Methodology 2011

8/16/2019 Methodology 2011

1/8

Choosing the methodology

6CN010 - Dissertation6CN010 - Dissertation


2/8

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


3/8

• 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+



4/8

)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


5/8

)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



6/8

)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



7/8

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


8/8

!34N5 %7!34N5 %7

4N 27ES!%NS84N 27ES!%NS8


Documents

Methodology 2011