What is research?

What is research?

• A. A protocol that is approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• B. An investigation into the practices of the facility
• C. A systematic investigation to establish facts
• D. A program that was developed to help researchers learn new skills

Answer: (C)

Research is a systematic investigation designed to establish facts, answer questions, or test hypotheses. It involves planning a method, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results to contribute to knowledge or verify what is already known. This definition focuses on how knowledge is generated, not on external requirements or activities that might surround it. The other options describe things that can accompany research but do not define what research is: an IACUC-approved protocol relates to oversight and humane animal care, not the act of investigating questions; an investigation into facility practices is more like an internal audit or evaluation; a program to help researchers learn new skills is education or training, not the conduct of research itself.

Research is a systematic investigation designed to establish facts, answer questions, or test hypotheses. It involves planning a method, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results to contribute to knowledge or verify what is already known. This definition focuses on how knowledge is generated, not on external requirements or activities that might surround it.

The other options describe things that can accompany research but do not define what research is: an IACUC-approved protocol relates to oversight and humane animal care, not the act of investigating questions; an investigation into facility practices is more like an internal audit or evaluation; a program to help researchers learn new skills is education or training, not the conduct of research itself.