The research process can be described in a few simple steps. Badke (2008, p. 20) describes these steps as follows:
- You begin with a question
- You collect data
- You synthesize it (put it together in some coherent form)
- You analyze it in light of the question (figuring out how each piece of data could be used to answer the question)
- The analysis turns data into new information (starting to answer the question)
- You come up with conclusions and recommendations
But it is of course more complex than that, and NOT so linear
We'll walk through the research process in more detail in the next sections.
Badke, W.B. (2008). Research strategies: Finding your way through the information fog. (3rd Ed.). New York: iUniverse.