Research Methodology – (120704)

Dr. Hermawan
Construction Management Research Groups
Civil Engineering Department
SCU
Email: [email protected]
Outline
• What You Can Do With Research
• Classification of Research
• Types of research
• Literature Review
What You Can Do With Research

Categorise Evaluate

Describe Correlate

Explain Predict

Compare Control
Classification of Research
• Before classification, we must first define types of
research
• Different criteria are used to classify research
types

(All of these are somewhat arbitrary and artificial)

Basic vs Applied Research
• Basic – to determine or establish fundamental
facts and relationships within a discipline or field
of study. Develop theories … (examples in
economics?)
• Applied – undertaken specifically for the purpose
of obtaining information to help resolve a
particular problem
• The distinction between them is in the
application
– Basic has little application to real world policy and
management but could be done to guide applied
research
Disciplinary, Subject-
matter, and Problem-
solving Research
(Johnson, 1986)
Disciplinary
• designed to improve a discipline
• dwells on theories, fundamental relationships and
analytical procedures and techniques
• In economics, the intended users are other economists
• Provides the conceptual and analytical base for other
economic research
• It is synergistic and complementary with subject
matter and problem-solving research

7
Disciplinary… cont.
• Provides the foundations for applied research
• Circular as applied research reveals the shortcomings
of disciplinary research
• Examples of some economic theories?
(supply & demand, price elasticity, consumer utility …)

8
Subject-matter research
• “research on a subject of interest to a set of
decision makers “ (p 22)
• Tends to follow subject-matter boundaries within a
discipline ( eg. resource economics, production
economics, labor economics)
• Inherently multidisciplinary, drawing information
from many disciplines
– eg. consumer economic draws from psychology, natural
resource economics from biology, economic policy from
political science

9
Subject-matter research … cont.
• Provides policy makers with general knowledge to
make decisions about various problems.
• A primary source of policy applications for economics
• Subject-matter research is a cornerstone in
economics – it involves direct application of
economics to contemporary issues.

10
Problem-solving research
• Designed to solve a specific problem for a specific
decision maker
• Often results in recommendations on decisions or
actions
• Problem-solving research is holistic – uses all information
relevant to the specific problem
(while disciplinary research tends to be reductionist)
• Disciplinary research is generally the most “durable”
(long lasting); problem-solving research the least durable
Types of Research (1)
• Descriptive versus Analytical
• Applied versus Fundamental
• Quantitative versus Qualitative
• Conceptual versus Empirical
• Some Other Types of Research
Types of Research (2)
• Correlational
• Field (survey)
• Experimental
• Qualitative
Types of Research (3)
• Correlational Study
• Explores or tests relations between variables
• “Rules out” alternative variables that could play a role in
relations between variables

• Field
• Studies participants in their natural setting
• Maximizes realism
Types of Research (4)
• Experimental Designs
• Directly establishes cause-effect nature of relationship
between variables
• Decreases ambiguity
• Laboratory vs. Field Experiment
– Artificial setting with high control over variables
Types of Research (5)
• Experimental Designs
• Establish cause via
• Manipulation of cause (aka treatment)
• Temporal precedence of cause (and no other factor)
before effect
• Control of all other extraneous factors
Types of Research (6)
Experimental Research Design Example
Types of Research (7)
• Qualitative
• Non-quantitative
• Not necessarily informal data collection (cf. Saks)
• Examples
• Interview/focus group transcripts
• Some kinds of observational/archival data
• Critical incidents methodology
• Helps in
• Formulating hypotheses
• Deeper/richer understanding of phenomena
• Interpret organization-specific results
What is a literature review (for)?
• When thinking about what a literature review is, we
need to think about what it is for. What is the
purpose of a literature review?
What is a literature review (for)?
• Establishes the terms and context. How else will you define exactly what
you’re looking at and where its limits are?
• Presents a survey of preceding literature on the topic. How else will you
know what’s been done already?
• Explores ways that others have solved similar questions/problems. How
else will you select an appropriate methodology and approach?
• Outlines the relationship of these texts to each other. How else will you
know what the different perspectives and debates are, and where you are
coming from?
• Evaluates the quality and relevance of the literature. How else will you
be able to build on or reject it?
• Establishes the gaps or inadequacies. How else will you justify your own
contribution?
• Demonstrates your scholarly rigor. How else can I have faith in your
conclusions?
Menurut Kerzner (2009), proyek konstruksi merupakan suatu rangkaian
kegiatan untuk mencapai suatu tujuan (bangunan atau konstruksi) dengan
Batasan waktu, biaya dan mutu tertentu. Proyek konstruksi membutuhkan
resources (sumber daya) yaitu man (manusia), material (bahan bangunan),
machine (peralatan), method (metode pelaksanaan), money (uang),
information (informasi), dan time (waktu). Proyek konstruksi adalah suatu
rangkaian kegiatan yang berkaitan dengan upaya pembangunan suatu
bangunan, mencakup pekerjaan pokok dalam bidang teknik sipil dan
arsitektur, meskipun tidak jarang juga melibatkan disiplin lain seperti Teknik
industry, mesin, elektro, geoteknik, maupun lansekap. Adapun jenis-jenis
proyek konstruksi adalah sebagai berikut.
Menurut Zainudin (2011) perencanaan adalah suatu
tahapan dalam manajemen proyek yang mencoba
meletakkan dasar tujuan dan sasaran sekaligus
menyiapkan segala program teknis dan
administratif agar dapat diimplementasikan.
Perencanaan merupakan salah satu fungsi vital
dalam kegiatan manajemen proyek. Perencanaan
dikatankan baik bila seluruh proses kegiatan yang
ada didalamnya dapat diimplementasikan sesuai
dengan sasaran dan tujuan yang telah ditetapkan
dengan tingkat penyimpangan minimal serta akhir
maksimal.
Literature Review
• A critical analysis of existing research in your field; it highlights
both the strengths and weaknesses of existing research

