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Research Skills Content Review – digital version Vanissa Wanick

Research Skills Pocket Lecture - How to write a research proposal

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Research Skills

Content Review – digital version

Vanissa Wanick

What we will review today (briefly)

Literature review ◉ How to narrow

your literature review

◉ Merge theory and context

Research gap ◉ How to find the

research gap ◉ How to write

about the research gap

Methodology ◉ How to design

your research ◉ How to write your

methodology

The topic: the general area under study

Literature review

Research opportunity What is known and not known

about the topic already?

Your specific study

Research question

Research aim

Research objectives

Remember the research funnel?

Source: Adapted from Roberts, 2010

Literature review A review of the existing literature in the field related to your topic

1

A literature review contains information, ideas, data and evidence; it is a selection of

available documents on the topic and you should evaluate them

critically

(Fisher and Buglear, 2010)

Your topic and

purpose

Your topic and

purpose

the impact of interior design on health and well being

Interior design

Health

Ergonomics

Materials

Interior design in different eras

1.   Know the basics first (Main theories? Main frameworks?)

Interior design (main authors, main theories, main frameworks?)

Health and design; health and interior design

Ergonomics + Ergonomics and interior design

Materials; materials and interior design

2. From the basics, ask yourself questions related to your research topic and purpose

What is related to your topic

What is not related to your topic What is not related to

your topic

What is related to your topic

1.   Know the basics first (Main theories? Main frameworks?) 2.   From the basics, ask yourself questions related to your

research topic and purpose

Colour has an impact in interior design and in health (colour psychology) Different cultures give different meanings to colours Opportunity to research colour in interior design in different cultures and its effect in well being (e.g. anxiety, etc.)

Think about the context ◉  In which context can you

apply the theory? ◉ What is the purpose of

your research?

Points to remember when looking at your assignment 1 feedback…

Think about the theory ◉ What are the theories that

could support your study in that context?

◉  Think about main theories, main frameworks

Think about your research purpose

◉ What do you want to know?

◉  What is the purpose of your research?

◉ Look at your conceptual map for help

Write in a few words

◉ What are you researching?

◉ Why are you researching this?

Research gap/opportunity The research gap/opportunity comes after the literature review

2

Research gap is the opportunity to research something; it is the missing part of the existing

literature

http://mypages.iit.edu/~aroback/research_paper/topic/topic2.html

Colour has an impact in interior design and in health (colour psychology) Different cultures give different meanings to colours Opportunity to research colour in interior design in different cultures and its effect in well being (e.g. anxiety, etc.)

Writing the research gap

◉ Explain the main issues, ideas, concepts and frameworks identified in the literature review

◉ Explain how they relate to each other

◉ Explain that there is a need to research the area that you’ve identified as an opportunity (lack of research in this area, importance for contemporary studies in Design Management, etc.)

◉ Ask the research question

Write in a few words

◉ There is an opportunity to research…

◉ Because…

The research question will guide the study and it provides

structure for the presentation of the results of the research

(Roberts, 2010, p136)

Framing the research question

◉ Clear and objective concepts and variables

◉ They are open-ended questions

◉ It should come from your research opportunity

◉ The key elements from your research question should be in your literature review / it should make sense!

Source: Robson (2002)

Purpose

Theory

Research Methods

Sampling Strategy

Research Questions

1. How can colour in interior design reduce anxiety of young adults in the UK?

https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/tutorials/question

Framing the research question

◉ How can colour in interior design reduce anxiety of young adults in the UK?

HOW Understand Explain Explore Discover… The other elements of the RQ should appear in

your literature review and research gap

http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/research-question.html

Your turn

◉ What is your research question?

◉ Which verbs are related to your research question?

The research aim should be clear and concise; it is an intention, aspiration, what you hope to

achieve at the end of the project

Framing the research aim

◉ What will be done (outcome), who is it for (beneficiaries) and why it needs to be done (purpose)

What is the potential research outcome?

◉ This is not what you expect from your results, this is what you expect from your research

◉ What you hope your research will achieve

Your turn

◉ What you hope your research will achieve?

◉ Who will benefit from it?

Framing the research aim

To _____________ ______________ _________ ____________ ________________ (verb) (outcome) (verb) (beneficiaries) (purpose)

To develop a set of design guidelines to help interior designers to design spaces that could reduce anxiety in young adults (verb) (outcome) (verb) (beneficiaries) (purpose)

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Research objectives are goals/steps; they are specific statements that define measurable outcomes

http://learn.solent.ac.uk/mod/book/view.php?id=2744&chapterid=1293

Framing the research objectives

To… Identify Classify Understand Make recommendations Explore Explain Comprehend Outline

…something

Something specific that should fit your research aim and research question

Objectives Description

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Your turn

Methodology The methodology comes after the research gap and the identification of the research question

3

The topic: the general area under study

Literature review

Research opportunity What is known and not known

about the topic already?

