Research: Basic Concepts

Dr. Yuting Hou

Assistant Professor
Department of Building and Real Estate
Lecture schedules and topics (1st half)
Week Date Lecture topic
1 1 Sept. Introduction and Briefing on Initial
Dissertation Proposal
2 8 Sept. Basic Concepts
3 15 Sept. Basic Concepts
4 22 Sept. Choose a topic
5 29 Sept. Methodology I
6 06 Oct. Methodology II – Qualitative
methods
7 13 Oct. Write up dissertation
Learning Outcomes
 Describe what research is about

 Describe the meanings of theory, research

questions, hypothesis, methodology and
method

 Explain the differences between Physical

Science and Social Science

 Explain the differences between Qualitative

and Quantitative Research
What is Research?
Everyone is a researcher

Why?

What questions do we ask everyday?

- How do I ……?
- What shall I ……?
- Where shall I ……?
- Why have I …….?
What is Research? – (I)

 1. Process – step-by-step, ‘How’?

 2. Scholarly or scientific investigation or

inquiry of knowledge.
“understand our world in a way that goes
beyond simple description, common sense
(Pole and Lampard, 2002:2)”
 3. Close, careful study
(Source: The American Heritage College
Dictionary, 3rd edition, p.1160)
What is Research? – (II)

 ‘a detailed study of a subject,

esp. in order to discover (new)
information or reach a (new)
understanding’
(Source: Cambridge International Dictionary of English, p.1208)

 ‘Extend’ our understanding of

the matter ----Knowledge
Why we do research?

1) Want to know if an Idea is

true?

2) Want to know the reasons

that an event took place
Fundamental concepts of
doing research
Fundamental concepts of
doing research
 Ontology (存在論/本體)
 Study of what exists?
 (e.g. describe the different
parts/processes/relationship)

 Epistemology (認識論) –the study of knowledge in general

 What criteria such knowledge must satisfy in order to
be called “knowledge”?
 Study of how we get knowledge? How do we discover
new things?
 What relationship the researcher has with the research
Fundamental concepts of
doing research
 Epistemology (認識論): two major branches
 Empiricism
 True knowledge is primarily founded on input from our
sense
 Refer to experience and observations when beliefs and
claims are justified
 Ideas and traditions are not the primary, most important
source of knowledge
 Rationalism
 Emphasize reason, rather than experience and
observations, as the primary basis for justifying beliefs
and claims
 The rational and logical human mind is the source for
new knowledge, not the material world around us
 Research results are verified primary by reasoning
Ontology and Epistemology
Ontology Epistemology
what things are the way we know things

describing things and their to investigate the ways that

relationships to answer the leads you to think that.
question "What is it?"
“This  Fundamental
is that” basis
"Howfor informing
can you us
be so sure of
what it is if you don't even
know how you know it?"
- what method(s)/ approach to be used for the
development of knowledge.

 Ontology epistemology methodology

methods
Dictionary Definitions
Research ≠ Dissertation
 To make it very simple

3 components of research

1) The question (research questions, sub-

questions)

2) The process (methodology)

3) The answer (results, findings)

Two major types of research
Research: Concepts

 Research Questions
 Literature Review
 Methodology vs. Methods
 Theor-y (-ies)
 Hypothe-sis (-ses)
 Data (Collection, Analysis)
 Conclusions
 Further Studies
What is Research Question ?

The use of “Research Questions”

as opposed to objectives or
hypothesis, is more frequent in
Qualitative Approach
Research Questions

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential Guide to Doing Research. London: Sage.

Chapter Three
Research Questions

A good research question:

 Defines the investigation
 Sets boundaries
 Provides direction

 Three main types of questions:

 “What”
 “Why”
 “How”
Research Questions- Examples
 “What are consequences of the skills
shortage in the construction field?
What roles migrant workers could
play?”
 “Why the green roof of City University
collapsed?”
 “How to overcome the problem of
Aging of Construction Workers ?”
What is Theory ?
 Theory is about ‘generalized
concepts’.
 Learn to ‘generalize’ or
‘conceptualize’.
Theory
 “a general explanation of the relationship
between ‘concepts’/ observable facts or events”
 “A theory is an interrelated set of constructs
(or variables) formed into propositions, or
hypothesis that specify the relationships among
variables. (Creswell, 2008, p51)”
 “A general/comprehensive set of statements
that describe different aspects of some
phenomenon”
 Logic/Reason (why)
 Explanation (because)
 Concepts(abstract)
- If X, then Y.
- A because of B.
Theory
 Explain why the facts/events occur, and
allow us to predict future events.

