The many faces of research in design: Towards a clarification and modeling of action research, practice-based research, and project-grounded research
Raîche-Savoie, Geneviève
The many faces of research in design: Towards a clarification and modeling of action research, practice-based research, and project-grounded research - 2023.
67
A research masters in design allows students to become specialized in their chosen field by exploring an object of study while following a scientific approach. Based on a case study of the maîtrise en design avec mémoire (MDM) (Master’s Degree in Design with Thesis) at the School of Design at Université Laval, it appears that students experience a degree of confusion when it comes to differentiating between action research, practice-based research, and project-grounded research, as they can often overlap. In order to help these budding researchers, this theoretical essay attempts to clarify these three types of research by proposing a conceptual model highlighting their similarities and differences. A critical analysis of about thirty scientific articles was carried out, then supplemented by three semi-structured interviews with researchers conducting action research, practice-based research, and project-grounded research. The results highlight that action research differs mainly from project-grounded research and practice-based research in that it does not lead to an artifact, while in practice-based research and project-grounded research, the artifact is part of the research process. In practice-based research, the artifact is created in parallel with ongoing research. In project-grounded research, the research is generally done at an earlier stage, making it possible to plan the subsequent design project leading to the artifact.
The many faces of research in design: Towards a clarification and modeling of action research, practice-based research, and project-grounded research - 2023.
67
A research masters in design allows students to become specialized in their chosen field by exploring an object of study while following a scientific approach. Based on a case study of the maîtrise en design avec mémoire (MDM) (Master’s Degree in Design with Thesis) at the School of Design at Université Laval, it appears that students experience a degree of confusion when it comes to differentiating between action research, practice-based research, and project-grounded research, as they can often overlap. In order to help these budding researchers, this theoretical essay attempts to clarify these three types of research by proposing a conceptual model highlighting their similarities and differences. A critical analysis of about thirty scientific articles was carried out, then supplemented by three semi-structured interviews with researchers conducting action research, practice-based research, and project-grounded research. The results highlight that action research differs mainly from project-grounded research and practice-based research in that it does not lead to an artifact, while in practice-based research and project-grounded research, the artifact is part of the research process. In practice-based research, the artifact is created in parallel with ongoing research. In project-grounded research, the research is generally done at an earlier stage, making it possible to plan the subsequent design project leading to the artifact.
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