6.4 The Research Process: Research Questions, Research Plans, Ethics & Reporting
Key Takeaways
- EDAC study materials list nine research components in order: research question, literature review, hypothesis, research plan, pilot study, data collection, data analysis, reporting, and future research.
- A research topic should be relevant, distinctive, significant, rigorous, and feasible, and EDAC study materials recommend pursuing one or two topics.
- A research plan covers topic, background, hypothesis, methodology, design, variables and measures, data collection and analysis procedures, logistics, and references.
- Studies involving human subjects require consent and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval before the research proceeds.
- EBD research collects existing metrics, new outcome data, environmental measurements, and qualitative data; analysis is separate from data collection.
The Research Process: Research Questions, Research Plans, Ethics & Reporting
EDAC Core Concept: EBD teams do not just read research—on many projects they help create it. EDAC Study Guide 2 lays out the research process from question to report, and Study Guide 3 applies it to post-occupancy research. Knowing the order of the process, what belongs in a research plan, and how ethics review fits in is essential for both the Research and the Construction and Occupancy domains.
The Nine Components of Research (Approximate Order)
EDAC study materials list nine components of research in approximate order:
| # | Component | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Research question | The unknown, or question, within the defined research topic or area of interest |
| 2 | Literature review | A review of existing evidence and relevant theoretical thinking on the topic |
| 3 | Hypothesis | An estimated outcome or research finding for a testable subtopic of the area of interest |
| 4 | Research plan | An outline of the research topics and hypotheses with a narrow statement of the study's focus and scope |
| 5 | Pilot study | A small trial run to test procedures and tools before the full study |
| 6 | Data collection | Implementing the plan and collecting and recording data |
| 7 | Data analysis | Analyzing the data using tools suited to the methodology and research design |
| 8 | Reporting | Documenting and sharing the study and its results |
| 9 | Identification of future research | Naming the new questions the study raises |
Research question → Literature review → Hypothesis → Research plan → Pilot study
→ Data collection → Data analysis → Reporting → Future research
Who decides the details? Study materials state that the researcher decides the details of the research plan—methodology, samples, settings, data collection tools, procedures, and analysis. Researchers on an EBD research team may be in-house, academic, or specialty researchers (consultants).
Choosing and Narrowing a Research Topic
A project can generate many possible research topics. EDAC study materials say the ideal number to pursue is one or two. To decide whether a topic is worth the time and resources, ask whether it is:
| Criterion | Question to Ask |
|---|---|
| Relevant | Does it relate to the project's or organization's vision? |
| Distinctive | Is it unique, or do many similar studies already exist? |
| Significant | Does it fill a current gap in the knowledge base? |
| Rigorous | Is there a stronger topic that could yield better-quality results? |
| Feasible | Is there enough time, money, and resources to succeed? |
The same five questions are used later to choose which hypothesis to test in a post-occupancy study.
Hypotheses and Theory
- A theory cannot be tested directly by empirical data; its predictions—hypotheses—can be.
- A hypothesis is developed before data are collected, because it defines the variables, potential testing methods, and potential relationships between variables.
- Hypotheses cannot be proven or disproven. Data either support or do not support a hypothesis.
- The null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between the variables.
- In statistical analysis, researchers typically reject the null hypothesis if the p-value is less than 5% (0.05), and then claim the data support the hypothesis. EDAC study materials give the example of a study with p = 0.15: the result is not statistically significant, so the null hypothesis is not rejected (study materials phrase this as accepting the null hypothesis).
What Goes Into a Research Plan
The research plan helps the team systematically organize thoughts and ideas and outline activities before time, money, and effort are invested. EDAC study materials list these components:
- Statement of the research topic
- Background information
- Hypothesis (or research questions)
- Methodology
- Research design
- Variables and measurements
- Data collection procedures
- Data analysis procedures
- Logistics—budget, roles, and timeline
- References
What CHD's Current Exam Content Outline Adds
The outline's research-plan list overlaps the study-guide list but adds several items worth memorizing:
| Research Plan Item (Outline) | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Statement of the research topic, purpose, and objectives | Why the study exists and what it will answer |
| Background information | Literature review and the significance of the study |
| Hypotheses or research questions | Testable predictions or open questions |
| Methodology and research design | Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods and the specific design |
| Variables and measurements | Independent, dependent, and confounding variables and instruments |
| Data collection procedures | Settings, populations, samples, and protection of human subjects |
| Data analysis procedures | Descriptive and inferential statistics or qualitative analysis |
| Logistics | Roles and responsibilities, budget, and timeline |
| Possible limitations | Known weaknesses stated in advance |
| References | Sources cited |
| Cost estimates / funding | Research costs and how they will be paid |
The outline also states that before research is conducted, the plan needs to be refined before it is submitted to funders or for approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and that the plan explains every aspect of the proposed study, including protections for participants' welfare and privacy.
