Research Methodology in the Built Environment Built environment students are not always familiar with the range of different research approaches they could be using for their projects Whether you are undertaking a postgraduate doctoral programme or facing an undergraduate or masters dissertation, this book provides general advice, as well as thirteen detailed case studies, from sixteen universities, in seven countries, to help you get to grips with quantitative and qualitative methods, mixed methods of data collection, action research and more Vian Ahmed is a Professor at the University of Salford and was previously director of postgraduate research Her teaching expertise is in construction management and IT at undergraduate and postgraduate levels She has broad research interests, covering skills culture and people in construction, for example: e-learning in construction, construction IT for large organisations and SMEs, ontology development for construction education, construction management and organisation readiness Alex Opoku is currently the Director for the Research Centre for Sustainability and Resilient Infrastructure & Communities (SaRIC) at the London South Bank University He is a Senior Lecturer in Quantity Surveying and the Course Director for the MSc Quantity Surveying programme at the school of Built Environment & Architecture Zeeshan Aziz is leader of the Construction Management MSc at the University of Salford and also supervises undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral research projects His own research interests include intelligent construction collaboration, intelligent integrated sustainable construction and disaster resilient infrastructure This page intentionally left blank Research Methodology in the Built Environment A selection of case studies Edited by Vian Ahmed, Alex Opoku and Zeeshan Aziz First published 2016 by Routledge Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 selection and editorial material, Vian Ahmed, Alex Opoku and Zeeshan Aziz; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Vian Ahmed, Alex Opoku and Zeeshan Aziz to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Names: Ahmed, Vian, editor | Opoku, Alex, editor | Aziz, Zeeshan, editor Title: Research methodology in the built environment: a selection of case studies/Edited by Vian Ahmed, Alex Opoku and Zeeshan Aziz Description: New York: Routledge, 2016 | Includes bibliographical references and index Identifiers: LCCN 2015040445 (print) | LCCN 2015044926 (ebook) | ISBN 9781138849464 (hardback: alk paper) | ISBN 9781138849471 (pbk.: alk paper) | ISBN 9781315725529 (eBook) Subjects: LCSH: Architecture – Study and teaching | Architecture – Research – Case studies Classification: LCC NA2000 R48 2016 (print) | LCC NA2000 (ebook) | DDC 720.72 – dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015040445 ISBN: 978-1-138-84946-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-84947-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-72552-9 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK Contents List of illustrations List of contributors Acknowledgements Introduction ix xii xviii xix PART I The thought process of the research journey 1 Getting ready for your research: setting the scene VIAN AHMED AND ALEX OPOKU When more does not mean better: selecting a research methodology and methods 11 KARIM MÉNACÈRE Choosing an appropriate research methodology and method 32 ALEX OPOKU, VIAN AHMED AND JULIUS AKOTIA PART II Quantitative research A questionnaire survey of building surveying education: The graduate voice 51 53 MIKE HOXLEY Comparing experience through visual behaviour in physical and virtual environments DAVID GREENWOOD AND OLIVER JONES 65 vi Contents Using quantitative approaches to enhance construction performance through data captured from mobile devices 79 ZEESHAN AZIZ, CHRISTOPHER BARKER AND BULENT ALGAN TEZEL PART III Qualitative research A theoretical framework for conserving cultural values of heritage buildings in Malaysia from the perspective of facilities management 93 95 HASIF RAFIDEE BIN HASBOLLAH AND DAVID BALDRY Using case-based methods in construction research with complementarities 107 FIDELIS A EMUZE PART IV Mixed methods research Studentification and the housing needs of international students in Johannesburg: an embedded mixed methods approach 127 129 KOLA IJASAN AND VIAN AHMED 10 Enabling building-information-modelling-capable small and medium enterprises 147 AISHA ABUELMAATTI AND VIAN AHMED 11 Learning from bioclimatic desert architecture: a case study of Ghadames, Libya 169 AHMAD TAKI AND JAMAL ALABID PART V Action research 187 12 Embedding action research in the built environment: An action approach 189 LLOYD SCOTT 13 Information systems to support planning and decision-making in construction organizations using action research methodology SALMAN AZHAR 208 Contents vii PART VI Grounded theory research 229 14 The application of grounded theory methodology in built environment research 231 MONTY SUTRISNA AND WISNU SETIAWAN 15 Grounded theory style analysis in action: utilising multi-layer methods in developing built environment response to social conflicts in Indonesia 246 WISNU SETIAWAN, MONTY SUTRISNA AND PETER BARRETT PART VII Design science research 265 16 Design science methodology for developing a learning object repository for construction 267 PATHMESWARAN RAJU AND VIAN AHMED Index 284 This page intentionally left blank Illustrations Figures 1.1 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 7.1 7.2 7.3 10.1 11.1 11.2 The research thought process through the researcher’s eye Triangulation mixed method design The sampling approach adopted from Saunders et al (2009) Questionnaire design process Main areas of work Preparation for key BS tasks Skills acquisition Two examples of VEx scales after all four viewing conditions Similarity of computer generation to the depiction of the physical environment (experiential) Example of heat map visualisation, showing fixation frequency and duration for a single viewing condition (SketchUp) Nineteen regions identified from architectural elements within the scene Similarity of computer generation to the depiction of the physical environment (aggregated fixation duration intensity) Data-collection and -analysis strategy Formulas used and legend to support analysis of average resolution, standard deviation and z-score calculations 3D column chart showing distribution of issue records by project type and region Record distribution by creator role and general issue type used to calculate total resolution periods Quantity of missing entries for queried data field in the sample The data-collection strategy Example of the initial template for FM perspectives The final template for the theoretical framework for conserving CVHB in Malaysia from the perspective of FM Scree plot for component extraction criterion Electricity consumption and distribution in Libya Methodology and research approach 37 39 42 60 61 61 73 74 74 75 75 85 86 87 87 88 98 102 103 162 170 173 ... shaping the aim and objectives; synthesising the literature and defining the underpinning theory; selecting a suitable methodology; defining the data-collection strategy; articulating the research. .. knowledge the research is making One of the equally important aspects of the research involves clearly defining the underpinning theory, and how it informs the methodology, which then leads to the. .. structured in a way that captures the research thought process through setting the scene, the research, consolidating the findings from the literature, and how these findings inform the methodology,