RESEARCH IN GENERAL

Research is systematic enquiry whose goal is communicable new knowledge or understanding.

DESIGN RESEARCH Relationships between the practioner activity and research activity: Research about practice: Studies about art or design in relation to people and society fall within the Social Sciences. Studies about the materials and the processes which used in various kinds of art or design activity fall within appropriate Science disciplines. Studies of the methodologies of art or design fall within the cross-cutting discipline of design research, which embodies several kinds of research. Research for the purposes of practice: This can fall into any category of Science or Humanities. The phrase for the purposes of does not permit the practioner activity itself to be described as research unless a systematic enquiry whose goal is communicable knowledge is undertaken. Research through practice: Mainly used in agriculture, medicine, education, business, design, architecture. It is like action research. Systematic investigation through practical action calculated to devise or test new information, ideas, forms or procedures and to produce communicable knowledge.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS & NEXT SEMESTER? For Design Research Course For Graduation Thesis Course For Graduation Project

PD 403 DESIGN RESEARCH

Fall 2011-2012

4 October 2011 Ex-1. Identifying a research question

EXERCISE 1. IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH QUESTION Write your name and put the date on the top of a A4 paper. Write your topic(s). (UNTIL 09:30)

EXERCISE 1. IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH QUESTION Write your name and put the date on the top of a A4 paper. Write your topic(s). Follow the 10 ways and try to develop other topic ideas. Write what you have done. (UNTIL 10:00)

10 WAYS TO THINK OF A RESEARCH TOPIC

1) Ask your supervisor, manager, friends, colleagues, customers, clients or mother. 2) Look at previous research work. 3) Develop some of your previous research, or your practice at work. 4) Relate it to your other interests. 5) Think of a title. 6) Start from a quote that engages you. 7) Follow your hunches. 8) Draw yourself a picture or diagram. 9) Just start anywhere. 10) But be prepared to change direction.

EXERCISE 1. IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH QUESTION Write your name and put the date on the top of a A4 paper. Write your topic(s). Follow the 10 ways and try to develop other topic ideas. Write what you have done. Critisize your topic ideas with 12 issues. Write your criticisms. (UNTIL 11:30)

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation. 3) Regulations and expectations. 4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available. 10) Your need for support. 11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation. Choose from Industrial Design subject area. Think of your interests. Think of your future plans: proffessional development, specialization, masters field of study, what to write in CV, etc.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available.

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation. What motivates you. When can you work on it, and does it cause any problems? Ex: Morning person, fieldwork person etc.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available.

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available.

There are written & unwritten rules. Written rules like writing rules, citing rules, methodology rules, etc. Unwritten rules like expectations. What are you expected to do?

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available. Rules & expectations relate to your subject or field of study. -Talk to supervisor, academics, researchers. -Look at other examples of recent research projects carried out in your subject area. -Look at the research litterature for your subject area (books, journals, reports).

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available. Right size: Not too big, not too small. How many words you are expected to write up in your research? How much time do you have to submit the research? This includes making the research i.e. review of subject, questionnaires you make, collecting & analyzing data, etc.

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available.

Make a list of your research cost.

Travel costs, paper-tape-batteries, access to certain institutions, equipment purchase (software, tape recorder, etc.), booksjournals-reports, photocopy-print, postagetelephone costs, library fines, etc.

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available. Make a list of resources available. Interpret resources as widely as possible. Library, databases, related people, salary etc.

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available.

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching.

Find someone to talk about your research.

This is more personal and emotional support. Family, friends, lovers, etc.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available.

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching. Libraries, universities, databases, institutions (ex: military), etc.

12 ISSUES FOR CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC 1) How much choice you have. 2) Your motivation.

3) Regulations and expectations.

4) Your subject or field of study. 5) Previous examples of research projects. 6) The size of your topic. 7) The time you have available. 8) The cost of research. 9) The resources you have available.

10) Your need for support.

11) Access issues. 12) Methods for researching. Methods suits to your ability and personaility i.e. being talkative may help you in interviews, liking numbers may help you in statistics, etc.

EXERCISE 1. IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH QUESTION Write your name and put the date on the top of a A4 paper. Write your topic(s). Follow the 10 ways and try to develop other topic ideas. Write what you have done. Critisize your topic ideas with 12 issues. Write your criticisms. Try to ask a research question by using research focusing techniques. Write it down. (UNTIL 12:20)

RESEARCH-FOCUSING TECHNIQUES

- Identifying your research questions or hypothesis

How, who, what, when, why? - Defining the key concepts, issues and contexts. Example; Effects of tv programmes on womens behaviour Concept=gender, Issue=whole sentence, Context=behavioral studies - Develop some of your previous research, or your practice at work. - Skecthing a research outline or proposal.

- Explain your topic in simple language.

- Informal piloting (sample study to see if it works).

HOMEWORK CLARIFY YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION Topic: I am studying Question: bacuse I want to find out what / why /how Significance: in order to help my reader understand

Write your names and your research questions/topics (you may write more than one) on a single A4 paper and bring it to class. Bring references (at least 3 books/papers) on your topic. Bring dictionaries. Bring your laptops if possible (or bring some A4 papers). Bring a notebook/skecth book.

REFERENECES Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., Tight, M. (1996). How to Research, Buckingham: Open University Press.