On research method design specification in a housing studies dissertation proposal

On research method design specification in a housing studies dissertation proposal

I am a lecturer on Research Methods for part-time Housing Studies students. In order to guide my students to describe more clearly their research method design in their dissertation proposals, could you offer me a research method design specification template with 4 main information on each of the following research methods:

1. Semi-structured interview

2. Questionnaire survey

3. Focus group

4. Participant observation

5. Secondary data analysis (on reported case studies)

 

Research Method Design Specification Template

Ask students to complete the same four fields for each method they propose. This forces a clear link between the research question, evidence needed, practical procedure, and quality safeguards. The template is particularly suitable for Housing Studies proposals, where access, ethics, and the local context can materially shape the design.

Research method	1. Purpose and fit	2. Participants/ data and sampling	3. Data-collection procedure	4. Analysis, quality, and ethics
Semi-structured interview	State the research question(s) addressed and why interview data are needed—for example, to explore residents’, tenants’, landlords’, professionals’, or officials’ experiences and meanings.	Identify the target group, inclusion criteria, proposed number of interviews, sampling approach (e.g., purposive, snowball), recruitment route, and location.	Describe the interview format, approximate duration, main themes in the interview guide, whether interviews will be recorded, and how consent will be obtained.	State the analytical approach (e.g., thematic analysis), how transcripts/ codes will be managed, and safeguards such as anonymity, secure storage, voluntary participation, and reflexive awareness of interviewer bias.
Questionnaire survey	State which variables, attitudes, behaviours, or associations the survey will measure—for example, housing satisfaction, affordability stress, or perceptions of estate management.	Define the population, sampling frame, sample-size target, sampling method, mode of distribution, and expected response rate.	Specify the questionnaire sections, question types and scales, language(s), pilot test, distribution period, reminders, and measures to reduce ambiguous or leading questions.	Explain planned analysis (e.g., descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, correlation, regression where appropriate), treatment of missing data, reliability checks for multi-item scales, confidentiality, and consent information.
Focus group	Explain why group interaction is valuable—for example, to examine shared norms, disagreement, or collective views about redevelopment, public housing, or neighbourhood change.	State the target participants, number of groups, expected group size, composition criteria, recruitment method, and whether participants know one another.	Describe the discussion guide, length and venue/online platform, moderator and note-taker roles, recording arrangements, and procedures for balanced participation.	Specify the analysis approach, usually thematic analysis of both individual comments and group interaction; address confidentiality limits, respectful-discussion rules, anonymisation, and risks where participants hold unequal power.
Participant observation	State the activity, setting, or interaction to be observed and why observation is needed rather than relying only on what people say—for example, use of communal spaces or resident-meeting dynamics.	Define the observation site(s), people/ activities relevant to the study, observation periods, selection rationale, and researcher role (observer, participant-as-observer, etc.).	Specify what will be observed, how often and for how long, how field notes will be recorded, whether photographs/ audio are involved, and how access permission will be secured.	Explain how field notes will be coded and interpreted; discuss positionality, observer effects, consent or public-setting justification, privacy, avoiding identification of individuals, and safe storage of notes.
Secondary data analysis of reported case studies	State the issue being investigated and why published case material can answer it—for example, comparing reported outcomes of urban renewal, housing policy interventions, or estate regeneration projects.	Define what counts as an eligible case study: place, period, housing type, policy issue, publication type, and inclusion/ exclusion criteria. State the expected number of cases.	Describe search sources and search terms, screening process, data-extraction fields, and how documents will be catalogued. Distinguish scholarly, government, professional, and media sources.	State the comparison method, such as thematic synthesis, content analysis, or cross-case analysis. Evaluate credibility, publication bias, differences in context, incomplete reporting, correct citation, and copyright-respecting use of sources.

Student Writing Prompt

For each method, students can write one concise paragraph using this structure:

This study will use [method] to address [research question/ objective]. Data will be obtained from [participants/documents/sites], selected through [sampling or selection approach]. Data will be collected through [specific procedure] during [timeframe]. The data will be analysed using [analytical technique], while [ethical and quality measures] will be used to protect participants and strengthen the credibility of the findings.

A useful teaching check is to ask students to underline, in different colours, the purpose, source/sample, procedure, and analysis/ethics in their own paragraph. Which of these five methods do your students most often describe too vaguely: sampling, collection procedure, or analysis?

 

 A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.