MSM DSM Lounge returned with an insightful session on “Mastering Data-Based Research.” Held on Friday, September 15th, the guest speaker was Valid Hasyimi, S.T., MURP, an SBM ITB PhD student.
According to Valid, the importance of researchers comprehending the foundational aspects of research before embarking on their studies. He encouraged aspiring researchers to delve deeply into the analysis of field-specific issues.
Furthermore, Valid underscored that, to arrive at solutions or address specific situations effectively, one must navigate what is commonly referred to as a “black box” in research, more commonly recognized as a “literature review.” A rigorous literature review can yield crucial elements such as conceptual frameworks, best practices, benchmarks, etc.
Valid emphasized that a literature review is not merely a stage for collecting secondary data but a fundamental pillar in the research process.
He concluded, “Scientific progress is built upon the foundations laid by prior work. To genuinely innovate and push the boundaries of science, we must first comprehend where those boundaries exist.”
A thorough literature review provides insight into the depth and breadth of existing research, allowing researchers to identify and explore gaps. The passion behind the research plays an important role. Researchers can ensure their output has a meaningful contribution by starting with a genuine interest or passion and then identifying related problems.
Valid also outlined three essential stages of a literature review. The first stage involves review planning, encompassing problem formulation, the development of a review protocol, and its validation. The second stage is the actual review process, which includes activities such as literature searching, screening for inclusion, quality assessment, data mining, and analyzing and synthesizing the collected data. Finally, the process culminates with review reporting. Hence, data-based research consistently underscores the pivotal role of literature reviews.
