The Importance of Doing Research

Last Updated on July 24, 2023

In the academic field, the higher the level of education, the higher the need to do research. Research is one of the requirements to complete higher education levels, such as masters and doctorates. Moreover, commonly, a company, organization, or manufacturer also has a department of research and development ​[1]​. So, what is the importance of doing research?

The purposes of research

Basically, whatever our research type (pure or applied research); there is only one goal, which is to solve a problem.

Every problem we face, we don’t necessarily solve it by trying all possibilities or what we know as brute force ​[2]​. The more complex the problem, the more ways we need to try to find the best solution. However, it is very inefficient because each trial will cost time, energy, and money.

Meanwhile, the internet is usually very helpful in finding information. This allows us to get common solutions to a particular problem, just by searching through the help of a search engine. However, with a large amount of information, it often takes us a very long time to find accurate information. In fact, the more complex the problem, the less likely we found the solution on the internet. In addition, political elements, conflicts of interest, and other factors sometimes create information bias that we cannot rely on. ​[3]​

Therefore, doing research is very important to find the best solution to solve a problem ​[1]​. Let’s say you want to prove or test something, which means there’s a problem that makes you “doubt” it. You want to develop something, which means there is a problem with the “effectiveness” and “efficiency” of the existing technology. Based on that statement, if there are no problems we need to solve, we cannot perform so-called “research.”

Research process

The research process should be carried out systematically and planned. We can plan the stages of the process according to the organization or our own requirements. Commonly, the process goes through several stages:

1. Problem analysis: In this initial stage, we need to know the problem. Basically, we need to carefully analyze and understand the problem. So, we could suggest a good solution to solve that problem later. However, we should limit the scope of the problem, so that we can solve it fast and easily.
2. Literature study: We need to get information about the latest technology and solutions that may fit with our problem. Furthermore, we can use this information as a guide to determine and plan our method.
3. Data collection and analysis: Most research requires supporting data. Therefore, commonly, we need to collect and analyze particular data to obtain certain information.
4. Conducting experiments: Sometimes, experiments are needed when there is not enough information that provides any benefit. In this case, a good experiment generally provides more meaningful information.
5. Summarizing the findings: The findings from data analysis and experiments are sometimes overwhelming. Therefore, although it may take some time, we need to analyze and conclude the findings.
6. Documentation and reporting: At the end of the research, we need to document the entire process and the results. Then, if required, we can report it to our institution and/or the research funders. Sometimes, this documentation is very useful for future research. Therefore, we can also publish the documentation in the form of a journal article, book, patent, or other publication forms.

Benefits of research

Research is not only useful for problem-solving, but also possess many other benefits such as:

• Develop analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills. Generally, in every research, researchers will gain new knowledge and experience in each analysis process. In addition, researchers will gradually find it easier to think critically. ​[4]​
• Network with experts and professionals. Every field of science generally has a community that may contain experts and professionals in that field. Therefore, if we conduct research, there is a possibility that we can collaborate with them. In fact, it is not uncommon for a study to be carried out by several experts in different fields of science. ​[5]​
• Increase the knowledge and new perspectives. Any research results which have been published, will contribute to the addition of the latest scientific knowledge ​[6]​. Sometimes, the results of a study may provide new perspectives in solving old problems ​[7]​.
• Change the way we live. Research in any field can add insights that change the way we live. Generally this leads to the development of new technologies. ​[3]​
• Inspiring Innovation. A lot of research is conducted in collaboration between academia and industry. Generally, this may result in the latest innovations, ideas, or technologies, that are very useful in improving industrial performance.​[8]​

Meanwhile, there are many other benefits that may not be covered in this article. However, any research carried out properly and ethically always gives a positive impact on individuals, society, industry, and/or organizations.

Sources of research funding

Research may require a large amount of funds. The need for supporting equipment, accommodation, transportation, surveys, data purchases, to publication costs, are highly dependent on the available funds. However, there are various sources of funds or grant that we can choose and use to conduct research.

a. Government in your country

Mostly, each country has a department of research or education. This department usually provides research grants. So, you could find and submit research proposal to the government in your own country. For example, in Indonesia, there are several government institutions that provide research grant, such as:

• Ministry of Research and Technology / National Research and Innovation Agency Republic Of Indonesia: https://international.brin.go.id/
• Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP – Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan): https://lpdp.kemenkeu.go.id/
• The Indonesian Science Fund (Dana Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia, DIPI): https://www.dipi.id/

However, the budget for this national research fund is public money, for which the responsibility for its use is enormous. Therefore, as a form of supervision in the use of these funds, the Audit Board of that country will conduct an audit on any research that uses the government budget.

b. Companies or organization

Research is crucial in the industrial world to make them survive in global competition. Therefore, most large companies or organizations have a research and development department. They use their own operational funds to conduct research in solving their problems. Sometimes, the company or organization also provides research grants to the general public. In this case, generally the proposal can be submitted through the institution. However, it is not uncommon for a team without an institution to submit a proposal to conduct a research. However, before submitting a research proposal, we need to read the terms and conditions of a research grant carefully.

Research grants from companies are generally not as much as research grants from the government. In addition, these research grants generally only apply to research that fits the scope defined by the company or organization.

If you want to submit a research proposal to a company or organization (or foreign government), you can browse for more information from the following links:

• Indonesia Toray Science Foundation, Indonesia: http://www.itsf.or.id/
• Nutrifood, Indonesia: https://www.nutrifood.co.id/
• The Spencer Foundation, US: https://www.spencer.org/
• National Science Foundation, US: https://www.nsf.gov/
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan: https://www.jsps.go.jp/
• Kurita Water and Environment Foundation, Japan: http://www.kwef.or.jp/
• The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), France: https://www.hfsp.org/
• National Research Foundation, South Africa: https://www.nrf.ac.za/
• Merck KGaA, Germany: https://www.merckgroup.com/en.html
• Medical Research Council (MRC), UK: https://mrc.ukri.org/
• International Centre For Genetic Engineering And Biotechnology, United Nations: https://www.icgeb.org/
• The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), United Nations: https://twas.org/

Meanwhile, there are many other options that you can find on the internet through search engines.

c. Personal funds

Research doesn’t always cost thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Because, it is also possible that someone will do it just out of curiosity or to solve small problems in their daily lives. In this case, we can also use our personal funds for our own research requirements. However, we need to plan various expenditures, so that the available funds are sufficient for all research requirements.

Conclusion

Conducting research is important to solve a problem. If we look further, after solving that particular problem, there are many positive impacts that arise from the results of a research. So, if we have a complex problem, maybe we can start doing research to find the best solution; which can also have other positive impacts on ourselves, as well as on others. On the other hand, there are many researchers and experts who also contribute a lot to science from the results of their research. Indirectly, we can feel its benefits and change the way we live.

Referensi

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