3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Methods and Survey Results
3.4. Phases and Methods in data collection
3.4.1. Pilot study
Initially, a pilot study was conducted to understand the questionnaire's scope, the user's response, and their understanding. The study was conducted with a limited set of people from different cities in India. A group of questions, type of option selection method, and a small part of demographic data collection are revised based on respondents' feedback, and a revised questionnaire is prepared.
A detailed questionnaire can be found in the annexure section. The pilot study was conducted with five people from five different cities: Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Gurgaon, Bundi, and Nagpur. Figure 1.3-1.9 depicts the demographic information collected from the participants. All the participants are aged between 18 – 30 years, employed, and have a certain understanding of architecture and the built environment.
Figure 3.2 Framework for Questionnaire Design
Figure 3.3 Survey Outcome On Gender And Age Range Of Occupants
Figure 3.4 Survey Outcome Income Group Of The Occupants And Their Type Of House.
Figure 3.5 Survey Outcome On Type Of Ownership And Built-Up Area Of The House.
Figure 3.6 Survey Outcome On Number Of Family Members And Type Of Rooms.
Figure 3.7 Survey Outcome On Preference For Renovation And Provision Of Additional Space.
Figure 3.8 Survey Outcome On Alterations Made For Kids/ Senior Citizens And Feelings Regarding The Vicinity
Figure 3.9 Survey Outcome On Occupant’s Perception Of Existing Housing Scenario.
Table 3.2 depicts the feedback of the respondents.
Table 3.2 Feedback of the Respondents Criteria Demographic
Data
Existing house User Perception Overall Feedback Case 01 To increase the
number of family members and no of rooms, one could select
Add more options under renovation.
Elaborate on row
houses and
bungalows
A few questions seemed similar/
repetitive, couldn’t comprehend the purpose
Limit responses to 1 and add an email address.
Case 02 To increase the number of family
Multiple selection criteria in renovation
To include questions related to the
Easily
understandable,
members, and house room details, one could select
and social interaction space
economic perspective
can add more lines over the introduction and explain the intent. Collect email address Case 03 To increase the
range in the selection of family members
Include a NO option
and multiple
selections for social interaction space;
include mandir as an element
Include questions on affordability and awareness
Lessen the no of questions to make sure that interest
remains. Limit response to 1 Case 04 To increase the
range in a selection of family members and elaborate income group.
To increase the range in selection in renovation (MCQ).
Elaborate on terms
like the
neighborhood, open space, and social interaction space.
No doubts in this section.
Make the
upload picture option non- mandatory
Case 05 Increasing the range in the selection of income groups makes it easier to fill in.
Elaborate on public to private spaces
No confusion in questions; I could answer everything.
Easy to
understand, no repetition.
Questions and option selections are revised based on the feedback of surveyors. A newly revised questionnaire is prepared, and a questionnaire reliability test is conducted further.
Table 3.3. Modifications as per the feedback of the respondents
S.no. Demographic Data Existing house User Perception
01 Increased the section range for family members, no of rooms
Multiple selection criteria included in the renovation, social interaction space and no.
of elements in the home
Rephrased the statements which showed common attributes
02 Increased options for the income group range
Included more options under renovation, social interaction space and elements in the house
Altered a few statements and combined them, which stated the same goal.
03 Added description on the question about building age
Rephrase the question about neighborhood and child care.
Added statements about
economic and
environmental aspects 04 Included collection of
email addresses and limited response to 1
Added an option where respondents can add other details about their house.
Attempted to cover all aspects mentioned under various literature and scholarly articles
05 Added an option “other
“in option selection questions
Made the upload picture criteria non-mandatory
Made it mandatory to answer all questions
The process utilizes a set of open-ended and semi-structured inquiries during the data collection.
Ethical consent was taken from all the participants in case of recording voices and videos and collecting any other data before the interview or data collection. Before filling out the questionnaire, the respondents will be informed of the survey's intent and objectives. The participation of respondents in this study is voluntary.
The survey form shall contain a set of questions with options to choose from the group. The document also has the opportunity to upload images of the house for better understanding. All participants were informed of inclusion and exclusion criteria beforehand that they must be present
residents of India, be over age 18, and have any gender, employment area, or economic background. It is all right, even if they do not want to disclose their gender type, employment, or personal information. The data collection and analysis segment is divided into three major phases, as shown in Figure 3.10.
After revising the questionnaire as per the feedback, the framework is developed for data collection and analysis. The methodology is divided into three phases and is showcased in the figure.