Diagnostic/Descriptive Study: A study where the goal is to understand the topic. Provides suggestive evidence on a broad realm and offers insight into the structure and dynamics of a whole situation. (From Class discussion and notes).
Theoretical Study: Study that tests specific hypotheses suggested by experiences elsewhere or from a larger more comprehensive theory. (From Class discussion and notes).
Action Study: A study where changes are made or components are manipulated and analyzed. (From Class discussion and notes).
Environmental Determinism: Design of a place or environment drives the behavior of the users. For example, at the BAC, the observation that smokers tend to utilize the front of the building to have a cigarette for a variety of reasons that can be linked to the design. Here we as a class observed that the area is closely linked to the street where there is a lot of activity, there is an overhang to protect them from the elements and that the cigarette butt receptacle is in the front of the building. Another example is the observation that panhandlers choose to locate themselves on narrow passages of the sidewalk to solicit change. (From Class discussion and notes).
Explanatory Research: Establishes a cause and effect relationship between 2 variables. Explains why a phenomenon occurred. (From www.wiki.answers.com., accessed February 16, 2012 and class notes.)
Predictive Research: Forecasts the likelihood of a phenomenon occurring given a known baseline variable. For example, in the design of public spaces, if we know that certain factors, such as seating options, attract users to a space, can we, through design, make that space successful utilizing these know factors. (From www.wiki.answers.com., accessed February 16, 2012, class notes and personal example).
Third Places: Places other than home or work that one has an emotional attachment to. (From class notes and discussion).
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