What do you mean by “research”?

What do we mean by “research”? Is research in Psychodrama possible or worth doing? I see things published under the heading “research” or “theory and research” that do not meet my definitions of research or theory. Some argue that research in Psychodrama is not possible because the subject is too complex and varied. Or too subjective. I have heard it argued that Moreno did all the research we will ever need. Others have objected to even trying to develop Evidence Based Practices in our field. In my view, we need them.
This listserv exists in an effort to encourage new research in Psychodrama and related fields, and in the belief that it can and should be done. No doubt others have different definitions for research. It might be worth talking about what each of us means. If your view is different, please share it.
First, although surely individuals can explore their own interior lives to great advantage, those investigations are not what I understand by “research.” Research is something offered for social purposes, for expanding general knowledge and understanding. To achieve that kind of growth, it has to have some wider than individual application and therefore has to be arrived at by agreed upon means.
Then, what is involved? Theories explain or predict. A theory offers a coherent group of general propositions used to explain a class of phenomena. Research is a diligent, systematic inquiry to discover or revise facts, theories or applications.
A research project begins with a specific problem or research question: a precise statement of what knowledge is sought and why. Its method is a plan or design for the study, describing how the knowledge is to be (or has been) gained. Results are precise statements of what knowledge was in fact gained in the project. (Williams, Reasoning with Statistics, 1992.)
Validity in research refers to the measure used being well suited to answer and illuminate the question asked. Reliability refers to consistency, to another investigator’s ability to replicate the study described and arrive at similar findings.