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What Is Research?
In preparing to carry out library research in the MSEM program, it is helpful first to classify research.
Primary research is a unique investigation carried out by a researcher. The investigation must conform to a valid research design. Examples of primary research include case studies, experiments, and statistically valid surveys. At MSOE, certain types of primary research must have prior approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The Institutional Review Board Protocol Packet is available on the Web.
Secondary research consists of documents and sources that contain data, information, and results generated from primary research. Secondary research generally exists in the form of reports, studies, and company documents, in addition to books and journal articles. As such, library research often uncovers secondary research. Secondary research publishes or in some way makes available the results obtained in primary research investigations.
Tertiary research consists of documents and sources that summarize or report on information contained in secondary research. Tertiary research typically is found in many kinds of documents, including books, articles, and newspapers. Library research is the most effective way to locate and obtain tertiary research.
It is not the case that one type of research is necessarily superior to the other types. Rather, it is the case that all research must be critically evaluated. For details on evaluating research, see below. As a general rule of thumb, if asked about the use of a resource in a report, research paper or project, the MSEM student should be able to defend the resource on one or all of the following grounds:
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