Is Every Researcher a Scientist in Bangladesh?

 

Md. Habibur Rahman

Aktarul Islam

Mamdudur Rahman

 

The concepts of any ground-breaking discovery stir human beings up toward the finest way to overcome some palpable complications and problems of a society or country. Human beings, the only creations of almighty Allah with a solid conscience and clear-cut thought, can create their distinctive dominions based on their priorities and necessities to create a nexus with other creatures to some extent. All other creatures hardly have these specific traits. Therefore, the biggest difference between humans and other animals lies in the ability to make a wise decision in a given context.

 

Humans are pretty smart enough to change the shape of the world around them unlike other animals and this trait has made them the supreme commanders of the universe. They like to discover the mysterious kinds of stuff of the world and unfold the knots of every complexity through their ready wits and power of observation.

 

Over the decades, there have been various undesirable misconceptions and vague interpretations among the educated community about the research profession in Bangladesh. Many people don't think positively of them due to their inadequate understanding of research and the endeavor of a researcher for the development of a nation. There are hardly any attempts have been made by the media or concerned authorities to make research a major pursuit among the educated masses nor they did ever try to make the work of a researcher worth mentioning to propagate public opinion in this regard.  

 

A Researcher always seeks an answer to a query about major issues of the day and scientific analysis of an event or occurrence. Some of the quarries can be interpreted by a novice easily, while many are hard to interpret and these issues become a matter of concern among expert researchers. From one particular discipline to another field of study, the capability of a researcher varies due to their area of specialization and they perform their tasks scientifically.

 

Do the researchers belong to a certain profession, or can they carry out their work independently without having any affiliation with an organization or institute? For the university teacher, research is an indispensable part of their profession. Teachers are unanimously regarded as researchers for their contributions in creating new knowledge and theories for the burgeoning of civilization.

 

However, many scholars around the globe are contributing to the research field without being associated with any academia or institutions, and these erudite persons are usually known as “Independent Researchers”.

 

The development of “Independent Researcher” is gaining prominence in Bangladesh as well, and many university graduates conduct research independently or they work for different international research agencies like the Red Crescent Society, UNICEF, 60 Decibels, and other renowned organizations with proper excellence and dignity.

 

A smart researcher must make predictions after evaluating the findings of the research, just like a scientist. However, they planned the study to gather facts and figures from both primary and secondary sources. They are not like conjurors. Any whimsical thoughts do not drive them to publish anything without appropriate and reliable sources.

 

As scientists always investigate the work of others previously accomplished as a set of rules or principles, the researchers find out the problems within the existing theories or findings to move forward. In this perspective, every scientist is a researcher. Therefore, every researcher is a scientist in the true sense of the term, and the other way around with a little difference.

 

Researchers always have to search for new knowledge and add something new to the academic world. The originality of research reflected through the findings can turn professional researchers into scientists. They not only narrate stories of their brainstorming endeavor, but through their relentless efforts to find unknown facts on the fields of knowledge can play the role of a scientist in poising challenges and opportunities for other researchers.

 

 

The expert researchers choose the best research project concerning their area of interest and collaborate with supportive counselors or colleagues to deal with the research problems. Persistence, courage, self-motivation, self-resilience, and determination are major traits of a researcher and scientist. Moreover, an experienced researcher must have immense curiosity, far-sightedness, analytical ability, collaborative mentality, and good communication skills to become a scientist.

 

Every year, the researchers who receive the most citations are ranked by Stanford/Elsevier. The USA, China, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and Singapore are the top ten countries in the world whose researchers' works are frequently mentioned by researchers in a variety of fields between 2018 and 2022. The above-mentioned nations are showing proper devotion and dedication to pondering over quality research and innovation. Besides, they are now actively participating in world politics, economics, and soft power. Additionally, the work of the researchers is used to calculate the world financial order and diplomacy.

 

Only a very few people evaluate the research profession in a befitting manner in Bangladesh. The established researchers are usually affiliated with some institutions, business organizations, or science-based institutions, and they work heart and soul to meet organization goals with their innovative ideas and theories despite many impediments. However, the situation differs in industrialized nations from underdeveloped or developing countries, and to this end, we must walk a long way forward to ensure a truly research-based ambiance in our professional settings. 

 

Though some scholars draw a demarcation line between the researchers and scientists based on their expertise, experience and experiment status, the core principle of these two entities embedded on their ability to perform research activities.  Moreover, scientists and researchers are associated with the progression of carrying out research and advancing scientific knowledge. Therefore, they are wholeheartedly engrossed in generating revolutionary ideas and developing new theories.

 

Last but not least, the list of 2% top scientists, published every year by Elsevier along with Stanford University accommodate world’s distinguished researchers, and academics from diverse organizations and educational institutions, is an obvious indication of a researcher to be regarded as a scientist. Since a good number of Bangladeshi researchers and academics have managed to confirm their places in Stanford/Elsevier's Top 2% Scientist Rankings every year, their status as a scientist is not an exaggeration by any means.        

 

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