People mostly perceive ‘Economics’ as complex theories, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculation, supply and demand graphs etc. We also often associate it with big titles like ‘Economist’ or ‘Policy Makers’ or ‘Nobel Prize Winners” etc. Well, ‘Economics’ do include multiple theories, calculations, study of graphs etc. but you don't need to be an economist to begin your economic research.
Students from grade 6th to grade 12th can easily begin their economic research journey by just observing simple things around their daily environment like why the price of petrol keeps increasing, why some stores offer discounts at the end of the month etc. By observing these patterns, you have already begun your economic research journey.
We do notice that ice cream costs more in summers than in winters or people shop more just before festivals. These are just not random observations; these are economic patterns. When you turn these patterns into questions like “Why do price rises during festivals?”, “Does seasonality affect spending on food patterns?”, “Do students in urban areas spend differently from those in rural areas?” etc. your research journey begins.
To answer your research questions, you might collect some data through surveys, observations, published reports, etc. and then you organize it in a tabular or graphical form and interpret what data is telling you. Well! Thats what an economist does.
So, curiosity like how people make decision to buy gold, why crude oil price changes, how government decide on budget etc. can lead you to be an economist. Hence, you don't need a degree to be a researcher, just need curiosity.
So go ahead, ask, observe, analyse, and tell the story that data reveals. Welcome to the world of economics research!