Editing Research (section)

=== Scientific research ===
{{Main|Scientific method}}
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[[File:Microscopy lab.jpg|thumb|Primary scientific research being carried out at the Microscopy Laboratory at the [[Idaho National Laboratory]]]]
[[File:Alcator C-Mod.jpg|thumb|Scientific research equipment at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]]]]
[[File:RV Sonne 2014 1.jpg|thumb|The German maritime [[research vessel]] [[RV Sonne (2014)|''Sonne'']]]]
[[Scientific research]] is a systematic way of gathering data and harnessing [[curiosity]].{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} This research provides [[science|scientific]] information and theories for the explanation of [[Nature (philosophy)|the nature]] and [[Property (philosophy)|the properties]] of the world. It makes practical applications possible. Scientific research may be funded by public authorities, charitable organizations, and private organizations. Scientific research can be subdivided by [[Academic discipline|discipline]].

Generally, research is understood to follow a certain structural [[Process (science)|process]]. Though the order may vary depending on the subject matter and researcher, the following steps are usually part of most formal research, both basic and applied:
# [[Scientific method#Elements of the scientific method|Observations and formation of the topic]]: Consists of the subject area of one's interest and following that subject area to conduct subject-related research. The subject area should not be randomly chosen since it requires reading a vast amount of literature on the topic to determine the gap in the literature the researcher intends to narrow. A keen interest in the chosen subject area is advisable. The research will have to be justified by linking its importance to already existing knowledge about the topic.
# [[Hypothesis]]: A testable prediction which designates the relationship between two or more variables.
# [[Conceptual definition]]: Description of a concept by relating it to other concepts.
# [[Operational definition]]: Details in regards to defining the variables and how they will be measured/assessed in the study.
# [[Data collection|Gathering of data]]: Consists of identifying a population and selecting samples, gathering information from or about these samples by using specific research instruments. The instruments used for data collection must be valid and reliable.
# [[Data analysis|Analysis of data]]: Involves breaking down the individual pieces of data to draw conclusions about it.
# [[Data Interpretation]]: This can be represented through tables, figures, and pictures, and then described in words.
# [[Scientific method#Evaluation and improvement|Test, revising of hypothesis]]
# [[Scientific method#Elements of the scientific method|Conclusion, reiteration if necessary]]

A common misconception is that a hypothesis will be proven (see, rather, [[null hypothesis]]). Generally, a hypothesis is used to make predictions that can be tested by observing the outcome of an experiment. If the outcome is inconsistent with the hypothesis, then the hypothesis is rejected (see [[falsifiability]]). However, if the outcome is consistent with the hypothesis, the experiment is said to support the hypothesis. This careful language is used because researchers recognize that alternative hypotheses may also be consistent with the observations. In this sense, a hypothesis can never be proven, but rather only supported by surviving rounds of scientific testing and, eventually, becoming widely thought of as true.

A useful hypothesis allows prediction and within the accuracy of observation of the time, the prediction will be verified. As the accuracy of observation improves with time, the hypothesis may no longer provide an accurate prediction. In this case, a new hypothesis will arise to challenge the old, and to the extent that the new hypothesis makes more accurate predictions than the old, the new will supplant it. Researchers can also use a null hypothesis, which states no relationship or difference between the independent or dependent variables.