Most of the research in physics starts with a question or multiple questions. These questions can have motivation either in curiosity or in utility, and the source of questions can be an observation or a concept that has already been studied. Once the question gets clear, one will have to choose a method to address it. In physics (and generally in science), the process of answering this question takes a three-fold approach. They are:
– theory
– computation
– experiments
There is no specific order for the three processes defined, and many times, all three can overlap with each other. They also feed each other and can form the basis for critical analysis and cross verification. These three processes combine to give an answer. This answer, a majority of times, is a tentative one. It will be a special case of the question defined. This means the tentative answers can further lead to more questions, and the whole process recycles.
What I have defined here is not only applicable to physics, but also to a majority of intellectual pursuits in natural sciences. Of course, this is one framework of thinking, and there can be other ways to define research in physics.
