ABSTRACT
Researchers do research to tell better stories. Research wants to explain the world, and so it tells stories about how the world works and stories about how research works. Research requires trying to weave those data into a larger coherent story that is theoretically or practically significant. When considering a research question, a basic intuition of right and wrong is a crucial contributor to the reasoning process—such intuition can guide interpretation of difficult material or evidence. Research aims to identify the “right” explanation—the fact—not the “wrong”—the fiction. The research in peer-reviewed journals has been accepted by reviewers who judge the work according to their personal standards. Published research is generally accepted as sufficiently sound as to serve as the foundation for future research. A lot of research makes its uncertainty explicit by writing about limitations and suggestions for future research.
