Researching 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 13 detailed case studies from 16 universities in 7 countries, to help you get to grips with quantitative and qualitative methods, mixed methods of data collection, action research, and more.

An eBook version available online via ProQuest Ebooks
Step-by-step guide to get BE students through their final year research project. How to select a dissertation topic, write a proposal, conduct a literature review, select the research approach, gather the data, analyse and present the information and ultimately produce a well-written dissertation.

Designed to help construction students develop the research skills needed to achieve success in their research projects. Providing clear guidance on research formulation, methodologies, and methods, this comprehensive textbook addresses the theoretical, philosophical, and practical aspects of research in many areas of construction. Requirements for data and analysis and describe the methods used for scientific and engineering experiments, modelling and simulations, research on management and socio-economic issues, and more are explained. New and expanded chapters cover topics including data protection and ethics, theory borrowing, sensemaking, and directionally motivated reasoning. Assists researchers in selecting appropriate methods to execute research. Articulates the stages of construction research processes: producing a proposal, executing the research, and reporting the results Examines qualitative and quantitative approaches and statistical considerations for a wide range of construction research.

An expansive look at the traditions, methods, and challenges of research design and research projects in contemporary urban planning. Through case studies, an international group of researchers, planning practitioners, and planning academics and educators, all recognized authorities in the field, provide accounts of designing and implementing research projects from different approaches and venues. This book shows how to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to projects, and how to take your research from the classroom to the real world. The book is structured into sections focusing on Beginning planning research Research design and development Rediscovering qualitative methods New advances in quantitative methods Turning research into action With chapters written by leading scholars in spatial planning, The Routledge Handbook of Planning Research Methods is the most authoritative and comprehensive handbook on the topic, providing both established and ground breaking coverage of spatial planning research methods. The book is an invaluable resource for undergraduate and graduate level students, young professionals and practitioners in urban, regional, and spatial planning.

Advanced insight into the research methods and presents the key methodologies within the field of building science and technology. Reviews simulation-based and experimentation / field-based methods of data collection and analysis in diverse areas of building science and technology, such as energy performance, window and enclosure studies, environmental LCA, daylighting, CFD, and thermal comfort. Provides a range of perspectives from building science faculty and researcher contributors with diverse research interests

A systematic guide on how to apply secondary research methods in the built environment, including their various underpinning methodologies. It provides guidance on the secondary research process, benefits, and drawbacks of applying secondary research methods, how to source for secondary data, ethical considerations, and the various secondary research methods that can be applied in built environment research. Incorporates chapters dealing with qualitative secondary analysis, systematic literature reviews, legal analysis, bibliometric and scientometric analysis, literature-based discovery, and meta-analysis.

Scholars are increasingly recognising the immense opportunities in applying secondary research methods in built environment research. Advances in technology have led to vast amounts of existing datasets that can be used. Provides a systematic guide on how to apply secondary research methods in the built environment, including their various underpinning methodologies. Gives guidance on the secondary research process, benefits, and drawbacks of applying secondary research methods, how to source for secondary data, ethical considerations, and the various secondary research methods that can be applied in built environment research. Incorporates chapters dealing with qualitative secondary analysis, systematic literature reviews, legal analysis, bibliometric and scientometric analysis, literature-based discovery, and meta-analysis. This collective works draws examples from construction management, project management, quantity surveying, construction law and dispute resolution, real estate and property management, building services engineering, architecture, and civil engineering.

Also online from Cambridge University Press
Learn how to plan for success with this hands-on guide to conducting high-quality engineering research. Plan and implement your next project for maximum impact: step-by-step instructions cover every stage in engineering research, from the identification of an appropriate research topic through to the successful presentation of results. Improve your research outcomes: discover essential tools and methods for producing high-quality, rigorous research, including statistical analysis, survey design, and optimisation techniques. Research with purpose and direction: clear explanations, real-world examples, and over 50 customisable end-of-chapter exercises, all written with the practical and ethical considerations of engineering in mind. A unique engineering perspective: written especially for engineers, and relevant across all engineering disciplines, this is the ideal book for graduate students, undergraduates, and new academics looking to launch their research careers.