A good research project needs a plan. Without a plan, information gathering
moves from an orderly march to a clear destination to a frantic and disorganized
run through a baffling maze.
Different research tools also require different skill sets, and a research
plan should be developed after considering the available skill sets. A
researcher who is not a native English speaker may have difficulty conducting
qualitative interviews because of the metaphors and nuances in spoken language,
but if they have lived in their current country of residence for five or six
years, they might be familiar enough with its national culture to behavior map
certain types of activities or users instead.
The descriptions of the research tools that follow detail how different techniques
are used, so that you will know which tools are best to select in which
situations. Although certain tools are recommended for particular research
phases, if the resources are not available to feasibly apply them, substitute
another one of the research tools profiled. As an example, observations may
be useful during the programming phase of a project, but if no one on the
research team has a security clearance that is high enough to allow them into
the site occupied by the users of the space, add more specific questions to the
survey to collect some of the useful information that would have been most
effectively gathered through observations.
Before conducting any research, think about whether the results will be
published in a peer-reviewed journal, which is defined in Chapter 4. If they
might, you should have an institutional review board (IRB) certify that your
research methodology is not harmful to study participants. Some publications
require this certification before they will publish findings. Often, a local
university can assist you with the IRB process; an IRB review needs to precede
data collection. Also, the U.S. government has developed regulations to
ensure that research in healthcare settings is conducted in a way that does not
compromise patients. Check with healthcare facilities at which you will do
research as well as government authorities such as the National Institutes of
Health (www.nih.gov) for the latest regulations.
Research tools are discussed here with different levels of detail because,
honestly, some are more rule-intense than others. Scientists have learned, for
example, all sorts of things about how the wording and structure of survey
questions influences the information collected—and we’ll present a reasonable
number of those rules. When doing a visual content analysis of the living
spaces favored by future residents of a place under development, there are
fewer operational rules to report, although both techniques are rigorous and
respected in the research world.
Any research effort needs to be coordinated between teammates. The
research plan needs to identify the person or persons who will ultimately be
responsible for organizing and executing particular research activities. Designating
responsible parties makes it easier for people not initially involved
with research activities to join the research efforts, or to understand activities
undertaken by the research team. Clearly defining the roles of everyone
involved in the research project prevents confusion over responsibilities
and streamlines the research process. A coordinated plan establishes when,
how, by whom, and where information is collected, analyzed, stored, and
applied.
A research plan makes researchers feel more comfortable that they will
achieve their objectives; gives them confidence, and credibility among the
project stakeholders and sponsors of the research; and provides valuable information
that informs and brings greater certainty to a design response.
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