Lecture note on research types for Housing Studies students

Lecture note on research types for Housing Studies students

 

Highlight 4 main ideas on each of the following research types (i.e. descriptive, exploratory, causal and evaluation) in the context of doing a 4-month part-time Housing Studies dissertation project. Try to clarify your ideas also a bit with reference to the research theme of "the housing affordability problem facing the Hong Kong Gen Z singles in 2026".

1. Descriptive research

Descriptive research sets out the basic facts: who is affected, how, and where.

1.    Define and characterise “Gen Z singles” in the Hong Kong context

o   Set clear boundaries: e.g. people aged roughly 22–29 in 2026, never married, living in Hong Kong, excluding those in full‑time student housing if that’s not your focus.

o   Describe their socio‑demographic profile: education, employment status, income distribution, household composition (living alone, with parents, with roommates), and typical housing types (subdivided units, private rental, public rental, co‑living, etc.).

o   This creates a precise population for your study rather than a vague “young people” category.fluidsurveys+1

2.    Measure current levels of housing affordability for this group

o   Use standard indicators tailored to singles: rent‑to‑income ratio, price‑to‑income ratio for first‑time buyers, residual income after housing costs, and measures of housing stress (e.g. spending >30% or >40% of income on housing).

o   Show how these indicators vary by: district (e.g. Inner New Territories vs outer NT), housing type, and income bracket.

o   The output is a clear, evidence‑based picture of “how bad” affordability is for Gen Z singles in 2026.scribd+1

3.    Describe patterns and differences within the group

o   Highlight internal variations: e.g. lower‑income singles in subdivided units vs middle‑income singles sharing flats; differences between those in public rental housing and those in the private market.

o   Map spatial patterns: which areas concentrate highly affordability‑stressed Gen Z singles, and where are relatively more affordable options located?

o   This helps avoid treating “Gen Z singles” as homogeneous and reveals sub‑groups that may need different policy attention.pressbooks.bccampus+1

4.    Document recent trends and the 2026 snapshot

o   Place your 2026 data in context by showing changes over the last 5–10 years: e.g. rising rent‑to‑income ratios, increasing age at first independent living, growth in co‑residence with parents.

o   Even with secondary data, you can illustrate whether 2026 represents a worsening, stabilising, or slightly improved situation compared with earlier years.

o   This trend line is critical for understanding whether the problem is new, entrenched, or evolving.pressbooks.bccampus+1

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2. Exploratory research

Exploratory research is about understanding the problem more deeply and shaping better questions, especially when existing literature is limited or doesn’t capture local realities.

1.    Clarify how Gen Z singles themselves experience “affordability problems”

o   Through interviews, focus groups, or open‑ended survey questions, explore what “affordability” means to them: not just numbers, but issues like insecurity of tenure, poor conditions, long commutes, lack of privacy, or inability to plan for the future.

o   You may uncover dimensions that official statistics miss, such as psychological stress, social exclusion, or compromised life choices (e.g. delaying relationships or children).

o   This grounds your study in lived experience rather than only in technical indicators.scribd+1

2.    Identify key factors and mechanisms that might shape affordability outcomes

o   Use qualitative work to surface potential drivers: unstable or gig‑economy jobs, reliance on parental support, expectations about home ownership, attitudes towards co‑living, or trust/mistrust in government schemes.

o   These insights help you build a richer conceptual framework for later descriptive or causal work.

o   For a 4‑month project, a small number of in‑depth interviews (10–15) can be very informative without being unmanageable.fluidsurveys+1

3.    Refine research questions and methods through piloting

o   Test your survey questions, interview guides, and recruitment strategies with a few Gen Z respondents to see what is clear, sensitive, or confusing.

o   Learn practical lessons: which channels work best to reach participants, how willing people are to discuss income and family support, and whether Cantonese, English, or mixed language is most appropriate.

o   This reduces wasted effort and improves data quality in a short timeline.rajivgopinath+1

4.    Generate grounded hypotheses and focused research questions

o   From your exploratory findings, formulate specific questions such as:

§  “How does income instability shape young singles’ sense of housing security?”

