1. Research design and techniques Workshop ICBEDC 2010
Dr Alpana Sivam

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

3. BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Natural
People
Man Made

4. 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)

5. 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 ...

6. 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

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

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

9. RESEARCH...
WHY
HOW
WHAT

10. 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

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

12. 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

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

14. 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

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

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

17. 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

18. 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