Raziskava

Raziskava is a systematic inquiry to discover facts, test hypotheses, or solve problems. It covers studies across natural and social sciences, humanities, engineering, and professional fields, and can refer to a single study, a research project, or an organized research program. In Slovenian usage, it also denotes broader market or public opinion studies when conducted as research rather than a casual poll.

Etymology: The word comes from the verb raziskati “to investigate” with the prefix raz-, yielding the noun raziskava meaning investigation or research. It is common in academic, institutional, and policy contexts.

Types and methods: Research can be theoretical or empirical, basic or applied, qualitative or quantitative, or mixed. Methods include literature reviews, experiments, field observations, interviews, surveys, and document analysis. In Slovenian, anketa is a survey instrument, while raziskava refers to the overall study.

Process and ethics: A typical process includes problem definition, literature review, study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting. Ethical considerations cover informed consent, privacy and data protection, research integrity, and reproducibility, with adherence to relevant laws and guidelines.

Outputs and context: Results are published as articles, theses, reports, or datasets, and may be presented at conferences. In Slovenia, research is conducted by universities, institutes, and agencies and funded by national bodies and European programs to advance knowledge and evidence-based policy.