The document provides an overview of the research process and defines key concepts. It discusses that research is an organized and systematic way to find answers to questions. The document outlines different types of research including pure basic research, applied research, and action research. It also defines primary and secondary research. Key steps in the research process are identified such as developing a research question, conducting a literature review, and developing a rationale for the study. Methods for conducting research through libraries and online search engines are also reviewed.

1. WHAT IS RESEARCH?
UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS AND FIRST STEPS

2. UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH
• You probably have asked yourself:
• What will I really have to write?
• Don’t I know enough about writing to do a research proposal or paper?
• Isn’t a research paper just a term paper?
• Aren’t all “term papers” the same?
• What is a research ”white paper”?
• What is a research proposal?
• What makes a research proposal acceptable?

3. WHAT IS RESEARCH?
• What research is NOT:
• Merely gathering facts or information
• Moving facts from one situation to another
• An esoteric, non-practical activity
• A way to get a product noticed

4. WHAT IS RESEARCH?
Research IS an ORGANIZED and SYSTEMATIC way of FINDING ANSWERS to
QUESTIONS.
• ORGANIZED in that there is a structure or method in going about doing research. It is a
planned procedure, not a spontaneous one. It is focused and limited to a specific
scope.
• SYSTEMATIC because there is a definite set of procedures and steps which you will
follow. There are certain things in the research process which are always done in order
to get the most accurate results.
• FINDING ANSWERS is the goal of all research. Whether it is the answer to a hypothesis
or even a simple question, research is successful when we find answers. Sometimes
the answer is no, but it is still an answer.
• QUESTIONS are central to research. If there is no question, then the answer is of no
use. Research is focused on relevant, useful, and important questions. Without a
question, research has no focus, drive, or purpose.

5. WHAT IS RESEARCH?
• Gaining experience is an uncontrolled and haphazard activity, while research is
systematic and controlled.
• Reasoning can operate in an abstract world, divorced from reality, while
research is empirical and turns to experience and the world around us for
validation.
• Unlike experience and reason, research aims to be self-correcting. The process
of research involves rigorously testing the results obtained, and methods and
results are open to public scrutiny and criticism.

6. WHAT IS RESEARCH – TYPES OF RESEARCH
There are many types of formalized research:
• Pure Basic Research
• Experimental or theoretical work which is undertaken primarily to acquire new
knowledge without a specific application in view, and is carried out without looking
for long term economic or social benefits other than the advancement of
knowledge. It includes most humanities research.
• Strategic Basic Research
• Experimental or theoretical work which is undertaken primarily to acquire new
knowledge without a specific application in view, and is directed into specific broad
ares in the expectation of useful discoveries. It provides the broad base of
knowledge necessary for the solution of recognized practical problems.

7. WHAT IS RESEARCH – TYPES OF RESEARCH
• Experimental Development
• Systematic work, using existing knowledge gained from research and/or practical experience,
for the purpose of creating new or improved materials, products, devices, processes or
services. In the social sciences, experimental development may be defined as the process of
transferring knowledge gained through research into operational programs.
• Applied Research
• Original work which is undertaken to acquire new knowledge with a specific practical
application in view. Applied research is undertaken to determine possible uses for the
findings of basic research or to determine new methods or ways of achieving some specific
and pre-determined objective.
• Action Research
• Evaluative, investigative and analytical work undertaken to solve a particular problem or
produce guidelines for effective practices. Action research involves actively participating in a
change situation, providing a framework for systematic inquiry into an existing practice.

8. WHAT IS RESEARCH?
• Primary research is when the researcher can collect, analyze and interpret
data by direct, detached observation or measurement of phenomena in the
real world, undisturbed by any intermediary interpreter. The researcher is
answerable for the reliability and authenticity of his/her sources, and must be
able to defend the methodology used.
• Secondary research is when the researcher collects, analyzes and interprets
data that has been subjected to interpretation of another researcher. The
most common form of secondary research is conducted through the review of
writings in books, reports, articles and other publications. Secondary research
is critical in the early stages of research, when you are exploring a subject and
seeking problem areas.

