Types of Architectural Research Reports

A WRITE-UP

TYPES OF ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH REPORTS

BAYODE, O. Olakunle

ARC/01/9215

SUBMITTED TO

THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE,

SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES,

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, ONDO STATE

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY IN ARCHITECTURE

COURSE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (ARC 805)

LECTURER: PROF. O. OGUNSOTE

MARCH, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS------

1.0INTRODUCTION------

PROCESS OF RESEARCH REPORTS------

2.0TYPES OF ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH REPORTS------

2.1PERIODICALS,------

2.1.1JOURNALS------

2.1.2MAGAZINES------

2.2BOOK

2.2.1STUCTURE OF A BOOK------

2.3PAMPHLETS------

2.4BACHELORS/ MASTERS THESES AND DISSERTATIONS------

2.4.1NATURE OF A DISSERTATION------

2.4.2PRESENTATION STYLE------

2.5CONFERENCE PAPERS------

2.6SEMINAR PAPERS------

REFRENCE------

1.0INTRODUCTION

Research report is a factual account of an event, investigation, or a piece of research, it presents information from different sources and indicates where the information comes from. A research report treats a particular and clearly stated issue. It states the problem, the research methodology, the findings, the conclusion and includes a summary. Research reports are often published in local publications or in international journals. They could be funded by journals or by other organizations through the journal. They are usually very technical, and the reader is usually assumed to have some knowledge on the research area.

1.1PROCESS OF RESEARCH REPORTS

Select a research topic.
Research the topic- research includes primary source (diaries, journals, letters, presentation, interview, survey, questionnaires, experiments and events) and secondary source (books, encyclopaedias, magazines, newspaper, websites, documents).
Create a gathering grid.A gathering grid can help organize information for a research report.

Write your questions in the left hand column,

Write the title of our sources at the top of each column,

Write answers you find and note where you found them

Table 1. Showing a format of a Gathering Grid

Subject / Source 1 / Source 2 / Source 3
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3

(Source: Great Source Education Group, 2006)

Table 2. Example Gathering Grid

Subject: tornadoes /

twister.com

National

Geographic

Tornado!

How do they form? / A warm and a cold front clash and make a super cell. (p.120)
Where are they found? / Throughout the world, though mostly in Tornado Alley in U.S. (p. 13)
How do they cause damage? / Wind throws objects; hail smashes stuff. / Low pressure rips off roofs.
(p. 122)
When do they form? / March through early July

(Source: Great Source Education Group, 2006)

Format the report.
Add graphics.
Cite sources of information.
Format the title page.

2.0TYPES OF ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH REPORTS

2.1PERIODICALS,

Periodicals are publicationsreleased on a regular basis that may include news, feature articles, or other types of writing.(Castro, n.d).Periodicals appear at regular intervals, which could be fortnightly, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, or every 2 years. Many periodicals also include photographs and drawings. Periodicals that are aimed at a general audience, such as weekly news roundups or monthly special-interest publications, are also called magazines. Those with a more narrow audience, such as publications of scholarly organizations, can be termed journals.

2.1.1Journals

Journal is a periodical published by a specialist or professional body for its members, containing information and contributions relevant to their area of activity. These appear periodically, carrying not only research reports but current news items in the area of specialization. They tend to be more current and up-to-date. Simple terms could be used in writing to cater for all classes of people, both those who are knowledgeable in the area of research and those who are not. (Ogunsote, 2008) Academic researches published in journals receive wider patronage and consequently criticism which forms part of the overall academic programme. Since journals cover wider range, they tend to reach people more easily. A publication becomes a journal when it comes out at regular intervals.The structure/format/layout of a journal is fixed and are normally planned in advance i.e. articles are written and formats are determined long before it comes out. These articles are reviewed by experts before publishing. Comments could be made before editing, typesetting and publication. Copies of the publication are normally sent to the writers and the reviewers. (Ogunsote, 2008)

Examples of architectural journals

AA Files - Architectural Association School of Architecture
Harvard Design Magazine - Harvard Graduate School of Design
Michigan Architecture Papers- Tubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning (TCAUP) at the University of Michigan
Perspecta- Yale School of Architecture
Precis - Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) at Columbia University

2.1.2MagazineS

Magazines are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles, stories, photographs, advertisements, and generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, or both. (Magazine, 2008)itisissued at regular intervals, usually weekly or monthly, with a page size that is usually smaller than that of a newspaper but larger than that of a book. (Ogunsote, 2008)

The various elements that contribute to the production of magazines can vary wildly. Core elements such as publishing schedules, formats and target audiences are seemingly infinitely variable. Typically, magazines which focus primarily on current events, such as Newsweek or Entertainment Weekly, are published weekly or biweekly. Magazines with a focus on specific interests, such as tourism, art, software and architecture, may be published less frequently, such as monthly, bimonthly or quarterly. A magazine will usually have a date on the cover which often is later than the date it is actually published. Current magazines are generally available at bookstores and newsstands, while subscribers can receive them in the mail. Many magazines also offer a 'back issue' service for previously published editions.(“Magazine”, 2008)

