneath the vast sky. Sounds unbelievable, right? But for our ancestors, this was once a reality.
Everything we rely on today—our smartphones, nightstands, even our beds—is the result of invention. And every invention begins with a question. The very foundation of human civilization was laid with the discovery of fire, transpired from the curiosity of what would happen if two stones were rubbed together. While necessity is considered as the mother of invention, I believe the role of human curiosity in driving innovation cannot be denied. Curiosity sparks questions, and humans seek answers. And the pursuit of those answers? That’s research.
So, what exactly is “research”? According to The Concise Oxford Dictionary, research is—
an endeavor to discover new or collate old facts, etc., by the scientific study of a subject or by a course of critical investigation.
In simpler terms, research is a systematic approach to generating new knowledge or refining existing ideas through investigation.
When we think of "research," automatically a picture of laboratory filled with test tubes, microscopes, and scientists in white lab coats comes to our mind. While this is a well-known representation of scientific research—research extends far beyond the confines of a lab. It encompasses historical analysis, economic forecasting, and even surveys on consumer behavior that we can see in the fields of social sciences and humanities.
Despite the differences of fields, all research ultimately serves the same purpose: to expand knowledge and uncover new ideas. Every meaningful research project begins with a question that lacks a clear answer, though the nature of these questions varies by discipline.
Research is closely interlinked with the scientific method. It can be considered a systematic cycle of inquiry and discovery. It initiates with a question and through various observations it leads to the formulation of hypotheses. Researchers then conduct experiments or investigations to gather data, analyze findings, and draw conclusions. The final step involves sharing results with the academic community, fostering peer review, discussion, and new avenues of exploration. This ongoing process fuels innovation and drives progress across all fields of knowledge.
If you have a passion for expanding knowledge or possess a deep curiosity to discover the unknown, research is the way for you. There are numerous ways to get involved in research, the most prominent one being through pursuing higher education, getting an advanced degree like a PhD. However, research isn’t confined to academia—anyone can contribute by participating in surveys, assisting with data collection, or working alongside research teams. Moreover, research provides a platform to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues, from conserving endangered species to addressing public health crises, ultimately contributing to public welfare.
Now comes the burning question—considering the socioeconomic condition of our country, can research be pursued sitting here in Bangladesh? The answer is a resounding yes. You can begin by exploring relevant research papers on platforms like Google Scholar. On top of that, opportunities to connect with fellow researchers or apply for research grants are now more accessible than ever, often from the comfort of your home.
In today’s world, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of research has never been clearer. Imagine if scientists hadn’t developed a vaccine—how different would our reality be? Also, beyond medicine, imagine the constant evolution of economics, how the modern world has tackled dire situations like Great Depression, how we can now explain the changing social dynamics with ease and how human beings invariably changes their political views or philosophy.
All such discoveries has been made possible by virtue of research. Throughout history, research has been the driving force behind progress, shaping the world as we know it. So, what’s stopping you from unveiling the unknown and pursuing your own research?
Reference
- QRSchool. (2020, October 28). What is Research? In Youtube.