21890 Chap.1 Research Foundations for an Industry Project
Research Foundations for an Industry Project
What research is
The Week 1 lecture defines research as posing a question and working through a disciplined process to answer it.
Gathering facts for their own sake does not count, and every project should keep a link to practical life.
Three types and five ways of knowing
Descriptive research describes what is happening, explanatory research asks why, and evaluative research judges whether a policy or program worked.
The Week 2 lecture also separates beliefs, authoritative, experiential, theoretical and empirical knowledge.
Why the capstone matters
The project builds problem solving, evidence-informed decisions and communication, and it is expected to draw on everything learned across your Masters.
What this chapter covers
- 01
What counts as research
- 02
Descriptive, explanatory and evaluative research
- 03
Five ways of knowing
- 04
Ontology and epistemology
- 05
Research design choices
- 06
Skills the capstone builds
Worked example · free
Classify three research ideas about a city museum
- 1Idea (a) asks how numbers changed, which describes what is happening, so it is descriptive research.
- 1Idea (b) asks why bookings fall, which explains a pattern, so it is explanatory research.
- 1Idea (c) asks whether a program met its goal, which judges a program, so it is evaluative research.
Key terms
- Descriptive Research
- Research that finds out and describes what is happening in a situation.
- Evaluative Research
- Research that judges whether a policy or program achieved what it set out to do.
- Empirical Knowing
- Knowledge based on evidence that the researcher has collected and examined.
Research Foundations for an Industry Project FAQ
What is the difference between research and collecting data?
Research asks a question and answers it through a structured, systematic process. Collecting figures without a question is not research, because nothing decides which data matter or what would count as an answer. The lecture adds that research must keep a link to practice.
Is a theoretical contribution expected in the project?
The Week 2 lecture notes that a substantive theoretical contribution is not expected. The target is a clear, defensible answer to a well-scoped question about an industry issue, with recommendations that follow from the evidence, while still using theory to explain what you find.
Why does the subject talk about ontology and epistemology?
Every researcher brings assumptions about what is real and how it can be known, along with cultural and disciplinary beliefs. The lecture asks you to recognise those positions, question whether they are dogmatic, and stay open to evidence that could change your view of the topic.
What are the four qualities every study should have?
The Week 1 lecture asks for research that is purposeful and well structured, rigorous, systematic and robust enough to defend. Those qualities are what separate a research project from a collection of interesting facts, and they are the standard your proposal, viva and report are read against.
Who else carries out research besides universities?
Governments, commercial entities, not-for-profits, consultants and unions all research, alongside academics and students. Much of the secondary data you will analyse was produced by these organisations for their own purposes, so knowing who produced it and why is the first step in judging it.
What skills does the capstone project develop for a career?
The lecture lists stronger problem solving through gathering information and reconciling competing stakeholder views, evidence-informed decision making, a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability, and written and verbal communication, which the report and viva assess directly.
What research designs can a project use?
The Week 2 lecture describes research design as the framework for collecting and analysing data and names experimental, longitudinal and case study designs. With secondary data only, case studies and longitudinal analysis of existing series are the designs most projects can realistically carry out.
Assessment move
Learn the three research types by their verbs and practise classifying ideas from your own Masters field. Write short answers to the lecture's three standpoint questions about your topic now, and keep them; they become useful when you justify choices in the proposal and the viva.
Before Week 3, look at one published study from your Masters field and decide which of the three types it is and which way of knowing its main claim rests on. Then list the effective researcher characteristics from the Week 2 lecture and mark the two you most need to build this semester, so your reflections have something concrete to report.
Working through Research Foundations for an Industry Project in 21890? Sia is AskSia’s AI Management tutor — ask any 21890 Research Foundations for an Industry Project question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how 21890 is taught and assessed. Read this chapter free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.