What is Research and How Does it Relate to Cooking?

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The discussion centers around defining "research," with an emphasis on its context-dependent nature. It begins with a comparison of research to cooking, highlighting the precision involved in both. A definition from Google describes research as a systematic investigation to establish facts and reach new conclusions. The conversation notes that perceptions of what constitutes research can vary, particularly between replicating recent versus historical studies, suggesting that contemporary work is often more readily accepted as research. The dialogue also touches on the distinction between various fields labeled as "science," such as information science and political science, implying that if a discipline requires the term "science" in its name, it may not meet traditional scientific criteria. The discussion concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding what research means, especially for students who have not yet engaged in research activities.
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My second attempt.

Somebody asked, "What is Research"?
Would someone here with physical science Phd tell the meaning of "Research"? My own way to give a meaning is to compare with cooking food; but that it is just far more precise.

I used copy&paste to put in the title.
 
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symbolipoint said:
Somebody asked, "What is Research"?
Research is only a word, its meaning is context dependent.
Who asked, where?
 
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I predict this will come down to "I know it when I see it".

If I took the latest issue of PRL and attempted to replicate all the results, people would call this "research". If I took an issue from 50 years ago and did the same thing, people wouldn't.

So there is a line, and I am sure different people draw it in different places.
 
That's why it is much better to be a social scientist. You can attempt to replicate any result from yesterday to 100 years ago, get the opposite result, and get it published. Et voila, research!
 
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The reason for the question and suggestion some members try to give an answer is because, some students, maybe many students, who are interested in a science would have some courses, do some laboratory exercises, but never yet participated in research; so telling them what is research and what Research means could be helpful. I myself was that way.
 
Haborix said:
it is much better to be a social scientist.
If you have to call it "science" it probably isn't.
  • Information science
  • Political science.
  • Library science.
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
If you have to call it "science" it probably isn't.
  • Information science
  • Political science.
  • Library science.
That is a very good point. Those could be called "strategies".

But better, Information management is a strategy or set of strategies; Library or Collections management is a strategy or a set of strategies; but Political Science really is a social science.

Computer Science seemed to be called "Data Processing", some decades ago.
 
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My own fault starting a drift. Back to What is Research.
 

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