Research in its simplest form implies repeating a search for something and implicitly assumes that the earlier search was not exhaustive and complete in the sense that there is still scope for improvement. Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge. Research as a word originated from French.It is from the french word “recerchier” meaning to search and search again
Scholars have conceptualised research to mean different things, here is 2 different scholars’ conceptualisation of research. Kerlinger conceptualised research as “Research is a systematic controlled, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among natural phenomena”. While Waltz and Bansell views it has is a systematic, formal, rigorous and precise process employed to gain solutions to problems or to discover and interpret new facts and relationship.
In these 2 conceptualizations, 3 things stand out about research first is that first, it is systematic, followed by the fact that it is rigorous and involves critical investigation and interpretation. and lastly is the end result which is to discover knowledge, gain solution or add to an existing work a new fact.
