Assignment Task

1. Understanding the Research Context

(a) Discuss how a Hypothesis may be used when planning Quantitative field research (after conducting a literature review into a subject area) - include examples concerning Smart Doorbell systems (to secure home access) in terms of their value to an organisation or to end users.

b) Examine the benefits of Qualitative’ research approaches compared to Quantitative research methods for researching the effectiveness of innovative systems specifically Smart Doorbells – include discussion of how thematic analysis can aid in presenting the findings of a research study.

2. Research Approaches

a) A Designer who specialises in user-centred research utilises Inductive research approaches (as shown in the figure of the Research Wheel below) - discuss this research approach. Review and assess ways of conducting research amongst Smart Doorbell stakeholders.

b) Distinguish between Inductive and Deductive research approaches (as shown in the figure below) - which would you recommend for researching the different market applications/ segments for next-generation Smart Doorbell systems which utilise facial recognition?

3. Research Proposal

Preparation: Identify a potential research area for an engineering firm within which there are particular issues to examine. You should select one that may be studied during the Research Project module and must align with your MSc programme (for example, if you are studying MSc Engineering Management then your project should fit within this area and address a management aspect on behalf of an engineering firm). Prepare a couple of sentences that explain your proposed research focus by means of a problem formulation and explain why this issue is worthy of research investigation - you are advised to e-mail this to your allocated tutor to check the proposed project is appropriate before preparing your research proposal.