Examples of architectural magazines

MEADA- Middle East Art Design and Architecture
AG magazine-Serbian magazine for architecture and construction
Architectural Record
Architects Journal
Architectural Digest
Architectural Review
Architecture Today
Azure- Canadian, International Architecture and Design
Casabella-Italian and International Architecture magazine
VolumeMagazine- International Architecture Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) journal

2.2BOOK

A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of paper, parchment, or other material, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf, and each side of a leaf is called a page. A book produced in electronic format is known as an e-book.(“Book”, 2008)

Books may also refer to a literature work, or a main division of such a work. In library and information science, a book is called a monograph, to distinguish it from serial periodicals such as magazines, journals or newspapers. The body of all written works including books is literature.(“Book”, 2008)A Book isavolumeofmanysheets of paper bound together, containing text, illustrations, music, photographs, or other kinds of information. The pages are sewn or glued together on one side and bound between hard or soft paper covers. Because they are relatively durable and portable, books have been used for centuries to preserve and distribute information. Abookissmallenough to be carried around, but it is larger than a pamphlet, which generally consists of just a few pieces of paper. Books may form part of a series, but they differ from periodicals because they are not published on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule. Books are intended for public circulation. (“Book”, n.d).

The major difference between a book and a booklet is its size. The booklet isa small book with a paper cover and few pages, usually containing information about a particular subject. A booklet is easily edited, published and circulated. Books are published by publishing houses known as the Press e.g. ABU Press, Macmillan etc. A book is published when so many copies of it has been produced and has been assigned an ISBN (International Serial Book Number). ISBNs are assigned to books for easy cataloguing. This is done by the international ISBN organization which gives numbers to countries while in the Countries the National Library gives ISBN numbers to the publishing house.The ISBN is made up of:Country Code, Publisher’s code and Serial no. (Ogunsote, 2008)

When a book is published it will be assigned an ISBN; the publisher will send it to the National Library which in turns sends it to the international body.

Recently,technological devices such as radio, television, motion pictures, tape recorders, computers, and CD-ROM devices challenged books as means of communication. However, because books are so easy to carry and care for, they remained a primary means for dissemination of knowledge, for instruction and pleasure in skills and arts, and for the recording of experience, whether real or imagined. Nevertheless, technology did have an impact on the book industry as people sought out new ways to experience and distribute information without using paper. (“Book”, n.d).

2.2.1STUCTURE OF A BOOK

The common structural parts of a book include:

Front cover: hardbound or soft cover (paperback); the spine is the binding that joins the front and rear covers where the pages hinge
Front endpaper
Flyleaf
Front matter
Frontispiece
Title page
Copyright page: typically verso of title page: shows copyright owner/date, credits, edition/printing, cataloguing details
Table of contents
List of figures
List of tables
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Body: the text or contents, the pages often collected or folded into signatures; the pages are usually numbered sequentially, and often divided into chapters.
Back matter
Appendix
Glossary
Index
Notes
Bibliography
Colophon
Flyleaf
Rear endpaper
Rear cover

1-Scheme of common book design

2-Flap

3-Endpaper

4-Book cover

5-Top edge

6-Fore edge

7-Tail edge

8-Right page

9-Left page

10-Gutter

Examples of Architectural Books

Time-saver standards for building types, written by Joseph De Chiara and Michael J. Crosbie, published by Mc-Graw Hill Company INC.
Graphic Standards, written byAndre Grobbelaar and Anton Grobelaar in association with Anton Hoffman Associates, published by Anglo-Rand Publications.
Ernst and Peter Neufert Architect’s Data, edited by Bousmaha Baiche and Nicholas Walliman, published by Blackwell Science.
Metric handbook planning and design data, edited by David Adler and published by Architectural Press

2.3PAMPHLETS

A pamphletis an unbound bookleti.e. without a hard cover or binding. It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths (called a leaflet), or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and stapled at the crease to make a simple book. In order to count as a pamphlet, UNESCO requires a publication (other than a periodical) to have 'at least 5 but not more than 48 pages exclusive of the cover pages'; a longer item is a book.(“Pamphlet”, 2008)

Pamphlet is a small leaflet or paper booklet, usually unbound and coverless, that gives information or supports a position. A pamphlet contains specific and usually dated information e.g. it could be prepared for a conference and may contain the time, venue, area of discussion, etc. It is a short write up recognised by the size 1/3 of A4 sheet. It is not usually sold. It is produced by organizations and sometimes by individuals. It may also be produced by Companies as an introduction to their services.(Ogunsote, 2008)

Pamphlets can contain anything from information on kitchen appliances to medical information and religious treatises. Pamphlets are very important in marketing as they are cheap to produce and can be distributed easily to customers. Pamphlets have also long been an important tool of political protest and political campaigning for similar reasons.(“Pamphlet”, 2008)

