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This is the complete lecture note for FAA371 Research Methods. You can read it online below, open it in the full viewer, or download the PDF for offline study. It pairs with the course's video lectures, so you can read and watch together.
la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS
la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Course code: FAA 371 Course title: Research Methods Course credit load: 2 Units List of Series: Series 1: Research Schedules and Designs Series 2: Field Investigations and Data Collection Series 3: Questionnaires, Annotations, and Citations Series 4: Studio Research and Systematic Reporting Series 5: Bibliography, References, and Documentation 1 Research Schedules and Designs Series outline • Part 1 (1.1): Understanding Research Schedules o Sub-Part 1.1.1: Meaning and Purpose of a Research Schedule o Sub-Part 1.1.2: Elements of a Research Schedule o Sub-Part 1.1.3: Using a Schedule to Organise Research Activities • Part 2 (1.2): Foundations of Research Design o Sub-Part 1.2.1: Meaning and Role of Research Design o Sub-Part 1.2.2: Qualitative Research Design o Sub-Part 1.2.3: Quantitative and Mixed Approaches • Part 3 (1.3): Selecting an Appropriate Research Design o Sub-Part 1.3.1: Research Questions and Design Selection o Sub-Part 1.3.2: Primary and Secondary Research Materials o Sub-Part 1.3.3: Matching Methods to Research Objectives
la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS • Part 4 (1.4): Planning a Research Study o Sub-Part 1.4.1: Developing a Research Plan o Sub-Part 1.4.2: Sequencing Research Activities o Sub-Part 1.4.3: Reviewing and Refining the Research Plan Introduction Research begins with a clear plan for what you want to investigate, why the investigation matters, and how you will obtain and organise evidence. In this Series, you will learn how a research schedule helps you arrange activities and monitor progress, while a research design provides the overall structure for answering your research questions. The aim of this Series is to help you identify the main elements of research schedules and distinguish among qualitative, quantitative, and mixed approaches. You will also learn how to select a design that fits your research questions, available materials, objectives, and the practical demands of your study. We shall begin with research schedules, examining their purpose and the information they contain. Next, we will consider the meaning and role of research design, with particular attention to qualitative approaches and the place of quantitative and mixed approaches. We will then examine how research questions, sources, and objectives guide design selection. Finally, you will bring these ideas together by developing and reviewing a simple plan for a research study. Series Learning Outcomes Upon completing this Series, you should be able to: • SLO 1.1 explain the meaning and purpose of a research schedule and identify its major elements, • SLO 1.2 distinguish qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research approaches and describe their appropriate uses, • SLO 1.3 analyse research questions and objectives to select suitable research designs and sources,
la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS • SLO 1.4 develop and evaluate a logical research plan that sequences activities and supports systematic investigation. 1.1 Understanding Research Schedules 1.1.1 Meaning and purpose of a research schedule A research schedule is a planned timetable that shows the activities required to complete a research study and the order in which they should occur. It can include activities such as identifying a topic, reviewing literature, collecting field information, analysing evidence, drafting the report, and revising the final work. A schedule helps you turn a broad research intention into manageable tasks and makes it easier to monitor progress. Fill in the blank: A research schedule is a planned __________ that organises research activities and their timing. 1.1.2 Elements of a research schedule A useful research schedule normally identifies the activity, expected time or deadline, sequence, and resources required. You may also indicate milestones, such as completion of a literature review or the submission of a draft chapter. For a studio-related investigation, your schedule might include site visits, visual documentation, interviews, studio experiments, analysis, and report preparation. The exact format may vary, but the schedule should make your planned work clear and realistic. Fill in the blank: A research schedule should identify activities, timing, sequence, and required __________. 1.1.3 Using a schedule to organise research activities When you use a schedule, you can break a large research project into smaller activities and assign realistic periods to each one. This is especially useful when several activities depend on
la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS one another. For example, you may need to complete a literature search before refining your research questions, or complete field observations before analysing the evidence. Regularly checking the schedule helps you identify delays early and adjust your plan without losing sight of the research objectives. Milestone: A significant point in a research schedule used to mark the completion of an important stage. Research activity: A planned task carried out to generate, organise, analyse, or communicate evidence. A simple research schedule showing stages from topic selection through literature review, fieldwork, analysis, writing, and revision. Figure 1.1 Research schedule for a planned study Fill in the blank: A significant point used to mark completion of an important research stage is called a __________.
