Research design and techniques Workshop ICBEDC 2010 Dr Alpana Sivam

Outline of Presentation Introduction Research Design and Techniques How to design your own research Conclusions

BUILT ENVIRONMENT Natural People Man Made

RESEARCH DESIGN ? ...Engaging with broadly important questions, systematically collecting and analysing evidence, building on relevant earlier work, recognizing alternative explanations, documenting and evaluating findings, subjecting work to peer review, making it public, and doing all this with an overall goal of contributing to the knowledge base of a field. Forsyth & Crewe 2006, p.161)

RESEARCH DESIGNS WHAT IS RESEARCH DESIGN WHAT IS RESEARCH METHOD Provides the framework for the collection and analysis of data Varies based on type of research WHAT IS RESEARCH METHOD A technique for collecting and analysing data It can involve a specific instrument such as Self completion questionnaire Structured interview schedule Participant observation etc There is a clear distinction between research design and methods. Distinction between ‘Method’ and ‘Techniques and tools’ should not be confused. This is not well established in Built environment disciplinary as social science and therefore quite often when we start our first piece of research we get confused between these two ...

COMPONENT OF RESEARCH Research Design Research Method Instruments Experimental design Cross-sectional design Longitudinal design Case study design Comparative design Research Method Qualitative Quantitative Mixed/Multilevel Model Instruments Self completion questionnaire Structured interview schedule Focus group Participant observation etc

RESEARCH DESIGNS Generalisation Prediction/illustration Survey Cross-sectional and longitudinal survey Prediction/illustration Modelling, simulation, mapping and visualisation Contextualisation Case studies Single/multiple Comparative

Research design: Conceptual framework for BE Research Sociological dimension Teleological & epistemological dimension Methodological dimension RESEARCH DESIGN

RESEARCH... WHY HOW WHAT

COMPONENT OF THE RESEARCH INTRODUCTION: WHAT Problem statement Aim and scope Thesis overview BACKGROUND: WHY Review the current state of knowledge: History, Geography, Current theory, Current practice Assess the various resource available Own work: HOW Design of own work Results SYNTHESIS: Contribution TO BOADY of Knowledge Discussion Conclusions Source: Evans 2007, p.13

WHAT AND WHY Problem statement Background Research questions History, Geography Current theory Current practice Research questions Aims and objectives Hypothesis

The role of research questions They organize the project and gives the direction They delimit the project, showing its boundaries They keep the researcher focused during the project They provide framework They help to identify the data required Source: Bryman 2008

To build and test theory Scientific method Theory To explain the data Data To build and test theory

RESEARCH DESIGN: HOW Research design: Case study Research Method: Research approach Qualitative vs Quantitative vs mixed-method Source of data Source of data: primary vs secondary vs hybrid Instruments To collect the data: Structured interview schedule Focus group Participant observation etc To undertake analysis Using statistic tools Using qualitative tools

Contribution to knowledge SYNTHESIS DISCUSSION RESEARCH FINDINGS LITERATURE REVIEW CONCLUSIONS Contribution to knowledge

Research Approach: Multilevel Model Adopted by Zainul Quantitative Observation Survey Qualitative

Research Approach Case Study Quantitative (content analysis) Qualitative Quantitative Quantitative (content analysis) Qualitative Case Study Tool that is used for qualitative approach is mostly secondary research base, like data from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (About migration trend, urbanization, population growth, housing etc) Research papers, journal articles, government publications. Quantitative approach used complete questionnaire survey and interview. A pre-reviewed questionnaires is used to assess the changes and impact through one to one interview with a pre-selected sample size. Interview has conducted with the planning professionals, researches and policy makers to understand how those personnel addresses those challenges Case study is to bridge up the gap between qualitative and quantitative findings. The tool used for case study is one to one in depth interview of the selected cases from the sample size. Used in Reazul Ahsan’s research Used in Paul’s research

Research Approach Case study strategy Research methods Multiple case studies Collaborative reproductive health programs in Thailand in 10 years Collaborative reproductive health projects within the programs Project donor and implementing organisations Research methods Qualitative method Quantitative method Secondary source of data Project documents The National Health Development Plans and Policies Population and health statistics Primary source of data In-depth interviews Questionnaires