Research is important in order to have a solid foundation of understanding about the topic that you are doing. According to the seminar, an aspect of research is “systematic investigations and/or study of materials/sources/ subjects/data in order to discover and/or establish facts and reach new conclusions” (Chorazy, E 2020). With the information gathered through research, you are able to proceed with campaigns/papers/news that informs audiences about the “new conclusions” that you have arrived on. This is important as audiences will trust your opinion about it as you would have done your research, be it primary or secondary. It is especially important if you work in the field of science or medicine as your word will be held to high regard by the audiences or society. For communication, research is important to ensure that the information you want to convey is factual.
This is crucial as it’s the line between trust and distrust in the content that is created.
Another element that goes hand-in-hand with research is ethics. Ethics, according to BBC, is a system of moral principles that affect how people make decisions and lead their lives (BBC, n.d.). Ethics is important as it shapes people’s principles and behaviour. If research is done ethically, people will trust the research done and the final information that is given. However if ethics is absent, people could feel jaded and feel that it is done for self-interest or money for example. So ethics is important to distinguish between the right thing to do versus the wrong thing to do.
If research is not done well or lacking, wrong information could be relayed. Additionally, if research ethics is not present, such as cheating on information, it could compromise the entire project that was done as it has contaminated the efforts that continued after research. This could potentially affect the progress of studies and have harmful effects on society for years to come.
One example is the hoax of the Piltdown Man. According to the Washington Post, the Piltdown Man was unveiled in 1912 by Charles Dawson and his crew. The hoax was only exposed in 1953 when technology evolved (Kaplan, 2016). It took them 40 years to find out that the Piltdown Man was a hoax and the consequences of the hoax was long-lasting. The hoax also enfeebled the public’s trust in scientific studies and research.
This shows that if research ethics is absent and is done for the sake for pride and fame, it could have dastardly outcomes for the future. It could undo progress that has been made as audiences could become skeptical of the other sets of research done even if it was factual. Additionally, as men of science, audiences would think highly of them as they are held in high regard. So if a lie is said and were to be found out then everything that was researched could come crumbling down.
Personally for me, I feel that research done has to be factual as it could potentially change and shape society. For my school research, for example, I would research and cross-check articles to make sure that the data is true and is from a credible site so that my work is good and reliable. I would also ensure that I do not cheat or take an easy way out to get fast results as it could negatively affect not only the project but my peers who are helping as well. As said research is the very foundation of a project. If research was done distastefully or badly, it could cause everything to fall.
As an aspiring communications professional, I will do my best to ensure that my research is done well by fact-checking important key points. I will question myself about the different measures I’m taking while researching. If I am not sure whether this is right, I will get second opinion or a third one. This is to ensure that I am on the right path with the project. This could lead to everybody working on the project to feel good and deliver good results.
Reference List:
Chorazy, E 2020, ‘COMM2733_2020_CLASS2 – Research Ethics Audiences_Seminar_Final-1’, PowerPoint slides, COMM2733, RMIT University, viewed 5 January 2020, https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/70338/files/10731260/download?wrap=1
BBC n.d., Ethics Guide, BBC, viewed 5 January 2020, http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/intro_1.shtml
Kaplan, S 2016, ‘We finally know who forged Piltdown Man, one of science’s most notorious hoaxes’, The Washington Post, 11 August, viewed 5 January 2020,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/08/11/we-finally-know-who-forged-piltdown-man-one-of-sciences-most-notorious-hoaxes/
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