Data research
Link with course ‘design research’: double diamond
Doing research is really connected to this double diamond. This describes taking the time to understand the domain,
picking the right problem to solve, and lastly exploring potential ideas in that space. You need to connect with real
people.
→ in this way you are sure that you are solving real problems of people that matter, not just research to do
research.
In this course: Applied research = research that has value and where you are sure you’re investigating something
that matters.
Objectives of this course
- Understanding of research terms
- Knowing of different types of research
o Quantitative: numbers
o Qualitative: actual problem by talking
- CRITICAL assessment of existing research
- Executing research of high-quality
- Reflecting on how research is important for your specific domain (journalism, communication, media &
design)
Importance of research
Applied research: finding solutions for specific problems within your sector
3 goals
- Description: design research with the intent of describing someone
- Prediction: predicting their behavior
- Explanation: explaining their behavior
Also offering suggestions and solutions based on their findings = applying it
, Research in journalism
= done to avoid fake news
Investigating journalism
- Checking whether facts that are spread on the internet are true
- Avoiding alternative facts (fake news)
- Research journalism brings new news: treading new ground
- Profound research:
o Bring the whole story: all aspects of a certain story (pros and cons), new contexts, go really deep
o You cannot afford any mistakes
o Apart from time, research journalists can choose the timing of news release
Research in communication and graphic design
= done to make decisions based on actual evidence not just on gut feeling
Without research, decisions would be made based on gut feeling
- Communication with zero effect, or, even worse, communication that harms the organization
- Waste of time & money
Spotting opportunities: how to make it accessible for groups that you haven’t taped into
- Communication level: new audience markets
- Marketing level: new brands, products and services
Example of aveve
There is a click-and-collect system for online shops → people found out it was not being used
→ Questions why they don’t use it
- Website user-friendly?
- …
Research in communication
- Oatly: Swedish brand of plant-based milk
- Wanted to conquer the Chinese/Hong Kong market
- Research about Chinese people’s milk
→ they developed a different campaign
- Us and Europe: Real behavioral changes
- Hongkong: More informational and educational about plant-based milk
Result: a new Chinese character that combined plant and milk so people could talk about it
Research in Graphic design
= done to be sure that you design the right things for the right people
- Making sure you are building the right thing
- Designing with purpose, based on evidence
,Quality in research
How do I recognize quality research?
5 requirements for good scientific research
- Objective and independent:
o research is unbiased and impartial, it should be unaffected by moral, economic, social, political, or
religious values.
▪ not good results when research is done by companies themself.
- Controllable:
o how did you execute research and what kind of sources did you use for your desk research?
- Reliability:
o about the consistency of your research and your results
o when you execute your research again, will you obtain the same results?
- Validity:
o does the currency really measure what you want to measure
- Generalizability:
o is it justified to generalize your findings to a whole population?
o In other words, does your sample represent the population?
Critical thinking
- Recognizing prejudice and subjectivity
- Recognizing the difference between relevant and irrelevant information
- Looking for proof or counterarguments when confronted with a statement
- Considering alternative conceptions
- Being prepared to change your opinion on grounds of solid arguments
- Questioning yourself about statements, conclusions, definitions, proof,…
- Gathering information and gaining knowledge before judging
Kahneman’s fast and slow thinking
How do people make decisions? → which system to use when doing research
, The core of a researcher
Critical thinking, reasoning, and attitude + always questioning
- Why is it like that?
- How does it work?
- Can we do something differently?
Deductive reasoning vs inductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning → quantitative research
- Happens from theory, science, logic
- The use of already existing information to make conclusions
- Basically: testing an existing theory
- Example:
o All humans are mortal
o Beyoncé is a human
o So: Beyoncé is mortal
When deduction is used, researchers start with a theory or model and then derive testable hypotheses from it.
Usually, several hypotheses can be deduced from a particular theory. If the theory is true, what would we expect to
observe?
(don’t learn definitions by head)
inductive reasoning → qualitative research
- Happens from observations
- Careful analysis of the information to come to a new conclusion
- Basically: developing a new theory
- Example:
o A lot of swans are swimming in a lake
o The first swan is white
o The second one too
o The last one too
o So: all swans are white?
When induction is used, researchers develop hypotheses from observed facts, including previous research findings.
The research process
Formulation of problem definition and research
question Research question is the beginning of every study, it
(what is the motivation for the research?) helps you focus on what you are doing.
↓ You start reading about the topic you are interested in
Critical literature review and you start gathering information. To look at what
(What insights do already exist?) research is already available about it.
↓ Choose which method you are going to use to get the
Methodology best result possible.
(What kind of research will you execute?)
↓
Data collection
(Collecting data trough research)
What did I learn and what can someone else learn
↓
from my results?
