ABSTRACT
Research is a word which seems to be used more and more these days and, of course, it is used to mean many different kinds of things. Generally, it is used simply to mean 'finding out' something. Before buying a car, it would be sensible to find out which is the 'best buy' for the money that one can afford. This might entail reading the motoring journals or Which magazine, going round the car dealers looking at what is on offer and at what prices as well as checking out what kinds of bonuses or incentives the dealers have to offer, which might include the length of warranty offered and the kind of credit that is available. Although professional research has much in common with the personal kind, it is carried out in a broader and more public context and so is expected to conform to standards which are understood and recognised by others in the professional field.
