Choosing an appropriate research methodology

The choice of research methodology is a difficult step in the research process. By way of a case study, the approach adopted in one PhD study is explored. The research project involved a detailed study of 33 building projects constructed in Melbourne during the period 1987 to 1993. The principal research objective was to understand better why some buildings are constructed faster than others, by identifying risk factors and how construction managers respond to them. Multiple regression analysis was used to derive a model that predicts construction time from a representative sample of projects. The performance model was then used to compare predicted with actual construction project duration to develop a construction time performance index. This performance ratio was then used to compare 102 variable factors by testing the null hypothesis that each variable does not affect construction time performance (at the 95% confidence level). Correlation analysis of all identified variables was also undertaken to link associations between factors for those affecting and not affecting construction time performance. The contribution of this paper is to identify one research approach for a specific research problem within the construction discipline so that others may be aware of this when making a choice of methodologies for pursuing their own research work.