Of Research and Its Controversy

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim…

Yesterday afternoon, one of my classmate had her research proposal seminar. She passed with a good mark (and I am glad for that 🙂 ).

Her research topic is similar with mine, the difference is on the disease which she choose to be observed. The subject of my research were hypertensive stroke patients and hers will be congestive heart failure patients who also suffered from hypertension. The outcome of her research is a variable called health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which is relatively new topic in our beloved faculty.

Although I could not attend her seminar, but she and my another friend told me about the condition in the seminar room: what question were asked, how was the response of the examiner, and so on. And I feel that the response was somewhat misfit: our lecturer seems interested (at least my friends told so), still, the sentence and the choice of questions and suggestions are a bit off from the research framework. Our researches are actually incorporate some social aspects (which, may be not easily accepted by the people who have been accustomed in laboratory experiments, exacts values and numbers), and in several ways, may be more appropriate to be categorized in Social Pharmacy research  and I think that was the root of the problem which my friend had on her seminar. However, we should know that Social Pharmacy is a field of the Pharmacy which have been recognized in other countries for years. As other branch of Pharmacy, Social Pharmacy also has its own way to contribute to the development of better pharmacy practice. We cannot say that observational research is easier than the experimental ones, and vice versa. One is not more important than another, too. Every research will contribute to the development of a science by different ways; they will complete the puzzle and answer our endless questions.

I will not explain my assumption too long, since, like the title, this writing may be controversial (and I do not want to be misunderstood, especially by my honorable lecturers). Also, it is not that I boast as the experienced student in this research topic. I just a bit disappointed after listening to my friends story.

Regardless of that, I hope all the best for my friend’s research 🙂 If Allah grants your wish, nothing is impossible 🙂