I agree that some of your problems are contemporary, but others aretimeless [sic], having to do with the nature of knowledge and the meaning
of explanation. That does not make them intractible, but implies only
that they should be recognised. I don't see "design" as more problematic
than most areas of research; certainly easier to discuss in the western
academic mode than would be, eg, Chinese medicine or ESP. There is an
ambivalence on this list among "research in design", "design/nature of
research" and "design of research in design".
Your final question:
Problem 10
The problem of defining what constitutes rightful academic and scholarly
practice in the 21st century is no easy one,
is one that exercises me. I have written my own thesis "Writing and IT"
on the problems that a research student faces in making effective and
efficient use of current technology, and how the technology can enhance
the product (eg, by allowing the easy generation of an index!). However,
this research underlined the general problem that a UK PhD is not a
well-defined concept, so the student is faced with the [design!] problem
of working out the solution and the specification at the same time. That
iis whu most opt for the easy option of copying previous examples and
doing exactly what their supervisor demands. My own thesis was last year
turned down for a PhD, one comment made in a viva being "it's very lucid
but it doesn't read like a PhD thesis." If you are interested, I can
provide you a copy on a CD. (As a PostScript file.)
That research led to a proposal that the UK Council for Graduate Education
set up a working group to look at the problems of defining the UK PhD.
This degree has changed considerably in scope and meaning ove the past
twenty years, but little has been done inside or outside the HE system to
recognise this. The proposal is currently on hold, but expressions of
interest to the UKCGE would be no disadvantage at this time.
One issue, for example, is originality. Most students report that their
supervisors do not discuss originality as a specific topic, either in
abstract or in relation to the specific research; supervisors, of course,
may hold an opposite view. I suggest, however, that a PhD thesis would
benefit by including an explicit claim to originality, spelling out
whether this is in the approach, the methodology, the location, or the
results.
R Allan Reese
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