Summary

The new and enhanced edition of the popular textbook on research methods in construction and related disciplines

Research Methods for Construction is designed to help construction students develop the research skills needed to achieve success in their research projects. Providing clear guidance on research formulation, methodologies, and methods, this comprehensive textbook addresses the theoretical, philosophical, and practical aspects of research in many areas of construction. The authors explain the requirements for data and analysis and describe the methods used for scientific and engineering experiments, modelling and simulations, research on management and socio-economic issues, and more.

Now in its fifth edition, Research Methods for Construction is fully revised to reflect contemporary developments and emerging areas of construction research. New and expanded chapters cover topics including data protection and ethics, theory borrowing, sensemaking, and directionally motivated reasoning. This edition includes additional models and details relating to translation, and offers fresh discussion of axiology, determinism, and stochasticism. Providing students with coherent, well-structured account of construction research, this market-leading textbook:

Emphasizes and instils rigor into construction students' problem-solving, reports, and publications
Assists researchers in selecting appropriate methods to execute research
Articulates the stages of construction research processes: producing a proposal, executing the research, and reporting the results
Examines qualitative and quantitative approaches and statistical considerations for a wide range of construction research
Discusses current ethical, legal, and regulatory issues pertaining to research in construction

The fifth edition of Research Methods for Construction is the ideal textbook for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students embarking on a research project, at bachelors, masters or doctoral level, in construction, surveying, architecture, civil engineering, and other built environment disciplines.

Author Biography

Richard Fellows is Emeritus Professor of Construction Business Management, Loughborough University, UK. He is an experienced quantity surveyor and in his academic career has taught at several universities in the UK and other countries. His research interests concern economics, contracts and law, and the management of people in construction - especially cultural issues as drivers of behaviour and performance. He was a founder and for many years was joint coordinator of the CIB group, W112 - Culture in Construction. Richard is an editor of a leading construction journal and frequent reviewer of papers for international conferences and journals.

Anita Liu graduated from the University of Reading and returned to Hong Kong to work in a quantity surveying consultancy, for the Hong Kong government, and for a major contractor. She then moved into academia, obtaining an MSc and a PhD from the University of Hong Kong. She became Chair Professor of Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying at Loughborough University and subsequently Head of Department and Professor in the Department of Real Estate and Construction at The University of Hong Kong. She was also joint co-coordinator of CIB group W112: Culture in Construction.