Your specific study

Research question

Research aim

Research objectives

Remember the research funnel?

Source: Adapted from Roberts, 2010 Methods

The methodology proposes your data collection methods; this

should be related to your research objectives and aims

Data collection methods

◉ Observations, focus groups, interviews, surveys and questionnaires, analysis of archival material (Desk analysis) and case study

◉ How do they fit your research objective?

◉ What are the implications from your chosen method? (e.g. ethics, etc.?)

◉ You may want to explore the problem first through secondary research and then do primary research => depends on your objectives

Objectives Description Method

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Your turn

To understand the types of colour application in interior design

Case study analysis of colour application in young adults’ bedrooms

Tips to write the methodology

◉ Merge your research objectives with the chosen methods ◉ Explain why the methods fit the objectives ◉ Consider the limitations and the implications of the chosen methods ◉ Do you need to consider ethics? How are you going to access the data?

◉ Don’t forget: Consider the strategy analysis of your data. How are you going to analyse it? How does it fit within your research? ◉ Write a plan

(what?) Packaging designed using unsustainable materials is becoming

a major issue for multinational brands (why?) that exacts an enormous

toll on the planet’s natural resources. Understanding the causes of this

escalation, thus, is an imperative research agenda. This research,

(when?) to be carried out in summer 2015, will survey (who?) a sample

of 30 – 55 year old health and beauty product consumers (where?) in

Hampshire, UK. (how?) It will use a qualitative approach, combining

focus groups and in-depth interviews to identify consumer

perceptions of these issues.

Source: Rudestam and Newton (2007)

Using who, what, why, when, where and how?

Your turn

(what?)

(why?)

(when?)

(who?)

(where?)

(how?)

Data analysis

◉ How are you going to analyse your data? ◉ For that, you need to know the main frameworks from the literature review

◉ Go back to your conceptual map ◉ What are the main theories? ◉ What are the important elements for your research? ◉ What are the important factors for your research?

Objectives Description Method Analysis

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Your turn

To understand the types of colour application in interior design

Case study analysis of colour application in young adults’ bedrooms

Visual analysis of colour application; looking for colour saturation, pigment, etc.

Tips to design your research

◉ You could link methods and the objectives using the Double-Diamond framework for research

(ImageCopyright:DesignCouncil2014)

The one page statement The statement should be objective and direct to the point

4

RESEARCH PROBLEMS STATEMENT There is a rising popularity of social media that might help local brands to enable two-way communication with customers worldwide (Gensler et. al., 2013). However, the idea of using social media as a powerful brand communication tool is still being underestimated; almost half of brand professionals did not feel they had the ability to use social media effectively other than just as a marketing tool (Interbrand, 2012).

POTENTIAL OUTCOME A design-led strategy and framework that use social media as a platform, in order to improve local brand’s online customer engagement in order to build long-term relationship with their customers and enhance local brand’s online presence and experience.

CREATION IDEA DEVELOPMENT

PRIMARY RESEARCH DISCOVERIES

IN-DEPTH RESEARCH

DEFINE

Literature search and review

Contextual analysis

Customer Survey

Case studies Focus groups

Brand owner questionnaire Expert interviews Framework

development

Follow up interviews Framework

finalisation

AIM To create a strategic design-led framework for local brands using social media as a platform in order to get global customers to build long-term relationship with them.

METHODOLOGY

KEY RESEARCH QUESTION How can local brands maximise the use of social media in order to be well received in multiple countries and get the customers to build long-term relationship with them?

OBJECTIVES 1 To study factors that affect brand-customer relationship & review existing branding strategies that influence customer loyalty. 2 To compare and contrast the level of local brands’ current online presence as compared to its physical retail presence. 3 To discover challenges that local brands currently face upon communicating their brands within the social media during the customer journey experience. 4 To investigate the key variables that different range of social media platforms have, and identify opportunities and barriers that social media might have as a brand communication tool for local brands.

Soucrce: Adapted from Wikimedia Commons, Shelley Graves and Elegant Themes

Adapted from Irene Wikanta 2013

Your turn Research problem statement

Key research question

Aim

Objectives

Methodology

Potential outcome

Discuss in pairs

Irene Wikanta 2013

This is a Gantt Chart

Any questions ? [email protected]

Good luck!

😉