Assignment Topic: Construction Techniques that lead to low-cost/affordable housing in Victoria, Australia
Subject- Research Methodology
ASSIGNMENT 1: Defining a Research Topic SRR 782 Research Methodology
General guidelines:
The aim of this assignment is to enable you to:
- Identify a field of research
- Undertake an annotated bibliography within a field of research
- Use the annotated bibliography to write a brief literature review that identifies a gap in knowledge or opportunities for NEW research
- Develop an initial Aim and Objectives (supporting the Aim) that address the identified gap in knowledge or new research opportunity
Resources
- In weeks 1 - 4 there will be presentations and activities that will enable you to make a start on identifying a field of research, undertaking an annotated bibliography, developing a literature review and proposing research aims and objectives.
- Outside class you are expected to spend at least 11 hours a week working on this assignment.
- Refer to the weekly readings, in particular week 1reading:
o 'What's your Question: Literature Review and Research Design' (Groat and Wang,2013).
o 'Topic for Study' (Fellow and Liu,2015)
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR Part1 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
- Decide on your field of study. Undertake a literature search of this field using the Deakin University database, Google scholar, academia online and/or Research Gate.
- Identify seminal research books, book chapters, journal articles or peer reviewed academic conference papers. (NB online web references such as Wikipedia or blogs are NOT to be used).
- Typically seminal references have multiple citations, so narrow down your search by looking for highly cited research.
- You do NOT have to read the whole book, chapter or journal article - learn to skim read. Identify key quotes and / or summarize the key arguments to produce an annotated bibliography.
Part 1: Annotated Bibliography
THREE OR MORE seminal books or journal articles (preferred).
Using key word searches within the library database, google scholar, academia online and research gate - locate THREE or MORE seminal references for the field of research you are interested in. Typically these are books or journal articles that written by significant figures, who articulate the research agenda. Usually these have a high number of citations, demonstrating that many other researchers have referenced these books or journal articles.
Part 2: Diagram the 'Scope of Research'
Diagram your field of research explaining where your topic of interest is positioned. This should attempt to show where you see the GAP in the research and help identify your contribution.
It is expected that you are relatively new to your topic. You have an interest in it and you are beginning to understand and search for its relevance in architecture, planning, building, etc. Several questions to be addressed in your 'defining a topic' pathway diagram are:
- Where does your research topic come from?
- What is the field of research around it?
- Where is your research placed in and among this scope of research?
- What topics will it address?
In no more than 250 words explain your diagram in a scientific manner. Remember, it does not include YOU. It is not about your opinions or feelings. Rather, it is about your understanding and arranging what is in the general topic, its background, and where within this organisation you are focusing.
Using the above (previous) seminal references on your topic. You may want to:
- repeat existing research in a different context,or
- use a different methodology to correlate the research,or
- organise the research of others in a coherent and uniquemanner
Part 3: Preliminary Overview
- Provide an OVERVIEW of the topic. WHAT is it about? WHY is it important? WHAT are the conflicts/missing information/improvements required? Use supporting references.
- This work begins to locate a gap in knowledge, significance or NEW research opportunities within your field of research.
Write approximately 1000 words using sentences and paragraphs (bullet point style is NOT preferred here).
Suggested structure for Preliminary Overview:
Part 1 - Introduce the field of research reiterating seminal references (see Part 1 above), history of research activity, and the state of current knowledge and research activity. Within the field of research set the scope of your interest i.e. articulate which smaller aspect the existing field of research are you going to focus on.
Part 2 - By reference specific references you have located and identified the gap in knowledge or opportunity for NEW research. This might be: explicitly identified in a reference; and / or by using two or more references you make the argument that new research is needed; and / or by comparing developments outside the field such as new technology or theory; and / or you argue that replicating the research in a NEW context may "re-examine the findings of the original study and partly to examine the situation, both absolutely and comparatively, between the locations of the studies." (Fellows & Liu, 2015).
In a sense you are building upon the FIRST TWO tasks. Use this material to now help explain the research topic. Explain what the field encounters and what is missing from it.
Use 'in text' referencing using Harvard style and add THE full reference under the 'references' Part at the end of the assignment.
Part 4: Aims and Objectives / Research Question
For ONE research topic that addresses the gap in knowledge or research opportunity as identified in the literature review and by yourself....
Suggested structure:
- Prepare an annotated structure: possibly a bullet-point format
- Write a paragraph that states the Aim of the research: what does the research seek to achieve or find out?; Why is this necessary or useful for the field of research? What impact will your proposed research have?
- NOTE: THERE IS ONLY ONE AIM!!
- Write a list of research Objectives that articulate the Aim: a sequence of research activities that address the aim of the research. This is the beginning of the 'HOW' part of yourAim.....
Word Count - 3000 Words
Referencing style- Harvard
Download:- TEMPLATE-Research Methodology.rar