Berker, T and Bharathi, K (2012) Energy and buildings research: Challenges from the new production of knowledge. Building Research & Information, 40(4), pp. 473-480. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
The current state and future challenges of energy and buildings research are explored from the perspective of the social study of science. Major trends in knowledge production are considered for practices within current energy and buildings research. New forms of knowledge production hold the potential to provide clearer strategies to overcome barriers between researchers and practitioners. These are investigated through an explorative survey of researchers based on their own accounts of energy and buildings research, their expectations of future challenges, and their perceptions of good science. Two sets of challenges from knowledge production arise for building energy research. First, with an increasing focus on environmental and other impacts of the research, the framing and definition of these extra-scientific factors will become a significant challenge for researchers. Second, as buildings become simultaneously more complex and more connected, the already existing need for the integration of different kinds of expertise will increase further.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | buildings; energy; interdisciplinary collaboration; knowledge production; research agenda; science; sustainability |
| Index terms: | research agenda, science, strategy, survey, framing, integration, practitioner, interdisciplinary collaboration |
| Subjects: | conceptual models, data collection methods, research design and methodology, specialized education, practitioner, organizational analysis, research management, management |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Organizational Design, Education |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here