• Allows you to gain a critical understanding of your field

• Opportunity to think about what has been done in your field;

opportunity to think about the similarities, patterns, trends and
also differences across the existing research

• By identifying strengths and weakness, you will be able to think

about what has not/needs to be done in your field

• The gap in the literature is your justification for your research

More than just a chapter…
• A literature review is a process as well as an outcome!

• Literature review as an outcome: appears in the

final draft of your thesis as part of your introduction
or as a separate chapter.

• Literature review as a process: critical engagement

(thinking, reading and writing) with relevant research
on your topic. It is a crucial and formative stage of
your thesis journey.
Critical Thinking as a student
• Undergraduate level: backing your points up with
appropriate, authoritative sources
• Masters Level: demonstrating that you understand
how knowledge is created
• PhD Level: demonstrating that you can create new,
original knowledge
• Professional academic: peer review, building a
coherent body of work of your own and assuring
others’ work
Why is it so important to write critically?! Bloom’s
Taxomony: Cognitive Domain (1956) as revised by Anderson
& Krathwohl (2001)
Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised)

Synthesis/Creation
Evaluation

Analysis

Application

Understanding

Knowledge
Purpose of a Literature Review
The literature review is a critical look at the existing
research that is significant to the work that you are
carrying out.

• To provide background information

• To establish importance
• To demonstrate familiarity
• To “carve out a space” for further research
Characteristics of
Effective Literature Reviews
• Outlining important research trends
• Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of existing
research
• Identifying potential gaps in knowledge
• Establishing a need for current and/or future
research projects
Steps for Writing a Literature Review

• Planning
• Reading and Research
• Analyzing
• Drafting
• Revising
Reading Critically
Think about:

– What were the research aims of the paper/book?

– Is the research aim achieved? If so, how did they do it?
– Are there any problems with their methodology?
– Was it a strong or a weak research model?
– How will this research help with your own research?
– What can you take from it?
– What needs to be avoided?
– What are you doing differently?
Critical thinking
(a three-year-old’s guide)
– Why?
– How does that work?
– What’s that made of?
– What’s that for?
– What does that mean?
– But X says…
– How do you know?
– So what?
– Says who?
– What happens if…
What critical thinking can mean in terms
of the literature review
• Understanding research on its own terms – testing
its viability

• Understanding research in relation to other

arguments

• Critiquing research in relation to what you want to

do
Starting to think about your own
literature review
• Who are the key players in my field? This could be anything
from academics, medics, governing bodies, schools of
thought etc. (Sources!)

• What are the main ideas/debates in my field?

• How have these ideas changed over time?

• What are some of the problems with these ideas/debates? Is

there a problem with the methodology?

• What are you going to do differently?

Key players and sources
• First stage of the literature review is to identify the key
people in your field and collate all relevant sources about
your topic.

Ask yourself:
• What research and theory is there on my topic?
• What are the key sources (books, articles) on my topic?
• Who are the main theorists and researchers in this area?
• How has the topic/problem been investigated over time?
 Where to start?!
YOU DON’T NEED TO READ
EVERYTHING – you can’t!

• You don’t need to read

every text

• You don’t need to read

every word
Main ideas/debates
• Once you have the relevant sources you can begin to
think about what the key ideas, debates, methodologies
etc. are in your field.
• You can also think about how these ideas have changed
over time.

Ask yourself:
• How has the topic or problem been defined?
• Are there any trends and patterns across the literature?
• What methodological assumptions and approaches have
been used?
• What are the agreements and disagreements between
theorists on my topic?
Organising your material: Identifying a
debate

Scholar X Scholar Y

• disagrees with
• agrees with (school
of thought?)
• builds on the conclusions of
• confirms the findings of
• has reservations about
Thinking critically
• When identifying the key ideas, themes and
methodologies in your field, it is important to think
critically about them
• This will allow you to identify a ‘gap’ in the literature

Ask yourself:
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of these
debates?
• What evidence is lacking, inconclusive or limited?
• What will you add to the topic? What will you do
differently?