Introduction
1.4 RESEARCH STRATEGY
1.4.2 METHODS
This thesis is human-focused in that the subjects of research are attitudes, experiences, and the general human condition. It crosses disciplines, aims to generate new meaning and theory, and requires my (the researcher’s) interpretation for evaluation. It therefore falls under the constructivist knowledge claim (Lenzholzer, Duchhart, & Koh, 2013). It utilizes a mixture of methods within a qualitative case study that falls either under the umbrella of ‘research for design’ or ‘research through design’ (Lenzholzer, Duchhart, & Brink, 2016).
Each research question requires different methods, so I describe the methods according to how they are used to answer each research question (see Figure 1-8 on p. 11 for illustration). I then make a final comment on how the research sequence affected the outcomes. I had to understand how people experienced glacier retreat to answer the first research question and gain site-specific knowledge to answer RQ3, so I conducted two types of interviews in Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park: unstructured, open-ended interviews and informal interviews.
1.4.1 RESEARCH STRATEGY Qualitative case study This research is considered qualitative because it aims to understand and explore a particular problem and apply that to new ‘mental’ and physical constructs (Lenzholzer, Duchhart, & Koh, 2013; Kumar, 2014). It investigates environmental melancholia (and associated opinions on glacial retreat) and hence constructs an approach for a spatial intervention. These steps require my own textual and image-based interpretation, which further support the choice to do qualitative research (Creswell, 2014). This thesis employs a case study for two reasons: firstly, the thesis investigates one concept in-depth, and secondly, it proposes a design for a specific site (Creswell, 2014; Kumar, 2019), namely, Haupapa/Tasman Glacier in Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park in New Zealand.
Unstructured, open ended interviews I chose to conduct long (approximately an hour), unstructured, in-depth interviews with a diverse, but limited number of visitors and locals in the Park. I conducted nine interviews; three were with couples, so I spoke to a total of twelve people. At this point, I felt that I had reached a saturation of information for the research purpose. I chose this method because I wanted to understand melancholia, which can involve “intimate, personal, and often taboo experiences or feelings towards degradation” and perhaps unconscious and conflicting feelings (Lertzman, 2015, p. xiii). It would have been more difficult to acquire the information using traditional data collection methods, such as surveys or questionnaires. Although I could not conduct multiple interviews per person (as Lertzman did), I employed some of her other interview techniques to encourage narratives and free association, gain trust, and to get beneath the surface of peoples’ often-contradictory emotions and opinions.
Link between research & design The process and outcomes of this thesis reflect a certain agenda within the design profession: to strengthen landscape architecture’s reputation as an academic discipline. Authors describe three strategies to do this: research into/on/about design, research through design, and research for design. This thesis employs two of those strategies. It produces reputable knowledge using design, ‘research through design’, and it illustrates a design informed by academic research, ‘research for design’ (Lenzholzer et al., 2016). The methods described below belong to one of these two descriptions.
Informal interviews and observations It was difficult to have in-depth conversations with tour groups and individuals that I came across during field visits. From those interactions, which I termed informal interviews, I extracted short quotes and general observations. Direct observation, and more specifically unobtrusive observation revealed visitor behaviour and conversations on-site. Both supported the findings from the in-depth interviews and produced insights about demographics that I did not reach otherwise.
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