Empirical Research Progress for Urban Planning and Design
For designing your research project
1.Formulating Research Question:
You need to have an idea, a topic for your research project. How will it help develop the theory and/or practice? Check with the literature that your research question has not already been addressed.
2. Making decision on an appropriate design and methodology:
It is usual to test the methodology through a pilot study — to check workability and give you the information you need for the research.
3. How to collect/generate data:
Collecting your data, using the methodology as decided at 2. (e.g. census, transportation, financial, social, cultural, etc.)
4. Understanding/Evaluating data:
Data mining — the process of finding patterns and correlations within large data sets to predict outcomes, a process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems
5. Develop hypothesis models and Analysis:
Taking to analysis, using techniques appropriate for the collected data type(s) — could be an iterative process, particularly in action research
6. Interpret the results:
Based on the analysis, draw your conclusions
7. Discussions and Future research:
Writing up your research - It may be worth to write some aspects while your project goes along — but don’t write the introduction until your work has completely done. Preparing to revise plans if necessary.
- audience for your research — feasible and practical for them
- data protection if using ‘personal identifiable data;
- copyright for quoting or using other people’s work for your project
(Source: British School of Coaching)
