Role of Research in Understanding Society | Essay

Running head: ROLE OF RESEARCH IN UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY
Role of Research in Understanding Society
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ROLE OF RESEARCH IN UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY1
The purpose of this essay is to identify the role and importance of research in
understanding the human society. Research satisfies human curiosity. Since the dawn of human
civilization, curiosity has propelled human society forward. It is the wonder of the world and the
appetite for understanding the unknown that have always driven mankind to move forward and
achieve the flourish that we have attained till date. Without research, the progress of human
society would have been stopped short. And life would never be the same as we know it, and as
such, it encompasses every aspect of human life. To this end, the present essay will try to explore
the meaning of research, and how does it impact human understanding of the society and its
processes. In this regard, it is also essential to understand the processes and methods used in
research. Hence, after discussing about the meaning, nature and importance of research in
studying the nuances of the society in brief, the essay will further proceed to explore the various
research methods and techniques, and review the particular research methods that are used in the
study of human society. Also, it will try to estimate the ethical considerations and their
significance as embedded in research.
John W Creswell defines research as “a process of steps used to collect and analyze
information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue" (Creswell and Poth 2016). The
Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines research in an more elaborate manner, describing it
as "studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation aimed at the
discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new
facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws". From these definitions, it
is evident that research, in its widest sense, is a process of rational enquiry undertaken to increase
and refine the entire stock of human knowledge, including the natural processes, society and
culture, and thereafter developing novel techniques of application based on the newly acquired

ROLE OF RESEARCH IN UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY2
knowledge. At a fundamental level, research includes three basic steps, namely i) identification
of a problem, ii) collection of data to examine the research question and iii) arrival at a
conclusion that comprehensively answers thee research question. In the contemporary field of
academia, research is used to examine novel problems as well as to expand the knowledge of
past works conducted in a particular field. It has, therefore, both theoretical and pragmatic
values, which in entirety contributes to the satisfaction of rational inquiry (Rwegoshora 2016).
In the light of fulfilling the goals of rational enquiry, it can be stated that the importance
of academic research can be demonstrated in a threefold way. First, research enhances the stock
of human knowledge by adding new information and understandings. Second, research advances
practice by developing new strategies and techniques to implement theoretical knowledge into
pragmatic usage, and finally, research is also significant in policy debates, as it informs the
policy makers to identify the gaps and drawbacks of existing policies, as well as facilitates them
to examine the effectiveness of the proposed policies for their future implementations (Gorard
2017). Research is not only instrumental in the field of science and technology, but it has led
human beings to understand the society itself. It helps us understand the social and cultural
phenomena, and their role in human life. Research also enables us to explore new ideas
regarding the human society, which in turn facilitates the understanding of human experiences,
values, norms, customs and the functioning of human society (Rwegoshora 2016).
The particular procedures and techniques of research vary from discipline to discipline.
However, the major research methods, as used in academic research is threefold, namely
qualitative, quantitative and mixed method. Researchers choose the specific empirical design
according the nature and aim of their research. Quantitative research methods involve the
systematic empirical investigation of quantitative research phenomena and their relationships, by