A note on document study and desk research: for housing studies students

A note on document study and desk research: for housing studies students [information from poe.com]

My question: "In my study of Research Methods, I have come across a problem. If I study a government policy document related to the topic of homelessness in Hong Kong and the government document is downloaded from the government website, is the research method called "document study" or "desk research"? Could you clarify the terminology and which one to use to describe my research method in this case? Tks."

The reply: "In your case, both "document study" and "desk research" can apply, but they have slightly different connotations:

Document Study: This method specifically refers to analyzing existing documents to gather information. It focuses on understanding the content, context, and implications of the documents themselves. If your emphasis is on analyzing the government policy document in detail, you would describe your method as a document study.

Desk Research: This term is broader and refers to gathering existing information from various sources, including documents, online resources, and other literature, without conducting primary research (like interviews or surveys). If your research involves synthesizing information from multiple sources, including the government document, you could refer to it as desk research.

Recommendation:

If your primary focus is on the government policy document itself, use "document study." If you're looking at multiple sources and synthesizing overall findings, use "desk research."".

Reference: a collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.