Through research, researcher can develop,

modify, or evaluate theories
Theory

Forms included (Creswell, 2008)

• Set of interconnected hypothesis
• Series of if-then statements
Explain why one would expect the
independent variables to influence or cause
the dependent variables
• Visual model (causation diagram)
Visualize the (probable) interconnections of
variables
Theories are abstract - example
Architectural Theory

Louis Kahn
“the nature of space is the spirit and will
exist a certain way.”
 Theories are abstract - example
 Levels of Influence on Human Behavior
(adapted from Glanz & Rimer, 1995)

Individual Factors: knowledge, attitudes,

beliefs, personality
Interpersonal Factors: social identity,
support, roles
Institutional Factors: rules, regulations,
informal structures
Community Factors: social networks, norms

Public Policy: regulations/laws

Theories are abstract - example
The pathway from built environment to
chronic disease and health care costs (Frank et
al. 2019, p321)

Source: [Link]
 Why is ‘Theory’ important?
 We cannot live
without theories,
although we may not notice them.
We need theories to make sense
of the world!
 What is ‘Hypothesis’?
Hypothesis

A ‘good and reasonable’ guess

of possible ‘answers’
 ‘Maybe’ ... ...
 Hypotheses
 To express relationships between
variables.

 If your question is more descriptive or

explorative, generating a hypothesis
may not be appropriate

O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential Guide to Doing Research. London: Sage.

Chapter Three
Hypothesis and Theory
Derived from theory (reasoning: Theory: If A,
then B. If B is true, then A is the
explanation.)
Theory

Concept Concept Concept

Hypothesis

Example
Hypothesis - setting : Criteria

 Relevant (與說明或預測相干)
 Refutable/Falsifiable (可被驗證)
 Better explanatory/predictive power (有較 強
說明力/預測力)
 Simplicity (簡單性) 、
 Informed by theory (與理論相容)

 Source: 殷海光 (2006)《思想的顏色》, 香港:商務印書

館, 頁 76-110.
Hypothesis - Examples

 “Ifa plant receives fertilizer,

then it will grow to be bigger
than a plant that does not
receive fertilizer.”
‘Research’ begins... ...
Whatis Methodology?
 What is Method?

 Are they different?

Methodology vs. Method

 Method = Technique to do something

 Methodology = Logical steps
(approach) to the answers
Methodology
 You have to explain:
– Why the use of your steps and method(s)
will lead to the right answer. To find the
answer, you need theory and hypothesis.
 Now go find out (Action)
 Quantitative Methods
• Objective measurements
• Gathering numerical data and generalizing it
across groups of people or to explain a particular
phenomenon

• Statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis

of data

• Data collected through questionnaires, and

surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing statistical
data

•Use computational techniques

(e.g. SPSS, STATA, R, SAS, EVIEW, etc.)
Conclusions

 Answer =
 Happy
ending?
or
Hard facts to swallow?
Review the Concepts

 Research Questions
 Literature Review
 Methodology vs. Methods
 Theor-y (-ies)
 Hypothe-sis (-ses)
 Data (Collection, Analysis)
 Conclusions
 Further Studies
Your Dissertation: 3 major
difficulties
 Choose a topic
 Determine methodology/methods
 Write up your dissertation
A Research Proposal

 AnExcellent Research Proposal

= 30 – 40% of the Dissertation
Done!
References
 Bell, J. 2010. Doing your research project a guide for first-time
researchers in education, health and social science, McGraw-Hill
Open University Press 5th
 Knight, A. 2008. Advanced research methods in the built
environment, Ruddock, Leslie, 1950-; ebrary, Inc Wiley-Blackwell
 Fellows, R., and Liu, A., 2015. Research methods for construction,
John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Fourth edition.
 Naoum, S. G. 2012 Dissertation research & writing for
construction students Routledge 3rd
 Kumar, R. 2014 Research methodology : a step-by-step guide for
beginners
 London : Sage Publicatons, Fourth edition.
 Blaikie, Norman W. H., 2009 Designing social research : the logic of
anticipation
 Cambridge : Polity Press, 2009, c2010. 2nd
 Creswell J. 2008. Research Design (3rd edition), SAGE press
 The End

 (special thanks to Dr. Esther H.K. Yung, Prof. Bo Tang

& Dr. Jacky Cheung to their valuable contribution to
the teaching materials of this lecture)