What is Research ?

1
What is Research ?

• The best way to learn economics is not to hear
  about it, or read about it, but to do it. Doing
  economics means performing economic research.
• Steven A. Greenlaw, Doing Economics A Guide to
  Understand and Carrying Out Economic Research, p.
  1.

2
What is Research ?

• Research is the search for or creation of (valid)
  knowledge.
• Knowledge is what is believed to be true about
  something, what is believed to be a correct
  understanding of something.
• Facts are just data. Knowledge is an experts
  best interpretation of facts.

3
What is Research ?

• Facts are discovered knowledge, as an
  interpretation, is created.
• Ethridge (1995) defines research as the
  systematic approach to obtaining new and reliable
  knowledge (p. 16).
• Ethridge (1995) notes that critical thinking is
  an essential element for research.

4
Critical Thinking

• Missimer (1995) defines critical thinking as the
  evaluation of competing arguments on the basis of
  their evidence.
• Bean (1995), a nationally known scholar of
  critical thinking, points out that most
  undergraduates do not really understand how to
  write a discipline-specific research paper.

5
Critical Thinking

• Everyone thinks it is our nature to do so.
  But much of our thinking, left to itself, is
  biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or
  down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our
  life and that of what we produce, make, or build
  depends precisely on the quality of our thought.
  Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in
  quality of life. Excellence in thought, however,
  must be systematically cultivated.
• Source The Foundation for Critical Thinking

6
Critical Thinking

• A Definition
• Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and
  evaluating thinking with a view to improving it.
• Source The Foundation for Critical Thinking

7
Requirements for Critical Thinking

• Raise vital questions and problems, formulating
  them clearly and precisely
• Gather and assess relevant information, using
  abstract ideas to interpret it effectively
• Come to well-reasoned conclusions, testing them
  against relevant criteria and standards
• Think open-mindedly within alternative systems of
  thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be,
  their assumptions, implications, and practical
  consequences and
• Communicate effectively with others in figuring
  out solutions to complex problems.

8
Critical Thinking

• Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed,
  self-disciplined, self-monitored, and
  self-corrective thinking. It requires rigorous
  standards of excellence and mindful command of
  their use. It entails effective communication
  and problem solving abilities and a commitment to
  overcome our native egocentrism and
  sociocentrism.
• Source The Foundation for Critical Thinking

9
Types of Research

• Ethridg (1995) distinguishes between two types
  of research
• Discovery formulating, finding, and creating new
  knowledge or information and
• Confirmation discerning the validity or
  reliability of knowledge or information.