Sunday, September 13, 2009

RESEARCH and ME

A statement caught my attention while searching over the Internet. It says that sometimes finding a research problem is harder than finding a solution to the problem. To a certain extent, I was convinced but it did not stop me from get going.

As what Albert Einstein has said, “The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution which maybe merely a matter of skills.” I do agree because formulating a problem is not just formulating a problem and that is it, and not just because we are obliged to. It is very important that the research study should benefit not only the researcher but the others as well. If it is a replication of the previous study, it is also important to have some improvements with the results and solutions.

The research problem has also been considered as fuel that drives the research process simply because once the problem is formulated and approved, one can start working on it. However, the problem should be of the researcher’s interest so that he can easily work on it with all his heart. Also, the researcher will never get tired easily and gives up immediately. Nothing is impossible as long as the researcher is enthusiastic, optimistic, and is determined.

Research demands patience and perseverance from the researcher to finish the study and to succeed in the implementation no matter how many times of repetition the researcher would make. Just like in real life, one should be patient enough, should persevere and strive to achieve his goals.

To come up with a well written and a good research work, the researcher should have enough resources to provide him more information. He should think also if the research problem could be answered with scientific inquiry, if there are irresolvable ethical problems, or if the problem is theoretically or practically important. Research is not about making fiction out of fact.

Research, from the word itself means to investigate or study. If one particular problem exists, it can be resolved by way of research. For example, medical researchers are still working or studying to cure cancer illnesses. The researchers are studying the existing data and information related to their study and they are expecting to come up with a treatment. Researches are done to identify the cause of the problem, resolve the problem, and improve the solution to the problem.

To come up with a good idea, what I did is I surfed the Net, read magazines, and even on my way to school and way back, I tried to look around and kept on thinking for a possible research problem. Fortunately, one of my teammates told us her idea and presented it to the class. On that very day, we were very happy because the topic has been approved. The theme is all about green computing which has been very controversial up to now. What we are going to do is to develop a mobile application that has the following features: it alarms when the battery is full charged, and can send message to other number stored on the device that notifies the user. Through this project, we can reduce the energy consumption and reduce energy waste. It also prevents the battery from being damaged and from exploding when overly charged and can prevent fire caused by short circuit.

As what I have said, green computing issues have been very controversial and many IT professionals have been talking about these. As we noticed, the climate changes very often. We feel the extreme heat especially when we are under the sun then suddenly raindrops fall. This is because the ozone layer that protects the earth from the sun’s heat is being destroyed more gradually. From its thick layer, it becomes thinner. Computers and other computing technologies contributed most of the carbon dioxide (CO2). Plants and trees use CO2 in order to grow, however, because of its diminishing number due to construction of houses and buildings, the excessive amount of CO2 can hardly be reduced. Computing technologies also emit radiation and utilize more of the energy. That is why researches and inventions are made (e.g. CO2 calculator, energy regulator, and many others) to resolve these problems.

It is true that the research topic that we have chosen and the problem we have formulated will somehow reflects our personality and determines the amount of knowledge we have about it. It will also determine how we are as a student, as an IT student, as member of the community, as a human, and how we care for the environment or it simply answers the question, “Do we really care for the environment?” In addition, it will test how we are as analyzers in a situation that needs critical analysis, our wit based on the strategies and initiatives we make, and how we deal with the problems.

Everything that surrounds us is something that can be applied or has something to do with research. From the food that we eat, the clothes we wear, to the cosmetics and detergents that we use and even business strategies and methods, from advertisements to commercials, and many others. Research has something to do with Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and other Science related subjects, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, Accounting and other subjects that are related to Mathematics, even English and all other subjects.

With regard to what research as a whole can do to me, even in finding a research problem, just like the things that I did, it made me see things I have not seen before, things that are new to me and things that I am not totally acquainted with. I learned a lot just looking for a problem and I know I will learn more.

Just like in real life, you have to identify what really is the problem and what are the causes of the problem. You must analyze the problem. And if the problem is very big, you can divide the problem into sub-problems However, sub-problems should be small in number and should be further delineated in order to make it easier to analyze and understand. After the problem is identified as well as the causes of the problem, it is now time to find ways on how to resolve the problem and what are the things needed to resolve the said problem.

I have been talking about problems and resolving the problems but that is Research all about. As stated, the research problem is the heart of the research process. Research can’t exist without problems just like us who can’t live without our heart. If we are all satisfied with what we are now and what we do have now, meaning there are no problems, there is nothing to improve and no inventions to create.

In a Research study, after defining the problem is the gathering and analyzing the data. There is a need for me to gather information, to learn more, to gain knowledge so that I can be able to achieve my goals in life. The information that I gained and the knowledge that I learned will be used for me to be able to resolve the problems and to resolve these problems easily and immediately.

There is also a great opportunity to well written and good research projects when acknowledged. Not only because researchers are acknowledged as well as the researches that they have made, big companies may get interested with their works and would like to buy the invention that the researcher has made or may get interested to the researcher and would like to have the researcher to work in their company.

There are really so many advantages when a research work is well written and when it is good. You are paid, you and your research are known not only locally but internationally as well. People will admire you for doing such thing and they will be encouraged also to do the same thing and to work even better. You are not only helping yourself, you are also helping the other people to make their lives easier and for saving the environment as well. That is why we are also encouraged and motivated by our professor to really work on our research projects and to work it well and even told us not to stop after submitting the papers. We are always reminded that we should not think of working the project just to be able to submit sheets of paper and just for the sake of passing the subject. This is all for us, for us to learn and gain.

This research thing will help me decide my future on what are the things that I like to happen, what I want to be and how to do it. It will also help me determine the field of my interest and as what my other classmate has said that it builds up interest in a particular field, which can then be my field of expertise. It also helps me build my personality even better.

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