Rehan Yousaf

25th September, 2010

There is no hope of doing perfect research (Griffiths, 1998, p97). Doyou agree?

Research is a systematic investigation to establish facts. (wordnetweb.princeton.edu).

Thus, a perfect research is a research the outcome or result of which is un-negotiable. i.e. the facts found and proven are that much accurate that there remains no question upon finding anything further on the matter.

All humans are imperfect. Then how can an imperfect person do a perfect research? This is not possible at all. As said, Trial and Error basis is a research (expertscolumn.com). The phrase associated with the research implies; there may lay errors, omissions (deliberate or in-deliberate), inaccuracies and misunderstandings in the research process. This imperfectness may be the result of certain factors.

The research is basically divided into two major classifications: one, the primary research and other, the secondary research. The primary research is the one in which the data is collected in the field which does not previously exist (www.wikipedia.com). While the secondary research is discovering further facts keeping in base the primary research. For instance, primary research was communication through wireless means and secondary research is discovering a new technology that makes a mobile phone that much handy that a person feels no need to carry a big laptop along with him.

The creator has made a man with an excellent mind which he can utilize to find the hidden facts in the universe and use them for his betterment. This quality of making research is instilled in a man. By dint of this quality, man has discovered almost everything which comes under his sphere by circumscribing himself in his resources. There would still lay a whole paradigm (Especially, the world of extremes i.e. the world of extremely large units and the world of extremely small units) where a man has never reached but man does not have that much resources now to go beyond them. Thus, he has started putting more efforts for making the secondary research. Now here, the question of factual accuracy comes in ambiguity, because, the facts found further are based upon the facts found previously, if the base facts have something in controversy, the whole research will come in doubt. Like: a professor of Physics in Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, proposed that in mathematics, there are nothing sort of natural or whole numbers exist, the numbers only exist are real numbers. This theory was rejected. But if this theory would be accepted, it would have changed the whole structure of mathematics, which does not come in the scope of mathematics now.

If we do a perusal of research process, we will come to know that actually, this imperfectness is a beauty of research. This imperfectness in the research leads a man to go for perfectness in the field of interest and thus, it lays foundation for the further research. This strive of a man for further research give answers to the questions that were left unanswered. But given the individual factors like: subjectivity in data collection and interpretation of data, intelligence; research has always remained in the pipeline of perfectness.

Let me share some personal experiences with you. When I was doing MBA, I did the research on “Entrepreneurial Qualities Required in a Businessman”. Before starting the research, I was having a concept that Entrepreneurial qualities are actually inheritance based, and started doing research with same mind makeup. But when I went further in the research and found some successful businessmen in the market having no prior business background; it totally changed my direction of research and I started finding the qualities that are essentially required for becoming a successful businessman. This is all we call Trial and error basis. The attitude I expressed was achieving the perfectness so that I may found some real facts that would benefit not only me but also my other mates so that such capabilities may be polished in oneself to become a successful businessman.

The research on set patterns may be called as a perfect research. Like: If a person has to install a Windows in the operating system. He is directed in the manual for taking the steps for installing it. Whenever he wants to install it, if he follows the instructions; he will certainly install the windows properly.

But whenever the use of qualitative tools occur in the research, it can never be perfect. Perfectness itself is a relative term. One thing might be perfect for one person but for the other, there would seem any blemish in that. All the minds do not think in the same way and that is way no research (Qualitative) can be said to be perfect.

A matter of hope comes when one is required to fulfill one’s responsibility in an adequate way and if one doesn’t, the hope is left. In case of research, though in some aspects there requires a perfect research, but there are many other aspects where one research, if not proved successful, gives rise to other new researches in the same field and sometimes in other fields too. For Example: Vaccination for AIDS which completely eradicates this disease is still not discovered, this is a matter of concern for the researchers and doctors. On the other hand if we see the research on traits of identical and fraternal twins, we will come to know that after every short time, something new about their differences and similarities is heard.

In gist, I agree that it would be a big achievement if one does a perfect research in the current epoch. But if one couldn’t, it will not be a matter of life or death. Of course, it results as a setback for the stakeholders of the research as a huge sum of money is invested in every research and its imperfection may seem to lead towards a loss for the sponsor company. But if it is kept in

mind that every research gives rise to innovations, we can afford it! and therefore, a hope may be fulfilled in some other way.