Abstract
Research begins with curiosity. Today it has many faces. It tends to be systematic and evidence based, which means empirical but it can also be highly intuitive, subjective and interpretive. The context determines the research approach. But think about it for a moment. Research sounds very formal, but really, human beings have always done research. I can imagine people sitting around a campfire 25,000 years ago discussing a hunt or the movement of animals, or the flowering of plants or an inexplicable astrological event and trying to explain or describe or in some way test explanations against what they already know. In such contexts research is about sense-making. It is also about seeking advantage in a world that seems random and uncertain. Human beings developed their capacity to anticipate, foresee and adapt according to keen observation of the environment (aka research). They saw or perhaps imposed patterns on their world. These patterns may have been as natural as the seasons or as cultural as those describing relationships of authority and cooperation.