Research is by its nature cyclical or more exactly helical?

I came across this term myself in my text book on Social Research. It is the 8th distinct characteristic of research.

Cyclical means recurring in cycles or periods of time in which certain events or phenomena repeat themselves in the same order at the same interval.

Helical: in the short sense means spiral, however helical in this original context could refer to the fact that associations in research don't always form a circle.

My text book explains helical in this manner since neatly closed circles in research can be deceptive:

"Research is rarely conclusive. In a truer sense, the research cycle might be more accurately conceived of as a helix, or spiral, of research. In exploring an area, one comes across additional problems that need resolving, and so the process must begin anew. Research begets more research" (Leedy, Ormand; Practical Research; Planning and Design; 9th edition; Pearson; page 7)