Researchis not only a set of skills, but also a way of thinking. Within this framework of think-ing, you usually question what you observe, make an attempt to further explore, understand 
and explain your observations, and draw conclusions and inferences to enhance your practice 
skills and their knowledge base. It is looking at your practice or work situation inquisitively, 
critically and analytically to gain an in-depth knowledge of its rationale, relevance, effective-ness and efficiency. You develop an attitude that encourages you to challenge different aspects 
of your work situation, to question their purpose, relevance and validity, to find their strengths 
and weaknesses, and to investigate the possibilities and ways for further improvements and 
refinements. Research develops this thinking, inquisitive perspective in you. Thinking in this 
research mode, as a practitioner, you develop the ability to ask yourself questions such as: 
What am I doing? Why am I doing this? How is it affecting my clients or consumers? How 
can I improve my work? Such questions naturally come to your mind as a practitioner, and 
as a researcher you make attempts to find their answers. It is to find answers to such questions 
that you need to have research skills.
Research develops in you a way of thinking that is logical and rational and that 
encourages you to critically examine every aspect of your day-to-day situation. It helps 
you to understand and formulate guiding principles that govern a particular procedure 
in your practice, and develop and test new ways that contribute to the advancement of 
your practice and profession. This way of thinking develops in you a very different per-spective to your work. Research develops this analytical way of thinking in you, and the 
knowledge of research methodology provides you with the techniques to find answers 
to your research questions. This research orientation becomes a cycle of your practice 
which, in turn, encourages you to further observe, question, explore, test and understand 
various aspects of your practice.