§  “In what circumstances do Gen Z singles prefer co‑living over staying with parents?”

o   These become the core of your dissertation’s problem statement, ensuring they reflect real concerns rather than assumed ones.youtubefluidsurveys

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3. Causal (explanatory) research

Causal research asks: what factors actually cause or strongly influence housing affordability outcomes for Gen Z singles?

1.    Formulate clear cause–effect hypotheses

o   Examples:

§  “Higher income volatility increases the likelihood of severe housing affordability stress among Gen Z singles.”

§  “Greater parental financial support reduces the probability of living in sub‑standard or overcrowded housing.”

§  “Access to specific rental subsidies lowers rent‑to‑income ratios for eligible young singles.”

o   Each hypothesis links an explanatory factor (income volatility, parental support, policy access) to an outcome (affordability stress, housing quality, rent burden).pressbooks.bccampus+1

2.    Adopt a design that supports causal inference within practical limits

o   In housing studies, randomised experiments are rare; you will likely use:

§  Cross‑sectional surveys analysed with multivariate models.

§  Quasi‑experimental comparisons (e.g. eligible vs ineligible for a scheme, or before/after a policy change if data allow).

o   Be transparent that you are inferring likely causal relationships rather than proving them definitively.rajivgopinath+1

3.    Control for confounding variables to isolate key effects

o   Include other important influences in your models: education, occupation, district, immigration status, household size, health status, etc.

o   Use regression techniques to estimate the effect of your main variables while holding these controls constant, improving the plausibility of your causal claims.

o   This is crucial to avoid attributing effects to the wrong factors.scribd+1

4.    Interpret causal findings in terms of housing processes and inequalities

o   If income volatility emerges as a strong driver, you can argue that labour market precarity is a core mechanism behind affordability stress.

o   If parental support is decisive, you can discuss how housing outcomes are increasingly shaped by family resources, reinforcing intergenerational inequality.

o   These interpretations connect statistical results to broader housing‑studies debates about structure, agency, and inequality.rajivgopinath+1

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4. Evaluation research

Evaluation research assesses how well a specific policy, programme, or intervention works in addressing the affordability problem.

1.    Choose a specific policy or intervention relevant to Gen Z singles

o   Examples in the 2026 Hong Kong context might include:

§  A public rental housing priority category or quota for young singles.

§  A government or NGO rental subsidy scheme targeted at low‑income young adults.

§  A co‑living pilot project supported by public funds or land.

o   Focusing on one concrete initiative makes evaluation feasible in a 4‑month part‑time project.nascollege+1

2.    Define evaluation criteria and key questions

o   Use standard criteria such as:

§  Effectiveness: Does the scheme improve affordability or housing stability for Gen Z singles?

§  Efficiency: Are public or programme resources used well relative to outcomes?

§  Equity: Does it reach the most needy singles, or mainly those with more advantages?

§  Relevance: Does it address the problems that Gen Z singles themselves identify as most pressing?

o   Turn these into specific questions, e.g. “To what extent has Scheme X reduced rent‑to‑income ratios for eligible participants compared with similar non‑participants?”nascollege+1

3.    Use mixed methods to assess both outcomes and processes

o   Quantitative: compare affordability indicators before/after participation, or between participants and a comparison group.

o   Qualitative: interview participants and staff to understand perceived benefits, barriers, administrative burdens, and any unintended effects (e.g. stigma, exclusion of certain sub‑groups).

o   This combination gives a fuller picture of how and why the scheme works (or doesn’t).pressbooks.bccampus+1

4.    Draw evidence‑based recommendations for policy and practice

o   Based on your findings, suggest concrete improvements: eligibility adjustments, outreach strategies, integration with employment or social services, or design changes to make schemes more accessible and attractive to Gen Z singles.

o   Highlight lessons for housing authorities, NGOs, and possibly private operators involved in co‑living or shared housing.

o   Evaluation research is particularly valuable in Housing Studies because it directly informs policy design and implementation.

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.