Prioritizing Topics and Designing the Study
To prioritize research topics into manageable, testable subtopics, the outline lists considerations: existing valid and relevant research on the topic, the feasibility of the study, outcomes of interest, significance and distinction, and potential participants and the number of participants. When designing the study, teams choose among informal, scoping, and systematic reviews of existing evidence:
| Review Type | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Informal (narrative) review | Summarizes selected literature without a formal protocol; quick but open to selection bias |
| Scoping review | Maps the extent, range, and nature of research on a broad topic and identifies gaps; usually does not grade study quality in depth |
| Systematic review | Answers a focused question with a predefined, reproducible search, explicit inclusion criteria, and critical appraisal (Section 5.1) |
Implications, Limitations, and Dissemination
After analysis, the outline asks teams to identify the implications of findings for the hypotheses, the current project, professional practice, and future research; to identify limitations related to interpretation of results and the importance of reliability and generalizability; and to disseminate results both internally (the interdisciplinary team and firm) and externally (peer-reviewed and popular press, published and presented).
Key points about the plan:
- Choice of methods depends on the focus and conditions of the research and on the project's goals and objectives.
- Cost and timeline estimates belong in the plan because they act as a checkpoint for the study's feasibility.
- Research costs can include researcher salaries, travel, literature review (database access, books, articles), communication, consultation, supplies and software, equipment, and indirect costs.
- The plan should be revisited and refined often, not written once and set aside.
- Confounding variables, although not of direct interest, must be tracked and documented closely; sometimes they can be used as covariates.
Ethics and the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Research involving people requires ethical safeguards. EDAC study materials describe:
- Obtaining consent—from the facility and from human subjects, as applicable.
- Giving due recognition and proceeding only after Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is obtained.
- The Institutional Review Board as the group that approves research studies involving human subjects.
When a research team prepares to carry out a plan (for example, a post-occupancy study), it evaluates and documents the logistics of implementation, including cooperation of the hospital, management of resources, ethics, and IRB approval.
Practical note: Organizations distinguish human-subjects research, which is designed to produce generalizable knowledge, from internal quality improvement. When a project may be published or shared as research, ask the organization's IRB for a determination early.
Data Collection and Analysis
EDAC study materials describe four types of data collected in EBD research:
| Data Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Existing metrics | Infection rates, falls, patient satisfaction scores the organization already tracks |
| New outcome data | Measures created for the study, such as staff walking distance or sleep quality |
| Environmental measurements | Sound levels, light levels, temperature, air quality |
| Qualitative data | Interviews, focus groups, observations |
- During the data collection phase, researchers implement the research plan and collect and record data—analysis is a separate, later step.
- For studies of new buildings, EDAC study materials advise waiting until the facility has been occupied for at least six months before collecting post-occupancy data.
- A researcher guides the data analysis, and the choice of analysis tools depends on the research methodology and the research design.
Reporting the Research
EDAC study materials describe a typical research report as including:
- Title page
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Background
- Methodology and methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion (with recommendations for future research)
- References
- Appendices
Reports should be shared even when results are disappointing; the wider field learns from failures as well as successes (see Chapter 12).
Exam Watch: High-Yield Traps & Pitfalls
[!WARNING] Trap 1: Hypothesis timing. A hypothesis is developed before data collection, not after the results are in.
[!WARNING] Trap 2: "Proving" a hypothesis. Data support or fail to support a hypothesis; they do not prove it.
[!WARNING] Trap 3: Analysis during collection. Implementing the plan and collecting and recording data happen in data collection; analyzing the data is a later step.
An EBD team has identified eight possible research topics for a new inpatient tower but has limited research funding. According to EDAC study materials, which set of criteria should guide the choice of one or two topics?
Researchers hypothesized that different nature sounds would change patients' pain thresholds. They found a small difference between conditions, with a statistical test result of p = 0.15. How should they interpret the result?
During the data collection phase of a post-occupancy research study, which activity is NOT part of that phase according to EDAC study materials?