Characteristics of a Good Researcher (Part 4)

Acquired Cognitive Characteristics

1. Mastering the Most Important Views in the Field of Study

In addition to the intrinsic traits, a good researcher must have a significant set of acquired characteristics. These types of traits comprise two general categoriesof information and mental skills. Information refers to the researcher’s mastery of information about his/her field of intellectual activity. In other words, research begins when one has full mastery over his/her field of study. So those who are in the early stages of their studies and still lack enough knowledge of major and current viewpoints in a field of thought will not be able to perform research activities in that field.

One of the significant problems of research is the lack of control and dominance of some scholars over the available information about their field of study. In some cases, the authors comment on some areas that they do not know the most basic and common theories of. Even some of the views criticized by these authors have been criticized and evaluated before. Thus, one’s lack of knowledge of the most fundamental theories can have a tremendous impact on the qualitative process of research. It can be very difficult and in some cases impossible to achieve this amount of information in the course of education. But with the proper training of the authorities and professors on the one hand and the pursuit of a deliberate and accurate curriculum on the other, the researcher can gain insight into most of the existing viewpoints.

Metacognitive skills

A. Improvement in Studies and Academic Achievement: A researcher should be able to read faster and easier than others. Such an ability provides the basis for academic achievement and promotion.

B. Learning Speed: High learning speed means learning with the least effort of the individual and the professors.

C. Self-motivated Attention to Detail: A researcher is aware of the details, even without the need for training.

D. The Ability of Thinking and Inference: One of the characteristics of a desirable researcher is his/her ability to reason, generalize, and deduce. They usually are able to think clearly and logically; perform reasoning, generalization, inference, and inference. Besides, they are capable of describing the reasons for their actions. They are also able to apply the lessons they learn in a situation to another one.

E. The Ability of Abstract Thinking: Another characteristic of a desirable researcher is the ability of abstract thinking. So there is no need to provide concrete examples or evidence to help them understand something.

F. The Ability of Complex Thinking: A good researcher is not satisfied by the appearances, but rather is interested in understanding the origin of a phenomenon. She/he tries to get to the core of a phenomenon, to understand its cause. Overall, a good researcher is basically interested in things that are beyond the experiences of her/his peers.

G. Not Being Content with Partial Data: A good researcher, unlike others, is not satisfied with achieving partial information on something. But rather seeks to discover the various ways and methods the author or professor uses to propose a problem.

Related posts:

Characteristics of a Good Researcher (Part 3)

Characteristics of a Good Researcher (Part 2)

Characteristics of a Good Researcher (Part 1)