According to the MLA Handbook research is defined in terms of exploring ideas, probing issues, solving problems, or making arguments relating to existing ideas.
Yes, you need information to complete these tasks, but you also need lots of time to read the information you find, to reflect on it in terms of what you already know and what you are learning.
REMEMBER, merely gathering information is NOT research!
In short, research is the scholarly investigation you need to understand a topic.
