Onderzoeking

Onderzoeking is the act of investigating or researching, typically involving a systematic and purposeful search for information to answer a question or test a hypothesis. In Dutch, the verb onderzoeken means to investigate, while the noun onderzoek refers to the process or its results. The form onderzoeking emphasizes ongoing activity and inquiry and is used to describe the practice of gathering knowledge through careful questioning.

Contexts and aims include academia, industry, journalism, law enforcement, and public policy. In each domain, onderzoeking involves formulating questions, gathering evidence, and drawing conclusions that can support decisions or advance understanding.

Typical methods include literature review, experimental design, data collection, and analysis, followed by interpretation and reporting. Tools used range from surveys, interviews, and observations to document analysis and computational techniques.

Ethics and quality are central to onderzoeking. Transparency, preregistration where appropriate, rigorous data management, informed consent, privacy protection, and bias mitigation help ensure credible results. Reproducibility and peer review further support reliability.

The concept has evolved with the development of the scientific method and professional standards for evidence, debate, and accountability.