Schweber, L and Leiringer, R (2012) Beyond the technical: A snapshot of energy and buildings research. Building Research & Information, 40(4), pp. 481-492. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed a sharp increase in published research on energy and buildings. This paper takes stock of work in this area, with a particular focus on construction research and the analysis of non-technical dimensions. While there is widespread recognition of the importance of non-technical dimensions, research tends to be limited to individualistic studies of occupants and occupant behaviour. In contrast, publications in the mainstream social science literature display a broader range of interests, including policy developments, structural constraints on the diffusion and use of new technologies, and the construction process itself. The growing interest of more generalist scholars in energy and buildings provides an opportunity for construction research to engage a wider audience. This would enrich the current research agenda, helping to address unanswered problems concerning the relatively weak impact of policy mechanisms and new technologies and the seeming recalcitrance of occupants. It would also help to promote the academic status of construction research as a field. This, in turn, depends on greater engagement with interpretivist types of analysis and theory-building, thereby challenging deeply ingrained views on the nature and role of academic research in construction.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction research; energy; interpretivist methodology; literature review; low-carbon buildings; public policy; sustainable building |
| Index terms: | public policy, dimension, publication, occupant behaviour, construction process, sustainable building, social science, methodology, literature review, low-carbon building, research agenda, new technology |
| Subjects: | research dissemination and communication, health behaviours and lifestyles, public policy, innovation and technology management, data analysis and analytics, health monitoring assessment and metrics, design practice, theoretical framing, research methods, sustainable construction, building construction, research management |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Governance, Health and Safety, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Research Practice, Site Management, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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