Session 4: Architecture Research

Depending on the academic approach (e.g. historical or ethnographic) for your course, input on the methodological approach may be useful. 

The formal rules (possibly as part of a style guide) for the term paper can also be discussed. Any questions regarding submission can also be clarified. 

The instructor describes the process of researching using search terms and finding suitable sources. The library staff, if joining the session, can then introduce the various resources that the university has access to, e.g. databases and ways to find sources in the library. This can be a moment of building a contact zone with the library team, if students are not used to approach library as a place of research. 

After the students identify a material they would like to investigate, it is important to gain access to the field of research. Examples of starting points can include local production places where the material is being used or processed, associations working to promote the material, environmental activists and researchers publishing on the topic. It is advisable to share with the students, that not every actor will be excited talk to them and to start by establishing a broad point of contact, reaching out to multiple stakeholders and formulating their requests in a careful way, particularly if contacting industry professionals who profit from the usage of the material.  

The instructor shall introduce the students to the consent agreements, clarifying what legal implications their research could have and introducing clean practices of data collection such as field reports, protocols and audiovisual recordings.

The students decide on their research topic, establish access to the field and prepare their first field report in written form. Around one A4 page of written text is recommended.