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Monalisha Pandey

Research essay
FYEX
7th November, 2016

Research and Technology

It is human curiosity which has led mankind to wonder, ponder and learn about oneself

and the surroundings. It is because of this innate nature of humans, we are now the most superior

creatures in the entire planet in terms of sociability, morality and intellectuality. Curiosity is the

thirst of acquiring knowledge which drives humans to understand different phenomena in life

and research is the key which has opened new vistas of knowledge for us. From the very

beginning of human civilization, research has been the fundamental building block to acquire

knowledge and reflect upon higher purposes and discover deeper meanings in things, going

beyond what they apparently seem to be. We dream, create vision, investigate, gather

information, and with the help of our findings, we draw appropriate conclusions. Thats what

research is.

Conducting research include increasing personal knowledge and contributing to that of

humanity, and developing skills and interests. When we observe the contribution of research in

our society, be it proving a scientific hypothesis, advancing technology, finding a cure for

undefeatable diseases or even eradicating a social problem, we perceive that research has made a

significant contribution in all genres of our lives. The more advanced we get, equally complex

are the issues to be dealt with and that is why our ways of conducting research has also changed.
We live in the era where technology has reached greater heights, most of the things we

use have been digitalized. Technology has impacted multiple dimensions of research as well.

Each day we are being bombarded with vast amount of information from all around the world.

There is this interesting thing about technology, it is addictive and advancing. These days, first

thing that strikes our mind when it comes to academic research is internet. We find people

using these highly practical phrases such as, just google it. Honestly, these technologies have

made our ways of conducting academic research so easy and quick, that going into the field and

collecting raw data instead of finding a source which has that information in internet seems quite

unrealistic. As any other matter in this universe, it has both pros and cons.

I believe, there is a part of me who agrees with futurist John Naisbitt from 1982 who

wrote, We are drowning in information but starving for knowledge. We certainly have lots of

information about numerous things, but we cannot always synthesize that information and

analyze them. This is happening because with advancing technology, the information we get is

also getting complicated and somehow we lack the ability to use that information and evaluate it.

For example, many young people use internet browsers to gain information for their research but

they lack the skill to evaluate the transparency and accountability of the information because of

which the results of their research might be misleading and manipulative. But, at the same time

we certainly cannot ignore the fact that these browsers have encouraged students to participate in

research activities. We can imagine how difficult it would be to conduct a research about a

culture practiced in a completely different hemisphere of the planet but because of these highly

advanced tools of technology, students are being able to conduct researches on such topics.

Technology has made a great contribution in the field of research. It is not long ago when

refrigerators were invented for the luxurious purpose of wealthy families, but now these
refrigerators are used for saving lives of many people in rural areas by storing medicines and

vaccinations. The more we use these technologies, more we form the habit of utilizing it. Same is

the scenario with the invention of internet, even though it was initially invented for the

connection between multiple computers, now, we use it for unnumbered opportunities. I, as a

student cannot imagine my life without internet, even though my grandmother graduated college

without even having to touch a computer, I cannot contemplate passing a semester without

computers. I use internet and computers to complete homework, research, socialize, connect with

global issues, to cook and many other limitless purposes. The first thing that strikes any students

mind these days when it comes to research is, internet.

There is no doubt that research is very important for betterment of mankind but with the

advancement of time and technology, the issues of research and way of conducting them might

be challenging. For the students of this generation who grew up being surrounded by computers,

technology removes the intimidation factor of research for students because for us, it is much

more intuitive to navigate a software interface than to design research on papers. As technology

is shrinking the world and democratizing information, it is also reshaping how we learn. This is

equally exciting and challenging for a rising generation of student researchers who drive the

innovations that make life better.


References:

1) www.wired.com/insights/2013/07/how-technology-is-changing-academic-research/
2) Breivik, Patricia S. 21st Century Learning and Information Literacy. Taylor and

Francais, Ltd 37 (2005): 20-27. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.

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