Is the meaning of research organized curiosity? Research can certainly be defined as “organized curiosity.” The idea of research is not simply trying to find random answers, but creating a set of guidelines to either seek answers for something one does not know, or trying to prove a thesis through the use of research methodology. The idea of research means that one must have a curiosity about something unknown – a sense of wonder an awe about a problem, or a situation, or even a way to approach a situation methodically in which a certain set of accepted methods are used to prove something – and in the sciences in a way that other people can duplicate to show the universality of the proof.


How can you use research and questioning skills in your workplace? The basic skills of research can be easily adopted into any company or organization, whether formal or scientific or simply something that needs to happen in a place of work. Formally, research has at least seven formal steps:

·  Preparing for research – What is the answer(s) needed? Has the research been done? What is the time frame?

·  Matching Needs with Tools – What level of research is necessary? Is this a short-term project that can be accomplished in one afternoon; or is this a multidimensional project?

·  Searching for answers – What tools are needed? Books, computer, Internet, articles, primary sources, people at work, peers, etc.?

·  Writing a draft- Get a draft onto paper, get an outline and then fill in the blanks.

·  Rewriting and proving your point – Rewrite for the audience, where this might be a page memo for a boss, or a formal proposal for a governmental agency.

·  Citing sources – CITE everything – it’s easy to give credit where it is due, and easy for you to find sources.

·  For further research – What does the research engender and what steps are now necessary?

Of course, in the workplace, not every step may be necessary, steps may be skipped; formal writing may be unnecessary and the citing of sources might not be appropriate. However, by having a “process” in mind, it is possible to bring research skills as a basic part of a methodology in everyday life and every job.


How can you imagine an applied research project helping your company?

Clearly, it depends on the company. For example, a department store that does its collections by hand would need a different set of research and proposals to move to computerization than a company who might need research done to save a few dollars on lights by replacing all bulbs with energy efficient products. The key to appropriate research is matching the research to the question at hand.

References and Additional Reading

Ann, Michael, et.al., eds. (2009). What is Research in the Visual Arts?. Clark Institute.

“F.I.R.S.T. – Finding it! A Research Skills Tutorial.” (2007). University of North Carolina at Greensboro,

Cited in: http://library.uncg.edu/depts/ref/tutorial/

Graziano, Anthony and Michael Raulin. (2006).Research Methods: A Process of Inquiry. Allyn and Bacon.

Stangor, Charles. (2006). Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences. Wadsworth.