Energia's Research Adventures: Perspectives on Renewable Energy and Research Methods, (Paperback)

By means of fictional characters and storytelling, the book examines non-renewable and renewable energy sources through the lenses of a variety of research methodologies. It sheds light on the meaning of research, portrays different tactics for designing and conducting research in the social sciences, both in quality and quantity, inductively and deductively. It translates the great diversity that research cultures or traditions nestle. It utilizes fiction to discuss a set of qualitative and quantitative research methods for data collection, including the techniques of self-examination, diary or journal keeping, observation, interview, survey, and experiment. It also explains strategies for data analysis that encompass content analysis, narrative analysis, comparative analysis (independent t-test, paired-sample t-test, and one-way analysis of variance), correlation analysis, regression analysis, time-series analysis, and factor analysis. Energia's research adventures confirm the significance of diversity and moderation not only in the realm of research methodologies, but also in the human use and history of non-renewable and renewable energies. By means of fiction, the book examines the daunting journey of the humankind through the fossil fuels, solar, wind, and water energy sources in the perspective of yin and yang. The message for the reader is simple. In our quest of answers for the many questions we face daily in existence, we need to balance and embrace diversity and moderation mindfully in the processes and outcomes of our investigations for the sake of a healthy human environment and nature. There may not be any narrow one-size-fits-all solution to the resilient existential issues of energy facing our environment and its species. Existential queries usually imply a broad stream of multiple potential solutions, each of which presents both advantages and disadvantages.