About the Authors~~????~~

Preface to Fifth Edition~~????~~

Part 1 Producing a Proposal

1Introduction

1.1 The concept of research

1.1.1 Research: a careful search/investigation

1.1.2 Research: contribution to knowledge

1.1.3 A learning process

1.1.4 Contextual factors affecting research

1.2 Classifications of research

1.2.1 Pure and applied research

1.2.2 Quantitative and qualitative research

1.2.3 Other categories of research

1.3 Theories and paradigms

1.3.1 Development of knowledge

1.3.2 Testing a theory

1.3.3 Paradigms

1.3.4 Positivism

1.3.5 Interpretivism

1.3.6 Pragmatism

1.3.7 Models and hypotheses

1.4 Research styles/methods

1.4.1 Action research

1.4.2 Ethnographic research

1.4.3 Surveys

1.4.4 Case studies

1.4.5 Experiments

1.5 Quantitative and qualitative approaches

1.5.1 Quantitative approaches

1.5.2 Qualitative approaches

1.5.3 Triangulated studies

1.5.4 Data sources

1.6 Where to begin

1.7 Summary

References

2Topic for Study

2.1 Selection of a topic

2.1.1 Resources

2.1.2 Subject selection

2.1.3 Choosing a topic

2.1.4 Evaluating alternatives

2.1.5 Refining a topic

2.2 Writing the proposal

2.2.1 Aim

2.2.2 Proposition

2.2.3 Objectives

2.2.4 Hypotheses

2.2.5 Methodology and methods

2.2.6 Programme

2.2.7 Deliverables and industrial / practitioner support

2.3 Summary

References

Part 2 Executing the Research

3 Initial Research

3.1 The research process

3.1.1 Initial phase

3.1.2 Data and information

3.1.3 Dynamic process

3.2 Initial search

3.2.1 Definitions and assumptions

3.2.2 Theory and literature reviews

3.2.3 Analysing data from a search

3.3 Literature based discovery

3.4 Assembling the theoretical framework

3.4.1 Theory borrowing

3.4.2 Theorising

3.5 Philosophy and paradigms

3.5.1 Ontology, epistemology and axiology

3.5.2 Positivism

3.5.3 Realism

3.5.4 Interpretivism

3.5.5 Constructivism

3.5.6 Phenomenalism

3.5.7 Postmodernism

3.5.8 Pragmatism

3.6 Fuzzy thinking

3.7 Theoretical models and constructs

3.7.1 Theoretical model

3.7.2 Constructs

3.8 Proper referencing

3.9 Summary

References

4Approaches to Empirical Work

4.1 Starting data collection

4.2 Experience

4.3 Reasoning and inference

4.3.1 Sensemaking

4.3.2 Motivated reasoning

4.3.3 Determinism and stochasticism

4.3.4 Complexity

4.4 Systems of methods

4.5 Research design

4.5.1 Context

4.5.2 Variance and errors

4.5.3 Empiricism, rationalism and verification

4.6 Qualitative and quantitative approaches

4.6.1 When are qualitative approaches employed?

4.6.2 When are quantitative approaches employed?

4.7 Experimental

4.7.1 Experiments and quasi-experiments

4.7.2 Variables

4.7.3 Experimental control

4.7.4 Replication

4.7.5 Between-subjects design (simple randomised experiments)

4.7.6 Between-subjects design (matched randomised groups)

4.7.7 Within-subject design (repeated measure design)

4.7.8 Factorial experiments

4.8 Survey

4.9 Secondary

4.9.1 Archival

4.9.2 Meta-analysis

4.10 Case study

4.11 Ethnographic

4.11.1 Ethnography

4.11.2 Ethnomethodology

4.12 Action

4.13 Grounded theory (development of theory from data)

4.14 Narrative

4.15 Modelling

4.15.1 Classification of models

4.15.2 Deterministic and stochastic models

4.15.3 The modelling process

4.16 Simulation

4.16.1 Dynamism

4.16.2 Heuristics

4.16.3 Approaches

4.17 Level of research

4.18 Practise-based research

4.19 Summary

References

5Hypotheses

5.1 Essentials of a valid hypothesis

5.2 Roles of hypotheses

5.3 Objective testing of hypotheses

5.4 Role of sampling

5.5 Common statistical measures

5.5.1 Normal distribution

5.6 Null hypotheses

5.7 Validities

5.8 Summary

References

6Data Collection

6.1 Data requirements

6.2 Sources of quantitative data

6.3 Collecting data from respondents

6.3.1 Questionnaires

6.3.2 Interviews

6.4 Case studies

6.5 Triangulation

6.6 Sampling

6.6.1 Sample size

6.7 Scales of measurement

6.7.1 Scaling techniques (non-metric and metric)

6.7.2 Common scaling methods

6.7.3 Development of multi-item scales

6.8 Obtaining data

6.9 Translation

6.10 Response styles and biases

6.11 Summary

References

7Data Analysis

7.1 Analysing data

7.2 Plotting data

7.3 Statistical methods

7.4 Non-parametric tests

7.4.1 Sign test

7.4.2 Rank-sum rests

7.4.3 Chi-square (c²) test

7.4.4 Goodness of fit

7.5 Parametric tests

7.5.1 t-Test

7.5.2 Analysis of variance (ANOVA)

7.5.3 Regression and correlation

7.5.4 Multiple regression

7.5.5 Time series

7.5.6 Index numbers

7.6 Other analytical techniques

7.6.1 Cluster analysis

7.6.2 Factor analysis

7.6.3 Path analysis

7.6.4 Analytic hierarchy process (AHP)

7.7 Analysis of qualitative data

7.7.1 Analysing documents (from texts)

7.7.2 Conversation analysis

7.7.3 Discourse analysis

7.7.4 Social network analysis

7.7.5 Multi-level research

7.7.6 Meta-analysis

7.7.7 Longitudinal research

7.8 Summary

References

8 Ethics in Research

8.1 The concepts of morals and ethics

8.2 Research ethics

8.2.1 Theory and literature

8.2.2 Data collection, use and disposal

8.3 Data analysis, intellectual property and data protection

8.3.1 Data analysis, results and reporting

8.3.2 Intellectual property

8.3.3 Data protection

8.4 Equality, diversity and inclusion

8.5 Summary

References

Part 3 Reporting the Results

9 Results, Inferences and Conclusions

9.1 Requirements for valid results

9.2 Potential sources of error

9.3 Reliability

9.4 Results

9.4.1 Producing the results

9.4.2 Introductory results

9.4.3 Substantive results

9.4.4 Inferences

9.4.5 Causal relationships

9.4.6 Interpretation

9.5 Conclusions

9.5.1 How to write conclusions

9.5.2 Further research

9.6 Summary

References

10 Reports and Presentations

10.1 Report production

10.2 Communication

10.3 Contents of the report

10.3.1 How to begin

10.3.2 Text of the report

10.3.3 Theory and literature

10.3.4 Reporting on methodology and methods

10.3.5 Reporting on data sourcing and data collection

10.3.6 Presentation of results

10.3.7 Discussion of results

10.3.8 Conclusions

10.3.9 Limitations

10.3.10 Recommendations

10.3.11 Introduction

10.3.12 Remainder of the report

10.4 Oral presentation

10.5 Summary

Index

Supplemental Materials

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