Why is research so critical?

Research, according to Wilcox, Cameron, Reber & Shin (2013, p. 90) is an 'integral part of the planning and development process'. Without collecting and analysing data, society are unable to make decisions and map out strategies.  Eslake (2006) supports this statement by stating that in the absence of accurate and reliable information, people and organisations will make bad decisions; they will be unable to help others to make better decisions; and no one will be able to ascertain whether the decisions made by particular individuals or organisations were the best ones that could have been. Watch the video below for some more information on why research is important.

However, in regards to looking for certain research, people must be able to decide what is safe to use and what isn't.  When researching, reliable and credible sources should be used in order to prove a fact, rather than providing a guess. The audience want to know the facts and they want to know where it came from and how it was proven. Deciding which research adheres to these standards, all comes down to ensuring research is collected and derived from credible sources. Eunson (2012) states that sources can include primary research such as surveys, and secondary data is a re-examination of primary data such as encyclopedias. However, all this data should be extracted from experienced research companies, statistic and government websites or peer reviewed journal articles, rather then an individual voicing their 'gueses' on their blog or on Wikipedia. 

Source: Quickmeme, 2015

Data needs to be proven by qualified individuals that can provide evidence, in order for it to be reliable and credible. From this, the audience will be able to have trust in what they are reading as it will be valid and genuine. 

References:

Eslake, S 2006, The importance of accurate, reliable and timely data, viewed 13 April 2015, http://www.anz.com/documents/economics/The_Importance_of_Data.pdf 

Eunson, B 2012, Communicating in the 21st century, John Wiley & Sons, Milton.

Quick meme 2015, digital image, viewed 13 April 2015, http://www.quickmeme.com/Actual-Advice-Mallard/page/1816/

Wilcox, D, Cameron, G, Reber, B, Shin, J 2013, Think public relations, Pearson Education, New Jersey. 

Wilson 2014, Why research is so important? video, viewed 13 April 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuVGo3AJhqA