la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Pilot questions 1.1 1. 1. A research schedule primarily helps a researcher to: a) Organise research activities and timing b) Replace the research design c) Avoid collecting evidence d) Remove the need for analysis 2. 2. Which of the following is an element of a research schedule? a) Activity and deadline b) Personal opinion only c) Unrelated artwork d) Random observations 3. 3. A milestone in a research schedule is: a) A significant point marking an important stage b) A type of questionnaire c) A research participant d) A bibliography entry 4. 4. A research schedule is useful because it: a) Helps monitor progress and manage time b) Guarantees a particular research finding c) Eliminates the need for planning d) Prevents revision 5. 5. Which activity may appear in a studio research schedule? a) Site visit b) Ignoring sources c) Deleting field notes d) Avoiding documentation 1.2 Foundations of Research Design 1.2.1 Meaning and role of research design Research design is the overall plan that connects your research questions with the methods you will use to obtain and interpret evidence. It provides a framework for deciding what information is needed, where it will come from, how it will be collected, and how it will be analysed. A clear design helps you maintain a logical relationship between the problem being investigated, the evidence gathered, and the conclusions you eventually present. Fill in the blank: Research design provides the overall __________ that connects research questions with methods and evidence.
la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 1.2.2 Qualitative research design Qualitative research focuses on understanding meanings, experiences, practices, contexts, and interpretations. It commonly uses materials such as interviews, observations, field notes, documents, images, and open-ended responses. In art and studio-related research, a qualitative approach can help you investigate how artists work, how viewers interpret visual forms, or how cultural contexts influence artistic practices. The emphasis is usually on detailed understanding rather than numerical measurement alone. Fill in the blank: Qualitative research commonly focuses on meanings, experiences, practices, and __________. 1.2.3 Quantitative and mixed approaches Quantitative research uses numerical information and structured procedures to describe patterns, compare variables, or examine measurable relationships. A mixed approach combines qualitative and quantitative procedures when both forms of evidence are useful for answering the research questions. The choice should not be based simply on preference. You should consider what your research questions require and select an approach that can provide appropriate evidence. Fill in the blank: A mixed approach combines qualitative and __________ procedures within a research study. Pilot questions 1.2 1. 1. Research design is best described as: a) An overall plan connecting questions, methods, and evidence b) A list of references only c) A final research conclusion d) A drawing technique 2. 2. Qualitative research is especially useful for studying: a) Meanings and experiences b) Numerical totals only c) Measurement errors only d) Printing costs 3. 3. Which source can commonly provide qualitative evidence? a) Interview transcript b) Random number table c) Budget total only d) Page count
la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 4. 4. Quantitative research commonly uses: a) Numerical information b) Personal impressions alone c) Unstructured sketches only d) Unrecorded conversations 5. 5. A mixed research approach: a) Combines qualitative and quantitative procedures b) Uses no research questions c) Avoids evidence d) Requires only secondary sources 1.3 Proportion And Measurement In Drawing 1.3 Selecting an Appropriate Research Design 1.3.1 Research questions and design selection Your research questions should guide the selection of a research design. Questions about meanings, experiences, processes, or interpretations may be well suited to qualitative inquiry, while questions involving measurement, frequency, comparison, or numerical relationships may call for quantitative procedures. Some studies require both. Begin by asking what you need to find out, then determine what kind of evidence can answer the question convincingly. Fill
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