9. WHAT IS RESEARCH – TERMINOLOGY
• Literature Review: The synthesis of resources (in the form of articles, periodicals, books,
newspaper articles and reports) which pertain directly to your research project.
• Methodology: Techniques and practices used in the research process to collect and use
data. These would include the framework and design plan of a research project.
• Qualitative Research: The collection of data or information (by means of open-ended
interviews) that provide a detailed description of a situation, community or problem as
the basis for developing an analysis.
• Quantitative Research: The collection of data information (by means of questionnaires,
structured interview or counting) that provides an account of the size of the situation or
problem, based on numbers or statistics.
• Research Question: A question which summarizes exactly what you want to know and
why you need to know it -- essentially, the purpose of the research project.

10. THE PROCESS OF APPLIED RESEARCH
Observe
environment to
find research
opportunity
Investigate prior
research studies
Examine ethical
issues
Investigate
relevant methods
of evaluation
Investigate and
define research
question
Develop rationale
for research
Gain approval to
continue
Refine research
framework
Select research
methods
Report actions
and results, draw
conclusions,
evaluate
implications
Disseminate results,
recommend changes,
indicate areas for
future research
Carry out primary
research, collect
data, perform
analysis
Gain approval to
continue
Finalize research
design and
instruments
Write research
proposal

11. CRITICAL THINKING DRIVES THE RESEARCH
PROCESS
• Problem Solving
• What problems exist in the
domains of knowledge in
Information Security?
• Are there best practices that
address these problems?
• How do we know how effective
these practices are?
• Making Decisions
• What about these best practices
am I interested in?
• What could be studied to
determine their effectiveness?
• What would deliver the greatest
benefit to knowledge about the
problem?
• Planning Strategically
• Do I have a research strategy?
• Do I know what resources to use?
• Constructing Arguments
• Can I formulate a testable
hypothesis?
• Will my research support this
hypothesis?
• Shifting Perspectives
• What will my analysis of the
results yield about the problem?
• Can I objectively draw conclusions
from my results?
• Will I change my position about
the problem and its solution?

12. FIRST STEPS
• The first steps of the research process:
• Find an interest in a problem area (i.e., a domain of knowledge)
• Narrow the interest to a plausible topic (i.e., a specific best practice
employed within the domain)
• Perform a preliminary literature review (i.e., read articles about the problem
and practice)
• Formulate a research question (i.e., what about the practice can be used to
measure effectiveness)
• Develop a rationale for the research (i.e., why is the problem important to
address, why is it important to measure the effectiveness of the practice, why
is it important to study the specific aspect of the practice?)

13. FIRST STEPS
• Find an interest in a problem area (i.e., a domain of knowledge)
• What area related to your discipline most interests you?
• Narrow the interest to a plausible topic (i.e., a specific best practice
employed within the domain)
• Review practices currently employed in the discipline
• Are you interested in one of these practices?
• Can the practice be expanded upon, validated, or improved through
research?

14. FIRST STEPS
• Perform a preliminary literature review (i.e., read articles about the problem and
practice)
• Summarize the results of previous research to form a foundation on
which to build your own research
• Collect ideas on how to gather data
• Assess the success of the various research designs of the studies already
undertaken
• Determine what you can study that would add to this knowledge

15. FIRST STEPS
• Formulate a research question (i.e., what about the practice can be used to measure
effectiveness)
• The key starting point of applied research is the Research Question
• The research then is designed to answer or address the question
• The research opportunity is derived from problems, opportunities, issues, dilemmas,
ambiguities, etc. in an organization – or in life – that raise questions
• Research questions can be based on your previous experience, something your sponsor or
boss wants investigated, the opinions or advice of experts, reports, current events, the
academic literature, etc.
• Research questions tend to be framed in terms of:
• What is the relationship of “x” to “y”?
• What is the influence of “x” on “y”?
• What is the effectiveness of “x” when applied to “y”?

