Setting-Up the Research Process

Scientific research is a formal, rational, and systematic process that provides answers to studying a phenomenon by applying scientific procedures. To achieve such an aim, researchers must follow a path from identifying a problem to presenting reliable results. This chapter summarizes the entire research process. It may surprise researchers that the process starts not with developing a research question (as usually done in many lectures and textbooks on research). It is far more helpful to think about the conclusions the researcher would like to draw from the research process. This fictitious answer equals the research aim, which dominates the research design.