Seeking ChatGPT advice for clarification on some dissertation project issues: a note for Housing Studies students

Seeking ChatGPT advice for clarification on some dissertation project issues: a note for Housing Studies students

(To use the assistant bot, visit poe.com)

The following is an account of my conversation with the assistant bot, powered by GPT-4o, on some study issues related to dissertation project work of Housing Studies students.

Query 1

Joseph Ho (student): "I am a part-time undergraduate student on Housing Studies. Not long ago, I submitted my dissertation report draft to my supervisor to review. My supervisor said that it is not sufficient just to specifying that my research objective is to find out more about the housing affordability status of the elderly in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. I need to justify why I adopt this research objective for my dissertation project. I do not understand what "justify" means and why justifying a research objective is important? Could you clarify them to me?"

Assistant bot: "Certainly, I'd be happy to help you understand the importance of justifying your research objective.

In the context of a dissertation or research project, "justifying" your research objective means providing a clear and compelling rationale for why you have chosen that particular objective. It involves explaining the significance, relevance, and relevance of your chosen focus.

There are a few key reasons why justifying your research objective is important:

Demonstrates the importance of your research:

By justifying your objective, you show that your research is addressing a meaningful and relevant issue or gap in the existing knowledge. This helps to convince your supervisor and readers that your work is worthwhile and impactful.

Provides context and background:

The justification allows you to give necessary background information, explain the context in which your research is situated, and highlight the need or motivation for investigating this particular topic or objective.

Strengthens your research design:

The process of justifying your objective can help you clarify your thinking, refine your research questions, and ensure that your overall approach is well-aligned with your intended goals.

Enhances the coherence of your dissertation:

A well-justified research objective helps to establish a clear thread throughout your dissertation, connecting your introduction, literature review, methodology, and findings.

In the case of your dissertation on housing affordability for the elderly in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, you would need to provide a justification that covers aspects such as:

The significance of housing affordability as an important issue for the elderly population

The unique challenges or context of the Sham Shui Po district that make it a relevant focus area

The gaps or limitations in existing research on this topic that your study aims to address

The potential practical or theoretical contributions your research can make

By clearly justifying your research objective, you demonstrate to your supervisor and readers that your chosen focus is well-considered, relevant, and valuable, which will strengthen the overall quality and impact of your dissertation.

Does this help explain the importance of justifying your research objective? Please let me know if you have any other questions!"

Query 2

Joseph Ho (student): "My supervisor also said that my Housing Studies dissertation report chapter on Literature review wrote too much describing empirical facts and policies related to housing affordability of the elderly in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. My supervisor requested me to spend more effort to review academic theories on housing affordability and discuss how these academic theories can be employed in my dissertation project work. I do not quite understand what academic theories on housing affordability are and why describing empirical facts and policies per se are not adequate for the writing of the literature review chapter of my dissertation report?"

Assistant bot: "I understand your supervisor's feedback on your literature review chapter. Let me explain the importance of incorporating academic theories into your dissertation's literature review.

In academic research, the literature review serves multiple purposes beyond just summarizing empirical facts and policies. One key purpose is to situate your research within the broader theoretical context of your field of study.

Academic theories on housing affordability refer to the conceptual frameworks, models, and explanatory approaches developed by housing researchers and scholars to understand the factors influencing housing affordability. Some examples of relevant theories could include:

Neoclassical economic theories of housing markets and price determination

Theories of residential location and urban spatial structure

Theories of household decision-making and housing choices

Theories of housing policy and government interventions

Reviewing and discussing these theories in your literature review serves several important functions:

It demonstrates your understanding of the conceptual foundations and intellectual traditions within housing studies.

It allows you to identify gaps, limitations, or opportunities for applying these theories to the specific context of your research on the elderly in Sham Shui Po.

It helps you develop a robust analytical framework to guide your own study and interpret your findings.

It shows your supervisor and examiners that you have a solid grounding in the theoretical underpinnings of your research topic.

Simply describing empirical facts and policies, while important, is not sufficient for a comprehensive literature review at the dissertation level. Your supervisor wants you to go beyond just reporting on what is known, and instead engage critically with the theoretical perspectives that can help frame and inform your research objectives and design.

Spending more effort on this theoretical aspect of the literature review will ultimately strengthen the conceptual foundations and analytical rigor of your overall dissertation project. Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions!".

Query 3

Joseph Ho (student): "My supervisor also said that my Housing Studies dissertation report chapter on research methodology is not specific enough. When describing the research methods I am going to use to study housing affordability of the elderly in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, I was told that I should not spend too much efforts to just to describe what is research interview, what is qualitative research and what general steps that are required to conduct research interview. Please advise me what additional information is required to make my discussion less descriptive and more specific".

Assistant bot: "I see, your supervisor is looking for you to provide more specificity and depth in your discussion of the research methodology for your dissertation.

Simply describing the general concepts of research interviews and qualitative research methods is not sufficient at the dissertation level. Your supervisor is right that you need to go beyond just the basics and provide more detailed information about the specific methodological approach you will be taking.

Some key aspects you should aim to cover in a more specific and in-depth manner in your methodology chapter include:

Justification of your chosen research methods:

Explain why you have selected qualitative interviews as the primary data collection method for your study on housing affordability for the elderly in Sham Shui Po. Justify how this aligns with your research objectives and theoretical framework.

Sampling and participant selection:

Describe the criteria and process you will use to identify and recruit your interview participants (e.g. elderly residents of Sham Shui Po, housing experts, policymakers, etc.). Explain the rationale behind your sampling approach.

Interview protocol and guide:

Provide details on the structure and content of your interview guide. Explain how the questions and topics will be designed to elicit the information needed to address your research objectives.

Data collection procedures:

Outline the specific steps you will take to conduct the interviews, including location, duration, recording methods, etc. Discuss any ethical considerations or permissions required.

Data analysis approach:

Explain the qualitative data analysis techniques you will use to make sense of the interview data (e.g. thematic analysis, coding, etc.). Describe how you will derive insights and draw conclusions from the data.

Validity and reliability measures:

Discuss how you will ensure the credibility, dependability, and transferability of your qualitative findings (e.g. member checking, peer debriefing, audit trails, etc.).

By providing this level of detail and specificity in your methodology chapter, you demonstrate a thoughtful, rigorous, and well-planned approach to your research design. This will give your supervisor confidence in the robustness of your overall dissertation project.

Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions!"

Some overall evaluation comments

For an intelligent virtual advisor, Assistant bot is able to demonstrate that it is knowledgeable as well as capable to provide advices that are focused and comprehensible. Discussing issues with the assistant bot is a useful way for the students to learn dissertation project skill. Needless to say, students should also study the relevant academic reading materials to learn this skill.

Reference: a collection of blog notes on using ChatGPT.