Data analysis
(Gathering new insights)
↓
Report & presentation
(Presenting the conclusions & recommendations)
Link with course ‘design research’: double diamond
Doing research is really connected to this double diamond. This describes taking the time to understand the domain,
picking the right problem to solve, and lastly exploring potential ideas in that space. You need to connect with real
people.
→ in this way you are sure that you are solving real problems of people that matter, not just research to do
research.
In this course: Applied research = research that has value and where you are sure you’re investigating something
that matters.
Objectives of this course
- Understanding of research terms
- Knowing of different types of research
o Quantitative: numbers
o Qualitative: actual problem by talking
- CRITICAL assessment of existing research
- Executing research of high-quality
- Reflecting on how research is important for your specific domain (journalism, communication, media &
design)
Importance of research
Applied research: finding solutions for specific problems within your sector
3 goals
- Description: design research with the intent of describing someone
- Prediction: predicting their behavior
- Explanation: explaining their behavior
Also offering suggestions and solutions based on their findings = applying it
, Research in journalism
= done to avoid fake news
Investigating journalism
- Checking whether facts that are spread on the internet are true
- Avoiding alternative facts (fake news)
- Research journalism brings new news: treading new ground
- Profound research:
o Bring the whole story: all aspects of a certain story (pros and cons), new contexts, go really deep
o You cannot afford any mistakes
o Apart from time, research journalists can choose the timing of news release
Research in communication and graphic design
= done to make decisions based on actual evidence not just on gut feeling
Without research, decisions would be made based on gut feeling
- Communication with zero effect, or, even worse, communication that harms the organization
- Waste of time & money
Spotting opportunities: how to make it accessible for groups that you haven’t taped into
- Communication level: new audience markets
- Marketing level: new brands, products and services
Example of aveve
There is a click-and-collect system for online shops → people found out it was not being used
→ Questions why they don’t use it
- Website user-friendly?
- …
Research in communication
- Oatly: Swedish brand of plant-based milk
- Wanted to conquer the Chinese/Hong Kong market
- Research about Chinese people’s milk
→ they developed a different campaign
- Us and Europe: Real behavioral changes
- Hongkong: More informational and educational about plant-based milk
Result: a new Chinese character that combined plant and milk so people could talk about it
Research in Graphic design
= done to be sure that you design the right things for the right people
- Making sure you are building the right thing
- Designing with purpose, based on evidence
,Quality in research
How do I recognize quality research?
5 requirements for good scientific research
- Objective and independent:
o research is unbiased and impartial, it should be unaffected by moral, economic, social, political, or
religious values.
▪ not good results when research is done by companies themself.
- Controllable:
o how did you execute research and what kind of sources did you use for your desk research?
- Reliability:
o about the consistency of your research and your results
o when you execute your research again, will you obtain the same results?
- Validity:
o does the currency really measure what you want to measure
- Generalizability:
o is it justified to generalize your findings to a whole population?
o In other words, does your sample represent the population?
Critical thinking
- Recognizing prejudice and subjectivity
- Recognizing the difference between relevant and irrelevant information
- Looking for proof or counterarguments when confronted with a statement
- Considering alternative conceptions
- Being prepared to change your opinion on grounds of solid arguments
- Questioning yourself about statements, conclusions, definitions, proof,…
- Gathering information and gaining knowledge before judging
Kahneman’s fast and slow thinking
How do people make decisions? → which system to use when doing research
, The core of a researcher
Critical thinking, reasoning, and attitude + always questioning
- Why is it like that?
- How does it work?
- Can we do something differently?
Deductive reasoning vs inductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning → quantitative research
- Happens from theory, science, logic
- The use of already existing information to make conclusions
- Basically: testing an existing theory
- Example:
o All humans are mortal
o Beyoncé is a human
o So: Beyoncé is mortal
When deduction is used, researchers start with a theory or model and then derive testable hypotheses from it.
Usually, several hypotheses can be deduced from a particular theory. If the theory is true, what would we expect to
observe?
(don’t learn definitions by head)
inductive reasoning → qualitative research
- Happens from observations
- Careful analysis of the information to come to a new conclusion
- Basically: developing a new theory
- Example:
o A lot of swans are swimming in a lake
o The first swan is white
o The second one too
o The last one too
o So: all swans are white?
When induction is used, researchers develop hypotheses from observed facts, including previous research findings.
The research process
Formulation of problem definition and research
question Research question is the beginning of every study, it
(what is the motivation for the research?) helps you focus on what you are doing.
↓ You start reading about the topic you are interested in
Critical literature review and you start gathering information. To look at what
(What insights do already exist?) research is already available about it.
↓ Choose which method you are going to use to get the
Methodology best result possible.
(What kind of research will you execute?)
↓
Data collection
(Collecting data trough research)
What did I learn and what can someone else learn
↓
from my results?
Data analysis
(Gathering new insights)
↓
Report & presentation
(Presenting the conclusions & recommendations)
