Previous Research Experience Essay

Research can be said to be the systematic discovery of knowledge. According to Davitz (1985), â€Å"Research as an activity is vital in society because of the ever increasing problems, opportunities and challenges that people face in day to day life. † Also, the need to generate new knowledge, explore new opportunities and the general curiosity motivate people to carry out research. Research is basically a process whereby people carry out activities that are based on applying the intellect in investigation of particular phenomena. Scientific research is the application of empirical and verifiable methods to understand phenomena around the world in terms of matter and its properties. Research can be undertaken both at the undergraduate level and at the postgraduate level. Undergraduate research is done at the level of bachelor’s degree and it involves coming up with a dissertation on a particular subject. Students choose on a topic that has been studied by other people and try to analyze it by searching for shortages in knowledge in terms of the chosen topic. The concept of Post graduate research entails â€Å"embracing well versed and distinct proposal and includes more intense and systematic investigation based upon the work established by other people in a particular area† (William, 1996). I generally do not have first hand field experience, but I believe the learning that I have passed through has prepared me appropriately to carry out research. As an undergraduate student, I did various courses that I believe prepared me on the basic and fundamental aspects of carrying out research. As a researcher there are various skills that one should have for him or her to be able to effectively carry out the research. According to Eisenberg and Berkowitz (1994) â€Å"six effective skills of a good researcher include ability to define problem under study, seek variety of information, and make use of that information through presentation and evaluation† 1994). I was able to learn these skills through research methods courses that I undertook at the undergraduate level and which I think I can effectively apply in a practical research environment. Moreover, I believe in the importance of always applying ethical principles when it comes to research environment since it is only through them that a research work gains credibility. The need for credibility in research can be enhanced through appropriate application of ethical principles that I think I have been able to inculcate in my mind. I can therefore say that I fully understand the ethical requirements that are necessary when it comes to science research. Am also versed in the preparation of research proposals that serve as sources of research summaries. This is so because of the teachings I learnt and the experiences that I learnt in class during my undergraduate level. I also understand the challenges that researchers face when carrying out their research activities. These challenges consist of time constriction, deprived populace and sample assortment, limited resources in terms of funding and lack of objectivity on the part of the researchers†(Sutton, 2006). These are the challenges that are mostly constraining research activities in most academic institutions and the industry. My knowledge of these challenges is an added factor because am ready to carry out the research with the knowledge of the challenges that I expect to get in the research field. Therefore, am fully prepared to tackle research challenges that may occur on the research environment. In addition to the above, I have done other activities that I think are relevant and that they can come in handy during my research. I have participated in various social activities at the university during my undergraduate level and in the community in general. These forums include sports, leadership positions and community activities. Through these social activities, I have been able to develop the necessary communication skills and which will come in handy in research during stages like collection of data where I might be needed to interview people. Thus I believe the communication skills I learnt will come in handy during the research process itself. I have also done various short term assignments that included application of numerical skills in carrying out those assignments. Through these assignments, for example, by working as a stores clerk, I have been able to develop numerical competencies that I can comfortably apply to research areas like data analysis and interpretation. Am therefore in a position to comfortably engage in research activities at the graduate level. I also have the necessary competencies when it comes to writing of reports and general writing. I’m able to write reports coherently, concisely without missing the point or making citation mistakes. Report writing is part and parcel of research and therefore it is a valuable attribute when it comes to doing research. Therefore with the writing skills that I have gained am sure that I can be able to carry out research more effectively and also write high quality reports that can stand up in the professional, educational and social environment in general. I have been able to access a lot of information on the research process through various literatures that has sharpened my knowledge regarding the research process. These materials have been a valuable source of information as regarding access to various research samples that have been done by other researchers. With access to a large variety of research materials by other research scientists who have done research in diverse fields, through these I have been able to get the basic requirements of research that can serve as an important foundation for future intensive office or field research. The general information that I have been able to get from these sources has been valuable and that carrying out research will be just be a practical extension of the vast information that I possess when it comes to research. Conclusion Research is a very crucial aspect in the day to day life of citizens. Scientific research is the most appropriate because of credibility that can be associated with it. The changing world and the increasing complexity of social problems and coming up of new phenomena’s means that more than ever people have to engage in more and more research so as to come up with stand grounds to these issues. Application of scientific research is becoming more crucial in the economic, social, political and environmental spheres of mankind. Thus there is need for increased attention to scientific by policy makers, higher institutions of learning and even individuals, and this should be done with adherence to ethics that guide research. Therefore, as a person who has been exposed to various theoretical and practical applications in research, and then I think I have the necessary prerequisites to undertake research.