16. FIRST STEPS
• Develop a rationale for the research (i.e., why is the problem important to address,
why is it important to measure the effectiveness of the practice, why is it important to
study the specific aspect of the practice?)
• To gain approval to move forward with any form of research it is important to
understand why the research is being conducted.
• Remember that applied research has a practical application – so ask yourself
questions like:
• Is money being lost as a result of the problem?
• Are employees unproductive?
• Are processes ineffective or inefficient?
• Can we improve something by knowing the answer to the research question?
• Use these types of answers to justify the need to perform the research – but find
sources to support your answers!

17. REVIEWING THE LITERATURE
• One of the most important tasks that you have to undertake in the early
stages of research is a review of the literature relating to your research
problem.
• Because a huge amount of relevant literature may be available, reviewing this
literature should follow a systematic process.
• Reviewing literature is essential, not only in providing a context for the
research topic and specifically limiting and identifying the research problem,
but also in providing you with important information for subsequent parts of
the research project (e.g., selection of methodology).

18. AN IMPORTANT QUESTION
• Where is the information to be found?
• UWIlinc
• Your public library
• Scholarly Journals
• The Internet
• Published magazines
• The credibility of the information found is another important question
that must be addressed.

19. COMPUTER BASED RESEARCH: UWILINC
• UWIlinc maintains a virtual library that provides access to
resources required for academic research. These
resources are available to students for conducting
secondary research 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Access to UWIlinc is provided through the Student Portal.

20. USING A LOCAL LIBRARY
• Visiting the library is a necessary part of seeking out all relevant sources
• Not all information is available online
• Facilities within most libraries are standard
• Computer access to catalogs and indexes of collections
• Online full-text databases (subscriptions vary among libraries)
• Microform indexes (microfilm or microfiche) for newspapers and periodicals
• Stacks (where the books are)
• Reference room or shelf (usually for use only within the library)
• Main desk (access to the librarian)
• Reserve desk (limited time for access, for use within the library)
• Audiovisual room (cassettes, tapes, CDs, DVDs, picture slides etc)
• Newspaper racks (current periodicals)
• Copy room (photocopy services)
• Computer room (online access – word processing software)
• Carrels (quiet, insulated nook for individual use)

21. USING THE LIBRARY- ORGANIZATION
• The Dewey Decimal System
• Divides all knowledge into ten general categories:
• 000 – 099 General Works
• 100 – 199 Philosophy and Psychology
• 200 – 299 Religion
• 300 – 399 Social Sciences
• 400 – 499 Language
• 500 – 599 Pure Science
• 600 – 699 Technology (Applied Sciences)
• 700 – 799 The Arts
• 800 – 899 Literature
• 900 – 999 History
• Each category is subdivided into ten subcategories, and each subcategory divided into
ten even narrower categories and so on…

22. USING THE LIBRARY – ORGANIZATION
• The Library of Congress Classification System
• Represents the main branches of knowledge with 21 letters of the alphabet
A General Works
B Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C Auxiliary Sciences of History
D History: General and Old World
E – F History of America
G Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H Social Sciences
J Political Science
K Law
L Education
M Music
N Fine Arts
P Language and Literature
Q Science
R Medicine
S Agriculture
T Technology
U Military Science
V Naval Science
Z Bibliography, Library Science,
Information Resources

23. COMPUTER BASED RESEARCH: SEARCH ENGINES
• Researching with search engines (Google Scholar):
• Use boolean search techniques to refine the results (and, or, not)
• Assess the source URL for credibility
• Consider the credentials of the author
• Understand the purpose of the site
• Consider the context of the site and the article
• Evaluate the level of writing and presentation of material
• Look for evidentiary support and reliability of sources