ABSTRACT
Research is about methodical investigation, discovery and explanation, to collect information or to establish facts and principles that will add to the body of knowledge about a phenomenon. The testing of a hypothesis follows a clearly defined set of steps called the scientific method of research. Personal experience is also essential for interactions between practitioners and clients: empathy, compassion and listening skills cannot readily be derived from reading research papers. The advantage of research is that it is a more reliable basis for understanding health. Research is more reliable than personal experience as a basis for general claims or beliefs about health because it is systematically designed to avoid error. Medical researchers have extended survey methods beyond social research to answer questions about disease prevalence. For example, researchers might interview members of the general public about the symptoms of depression.
