A study note on research theme, research issues, research approaches and research methods: for the Housing Studies students (information from perplexity.ai): 03
[related to course assignment 2, 2025]
My question 1: "I have a few questions about my Housing Dissertation: my research theme is: "the impacts of student housing demand on the local rental market in Hong Kong". I intend to the mixed methods research approach, based on pragmatism and I will use both a questionnaire survey and a semi-structured structured interview, as my main primary research methods. I will also used a secondary research method on studying some local news in Hong Kong. With this information, could you come up with a dissertation proposal to me with: a dissertation title, 2 research issues as derived from my research theme, 3 related research objectives, and the three more clearly developed research methods design on the questionnaire survey, the semi-structured interview. and the secondary research method. Also consider to apply 2 relevant Housing Studies theories to inform this study."
The reply: "Dissertation Title:
The Impacts of Student Housing Demand on the Local Rental Market in Hong Kong: A Mixed-Methods Study
Research Issues:
How does the increasing demand for student housing influence rental prices and availability in the local Hong Kong housing market?
What are the socio-economic effects of student housing demand on local residents and rental market dynamics?
Research Objectives:
To quantify the extent and patterns of student housing demand and its correlation with rental price fluctuations in Hong Kong.
To explore perceptions and experiences of local landlords, students, and residents regarding student housing demand and its market impact.
To analyze local media discourse and policy debates related to student housing and rental market issues in Hong Kong.
Research Methods Design:
Questionnaire Survey
Target sample: university students currently renting housing in Hong Kong.
Key focus: housing preferences, monthly rental expenditures, challenges faced, and perceptions of rental market conditions.
Instrument: structured questionnaire with closed and Likert-scale questions to gather quantitative data on demand patterns and housing affordability.
Sampling approach: purposive sampling through university networks and online platforms.
Semi-Structured Interviews
Participants: landlords, local residents, housing experts, and student representatives.
Focus: qualitative insights into rental market changes, landlord experiences with student tenants, and social impacts on communities.
Interview guide: open-ended questions to allow participants to discuss housing supply, demand, and community dynamics.
Data analysis: thematic coding to identify key themes and narratives.
Secondary Research
Source materials: local Hong Kong news articles, government housing reports, and policy documents related to student housing and rental markets.
Purpose: contextualize primary data, track historical trends, and examine media framing of student housing issues.
Approach: content analysis to identify dominant discourses, policy responses, and public concerns.
Relevant Housing Studies Theories:
Housing Market Segmentation Theory: to understand how the student housing market segment interacts and overlaps with the broader rental market, affecting price and availability.
Social Impact Theory in Housing: to assess how changes in housing demand by students influence social dynamics, community cohesion, and resident experiences.
This proposed structure aligns with a pragmatic mixed-methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic."
My question 2: "For the above proposal, if I change the primary research methods to the focus group and the structured interview research methods, while still doing a secondary research on the local news in Hong Kong; the research philosophy is changed to critical realism while the research approach remains as a mixed methods research, what would the proposal looks like? And also compare the research methods strengths and weaknesses of these two research proposals."
The reply: "Dissertation Title:
The Impacts of Student Housing Demand on the Local Rental Market in Hong Kong: A Critical Realist Mixed-Methods Study
Research Issues:
What underlying causal mechanisms link student housing demand to rental market changes in Hong Kong?
How do social structures and power relations influence the effects of student housing demand on local rental conditions?
Research Objectives:
To identify and quantify key patterns in student housing demand and their relationship with rental market dynamics.
To explore lived experiences and social power influencing housing access, affordability, and community impacts.
To analyze media and policy discourse to contextualize student housing demand within broader socio-political frameworks.
Research Methods Design:
Focus Group (Qualitative)
Participants: diverse groups including students, local residents, landlords, and housing advocates.
Role: facilitate interactive dialogue to uncover perceptions, conflicts, and social dynamics related to student housing.
Focus: power relations, community impact, and shared interpretation of rental market changes.
Analysis: thematic and discourse analysis to reveal patterns of social interaction and latent causal mechanisms.
Structured Interviews (Quantitative-Qualitative Hybrid)
Participants: housing policy makers, university housing officers, landlords.
Role: gather standardized data on institutional policies, rental practices, and market conditions, enabling some quantification.
Focus: causal explanations, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder strategies.
Analysis: coding for themes as well as quantification of response patterns to identify causal trends.
Secondary Research (Qualitative Content Analysis)
Review of local news, housing reports, government documents relating to student housing and rental markets.
Objective: contextualize findings within political-economic and social discourses; uncover power dynamics and policy influences.
Relevant Housing Studies Theories:
Critical Realism: guiding the uncovering of real causal mechanisms beneath observed phenomena using mixed qualitative-quantitative data.
Housing Market Segmentation Theory: to analyze differentiation of student housing demand within the broader rental market.
Comparison of the Two Research Proposals
|
Aspect |
Original
Proposal (Pragmatism: Questionnaire + Semi-structured Interviews) |
Revised
Proposal (Critical Realism Mixed: Focus Groups + Structured Interviews) |
|
Philosophy
& Approach |
Pragmatism;
mixed methods with emphasis on practical, observable effects |
Critical
realism; mixed methods aimed at explaining underlying causes |
|
Primary
Methods |
Quantitative
questionnaire + qualitative interviews |
Qualitative
focus groups + structured interviews with some quantifiable elements |
|
Strengths |
-
Quantitative data enables pattern measurement and statistical analysis -
Semi-structured interviews provide rich individual insights |
- Focus
groups capture social interactions, power dynamics, and group meanings -
Structured interviews provide consistent data for causal analysis - Mixed
qualitative-quantitative balance supports causal explanation |
|
Weaknesses |
- Questionnaire
limits depth/context, may miss causal mechanisms - Interviews may lack social
interaction perspective |
- Focus
groups vulnerable to dominant voices/groupthink - Structured interviews may
constrain spontaneity - Potentially less generalizable quantitative data |
|
Data
Analysis |
Statistical
analysis combined with thematic coding |
Integrated
thematic, discourse, and quantified thematic coding for explanation |
|
Suitability
for Philosophy |
Matches
pragmatic goals of practical insight and actionable findings |
Aligns
with critical realist aim to understand structures and mechanisms using mixed
data |
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