Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humanity and culture. It involves a careful investigation of existing ideas, theories, and methods, and is characterized by a strong attention to the control of biases.
Often, a subject area is chosen for study because it represents an area of curiosity or opportunity. Then a literature review is conducted to identify gaps in current knowledge, which then engenders a research question or hypothesis. During the data collection phase, researchers gather information that supports or refutes the hypothesis and use this information to draw conclusions. Finally, the researcher(s) share their results and discuss avenues for future research.
For example, scientists conducting lab experiments with viruses like COVID-19 or Ebola follow strict protocols to ensure their safety and the integrity of their work. This type of research is considered basic, and it can lead to unexpected discoveries that have real-world applications.
When a scientist publishes the results of their research, it becomes part of the scientific record and is indefinitely available for anyone to access. This is why it’s so important for researchers to follow ethical standards when reporting their findings. Research articles are the ultimate product of a scientific study and usually consist of an abstract, introduction, materials and methods section, results, discussion, and references sections. Many also include a supplemental materials section. There are a number of strategies for writing these sections to best convey the research to the reader.