Journal of Research and Development
Open Access

Importance and Applications of Applied Research

Orson Delgado^{* *}Correspondence: Orson Delgado, Department of Industrial Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran, Email:

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Description

Research focuses on methodically gathering and analyzing data to assist in resolving issues that are important to us. Basic Research Methods looks at research in the sense of gathering your own original data and analyzing the information collected thoroughly and methodically. Data does not necessarily mean numbers; words are data as well. This book is for beginners in social science research and frequently refers to reading books or searching the Internet as research, but for research purposes, these activities are only part of the job at hand. What the subject areas do share is an interest in real-world problems involving people, either directly or indirectly. As scientists, people typically use some form of data to study these problems, and we also expose our thinking to careful intellectual analysis because social scientists have a wide variety of perspectives. Attempts to develop theories that integrate all these subject areas have not been successful.

The approach used in this book is primarily philosophical pragmatism, the value of research methodologies lies in their usefulness in engaging with the real world. The book synthesizes various methods from the perspective of their usefulness in addressing research problems. Pragmatism places primary emphasis on objectives and what is useful in achieving them.

The book will only introduce the main schools of methodology; the key concepts presented aim to give an understanding of why we do certain things in research. At this point, four terms need to be clarified so that their usage is clear in the organization of the book. The first is research methodology, which refers to the broader principles of research underscored by philosophical justifications. Observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and data analysis and are specific methods for gathering and analyzing data, the fourth concept is research tools, which are things that are used in research, such computers, the internet, and libraries. Your intellectual abilities are also a research tool, so learning about research should help you get better at them.

In this chapter, we will go right into research projects and how they are carried out, as opposed to starting with a theoretical review of research.

Consider the pure, applied, policy, and action research categories. Take into account the problem, data collecting, data analysis, and action phases of the study cycle. Give some instances of the research projects that will appear repeatedly in the book. Take into account the four accuracy-related concerns of relevance, validity, reliability, and generalizability.

The focus of applied research is on areas that have the potential for practical application; it frequently starts with scientific curiosity but is not planned with a specific way of putting the findings into practice; the researcher is interested in understanding how things work and wants the results to be used, but does not intend to get involved in the implementation process; occasionally, the interest is purely technical for inventors; other researchers have a social orientation; For instance, a project might look into how the community perceives banks in order to determine how banking could more effectively meet community needs. However, the researcher may not be aware of whether certain banks or government regulation would be the best means of implementing the findings, so they face the challenge of "selling" the findings to the implementer.

Governmental authorities may have a policy of reducing crime and want to know if the policy is having an effect. They may want to know if crime victimization levels are changing and, if so, whether property crime, for example, is changing more than violent crime. Frequently, policy research is commissioned from consultants, who are given the terms of reference.

Action research focuses on modifying specific processes to get immediate gains. A company might review some of its systems and procedures to make them more efficient, or review its staffing arrangements, for example. Action research is quite common, especially to evaluate the success or failure of new projects. Teachers in a school might decide to compare test results from different classes to see if differences follow from using a new textbook so that the school can decide whether all the teachers should use the book. Science can benefit from each of the four forms of study.

The underlying dimension has to do with practical action; pure research aims to develop theory, whereas action research does not; properly conducted, all four use scientific theory to improve their quality; the difference is that pure research is primarily concerned with developing theory as an end in itself, whereas action research is only concerned with theories that will help improve practical action. The research methods and techniques presented in this book can be used with any of the four types of research.

One of the underlying themes of this book is the encouragement of disciplined but non-disciplinary research, as shown by the research projects. The crime victimization surveys in Bougainville serve as an example of some of these competing factors that are present in all research. The usefulness of the research to the intended audience determines the relevance of data collection.

The surveys had to be representative population samples, not case studies or focus groups, because the credibility of the surveys for these clients depended on providing such information. The trade-off was between relevance to the decision makers and validity for other stakeholders. High level law and justice sector decision makers commissioned the crime surveys. They wanted independent, objective, factual data about crime victimization levels and public perceptions of crime.

Sufficient information for social workers

Validity is the ability to determine whether the data being collected is accurate and measuring what we believe it to be measuring. For instance, will we learn the truth if we ask for information regarding specific forms of violence against women? While crime surveys used same-gender interviews, in-depth interviews over extended periods were necessary to gain a more detailed understanding of victims' experiences. We did not have the time, nor did we have the resources, to conduct these interviews. As a result, surveys using a questionnaire are likely to fail to overcome the barriers that victims have about discussing very personal events. They might not tell the truth because they are too embarrassed to talk about sexual assault, for example, especially if men interview women, as a result, the surveys were unable to obtain accurate information about specific types of crime due to the necessity for planning data regarding general patterns.