ABSTRACT
Brown (1992a) reported the results of a survey of the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) membership. When asked to define research, the respondents produced a wide range of answers from brief, idealistic responses such as “the search for the truth” to longer, cynical responses like “something that profs at universities that grant advanced degrees do because they don’t teach and need to publish.” Generally, the respondents gave four types of definitions that (1) listed the types of research; (2) listed the topics of research; (3) covered the purpose of research; or (4) listed the steps in the research process.
