Empirical Design Research

This is an IPD programme course.

This course provides students with a foundation in mixed methods design research and a framework of theoretical concepts and paradigms for rationalising, designing and conducting high quality empirical research, from instrumental research (for design) to scientific research (about/for/with design). It builds on and significantly extends the BSc Research for Design (IOB2-3) by introducing students to different epistemological paradigms such as empiricism, rationalism and perspectivism.

The course employs an inquiry-based learning approach to introduce, practice and reflect on key research methods that encompass the diverse projects undertaken by IPD students during their design research projects. Case studies will be selected from the existing literature toprovide students with relevant assignments and motivation.

Throughout the course, students will evaluate and discuss the appropriateness of various research methods in relation to the underlying research question, context, or objective. In addition, students learn to combine quantitative and qualitative approaches to meaningfully plan and conduct research to examine evidence, test hypotheses, or develop theory appropriate to a given context, design stage, and research question.

Following are the key topics for this course:

• Fundamentals of Empirical Design Research

• Research Validity, Bias, and Ethics

• Qualitative Research

• Quantitative Research

• Mixed Method Research