Methodology 2011
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Transcript of Methodology 2011
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Choosing the methodology
6CN010 - Dissertation6CN010 - Dissertation
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Choosing the methodology
• Definition of methodology: – the systems of methods and principles used in a particular
discipline; the branch of philosophy concerned with thescience of method (Collins);
– the overall method used to achieve the aims of the
investigation (Holt)
• !he methodology chosen will depend on the ob"ectivesof the research with respect to:
• industrial # academic bias;
• conceptual # empirical results;• $ualitative # $uantitative bias; and
• pure # applied bias
D.E. Searle & S.Suresh
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• Process observation – an hypothesis cannot be considered until the existing
condition is ully understood. !he literature "ill pro#idesome$ but not all o the e#idence.
– %bser#ation "ill complement the literature search andpro#ide some urther understanding o the "ay aprocess is conducted.
– E.g. method study might be used to record a procedureo "or in or example a study o producti#ity.
– 'enerally considered as a (ualitati#e approach.
)ethodologies *1+
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)ethodologies *,+• Process measurement
– Generally an extension of process observation;– Could involve for example time study (recording of times to perform tasks)
to acquire a (e.g.) productivity standard.
• Open question survey
– Common approach in the built environment.
– Employs a questionnaire inviting a form of written reply: What is youropinion of the Egan report?
– Such qualitative research data is more difficult to analyse, albeit contentanalysis techniques (e.g. word counts) can be applied.
•Closed question survey– Ranking 1-10?
– Yes - No
• Structured survey (quantitative version of open survey)
– questions need to be planned and designed
– consider range of response and intended analysis
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)ethodologies *+
•Unstructured interview • %ral e$uivalent of the process observation
• & means of abstracting $ualitative information
• !he former $uestion on 'gan might me be used as a startingpoint and the interview could tae any direction thereafter
• nterviewer will have some control over the direction
• Structured interview
• nterview follows a predetermined direction using a structuredset of $uestions
• *hould aim to address ob"ectivity so that interviews can be
analysed on a lie for lie basis• nterviews best recorded and later transcribed for analysis
• +ery time consuming and somewhat difficult to analyse
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)ethodologies *+
• Symbolic experiments / mathematical models• ,epresent a situation or se$uence of events but not in a
physical form
• -sually involve a system of e$uations
• 'g .et us assume we wish to model the productivity of
the -/ construction industry – !his will involve measurement of -/ construction productivity
(possibly from literature) 0 that is the dependent variable
– dentification and measurement of factors nown to impactproductivity (eg economic climate1 government influence etc) 0 thatis the dependent variables
– 2rom this we could develop a symbolic predictive model ofproductivity that could be developed into a mathematical modelusing (eg) multiple regression techni$ues
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Comparison bet"een postal sur#eys and inter#ie"s
/eatures nter#ie"s ostal 2uestionnaire
3 dentity of respondents /nown -nnown
4 nteraction between researcher
and respondent
Close Distant
5 !ime involving the researcher .ong time *hort time
6 *ample *mall .arge
7 8uality of information Deep and detailed ,ich
9 *ill and eperience *ill needed to as $uestions and
to probe
o sill re$uired
&nalysis of the results Difficult and complicated esp for
semi # unstructured
'asy
3? ,esearcher bias @ossible one with appropriate sample
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!34N5 %7!34N5 %7
4N 27ES!%NS84N 27ES!%NS8
D.E. Searle & S.Suresh