The storage of individual pamphlets requires special consideration because they can be easily crushed or torn when shelved alongside hardcover books. For this reason, they should either be kept in file folders in a file cabinet, or kept in boxes that have approximately the dimensions of a hardcover book and placed vertically on a shelf.(“Pamphlet”, 2008)

2.4BACHELORS/ MASTERS THESES AND DISSERTATIONS

A dissertation or thesis is a document that presents the author's research and findings and is submitted in support of candidature for a degree or professional qualification. The word "thesis" comes from the Greekθέσις, meaning "position", and refers to an intellectualproposition. "Dissertation" comes from the Latin term dissertātiō, meaning "discourse."(“Dissertation”, 2008)

A thesisis a lengthy formal written treatment of a subject, especially a long paper submitted as a requirement for a degree.It is a dissertation based on original research, especially as work toward an academic degree. A thesis is a compilation of all the knowledge a student has acquired during his period of study. It is invented to prepare a hypothesis and test whether it is true. It should address a knowledgeable topic to enlighten the society in topics of interest. Bachelors’ theses are more general and cover a wider scope. At Master’s level, the thesis is in a more particular area or topic.A dissertation (Ph.D.) topic may not have been written on before. It is not usually allowed (in advanced countries) to be written on by any other student.(Ogunsote, 2008)

The differences between a thesis and dissertation varies from one country to another e.g. in USA, Canada and Nigeria, the major papers presented as the final project for a bachelors and masters degree are normally called theses while major papers presenting the student's research towards a doctoral degree are called dissertations. In United Kingdom and France, it is the opposite. (“Dissertation”, 2008)

2.4.1NATURE OF A DISSERTATION

The dissertation or thesis is normally the culmination of a candidate's research; submission of the thesis represents the completion of the final requirement for the degree being pursued. In certain faculties (such as fine or performance arts), the thesis may be in the form of an artistic performance, a written work (of music, or of fiction, for example), or a painting or other artistic production. Such a work is often termed a "creative thesis."

The length of the thesis will vary depending on the specific degree. Theses submitted as part of the requirements for an undergraduate degree are usually much shorter than those submitted as part of a Ph.D. (or other research-oriented doctorate, such as the Eng.D.). (“Dissertation”, 2008)

2.4.2PRESENTATION STYLE

A typical thesis has a title page, an abstract, a table of contents and a bibliography. Other components include an introduction, materials and methods (in the case of scientific or technical thesis), results, discussion, acknowledgments, a dedication, indices and appendices, glossaries, lists of tables, images or figures, lists of abbreviations, and so on.

Degree-awarding institutions often define their own house style that candidates have to follow when preparing a thesis document. In addition to institution-specific house styles, there exist a number of field-specific, national, and international standards and recommendations for the presentation of theses, for instance ISO 7144. Other applicable international standards include ISO 2145 on section numbers, ISO 690 on bibliographic references, and ISO 31 on quantities and units.(“Dissertation”, 2008)

Some older house styles specify that front matter (title page, abstract, table of content, etc.) uses a separate page-number sequence from the main text, using Roman numerals. Presentation requirements, including pagination, layout, type and colour of paper, use of acid-free paper (where a copy of the dissertation will become a permanent part of the library collection), paper size, order of components, and citation style, will be checked page by page by the accepting officer before the thesis is accepted and a receipt is issued. Theses which are incomplete or incorrectly formatted may not be accepted.

2.5CONFERENCE PAPERS

Conference papers are directed at a large number of people. The presenter may be questioned by the audience after the presentation which takes a specified period. Modifications could be demanded by the organisers of such conferences before the paper is published. Due to time constraint conference papers are always very short. At times, they could be in form of addresses. They might utilize audiovisual aids such as slides, videos, e.t.c.

2.6SEMINAR PAPERS

A seminar is similar to a conference but the latter demands a larger audience. The proceedings of seminars are easily published. If a lot of people are involved abstracts could be asked for in advance. Seminar papers are handy and are usually brought along by their presenters.

REFRENCE

Book. (2008). Wikipedia Free Online Encyclopedia 2008. Retrieve on March 28, 2008, from

Book. (n.d). Microsoft Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.

Castro, J. (n.d). Periodicals. Microsoft Student 2007 [DVD].Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.

Dissertation. (2008).Wikipedia Free Online Encyclopedia 2008. Retrieve on March 28, 2008, from

Great Source Education Group (2006). Research report. Learning Essential for Microsoft Office 2006[DVD].Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.

Journal. (2008).Wikipedia Free Online Encyclopedia 2008. Retrieve on March 28, 2008, from

Magazine. (2008).Wikipedia Free Online Encyclopedia 2008. Retrieve on March 28, 2008, from

Ogunsote, O. O. (2008). Research Methods.An unpublished ARC 805 Lecture note for the Department of Architecture, Federal University of Technology Akure.

Pamphlet. (2008).Wikipedia Free Online Encyclopedia 2008. Retrieve on March 28, 2008, from

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