3.2.

1: Historical Interpretative Research

Interpretive research is a research paradigm that is based on the assumption that social reality is not
singular or objective, but is rather shaped by human experiences and social contexts, and is therefore
best studied within its socio-historic context the subjective interpretations of its various participants.

There are four parts to interpretive research:

1. DATA/EVIDENCE:
- Manuscripts, Autobiographies, Newspapers, Unpublished Records, Corporate documents,
Correspondence, Personal Material, Photographs, Artifacts, Landscape patterns, Buildings,
Artwork and Crafts.
2. IDENTIFICATION/ ORGANISATION:
- Identifying sources, Fact Gathering, Organizing the data, Note-taking and Observation.
3. EVALUTATION:
- Design, Analysis, Assessment, Evaluation of truth and Triangulation.
4. NARRATION:
- Description and Story.

The validity of historical accounts starts with a demonstration that the events described occurred in the
actual flow of time. A historical narrative can't violate the sequences of that flow or the coherent
interconnectedness of its contents.

There are three approaches to historical narration:

1. The idea of history as a constructed narrative sentences ( Arthur Danto):

Propose that historical accounts are by definition narrative sentences, a term that describes the
nature of historical thinking and writing. Narrative sentence is one that necessarily involves two
situations separated by time.

2. Literary Metaphors for Historical Narratives (W.B, Galli and H. White ):

Propose that the history like all stories and all imaginative literature, has beginning a
development, a conclusion. It's account of a set of events and details that carry the reader along
in a coherent drama.
3. The Role of Imagination and Comprehension in Historical Narratives ( R. G. Collingwood ) :
Argues that the human imagination has an inherent ability to comprehend past phenomena in
terms of coherent whole, and he makes interesting connections between this ability and ability
to create art.
4. Analysis and Verification ( Tosh and Barzun ):
Any historical account must be part of the “one historical world".

Also, there are four ways an interpretation of a historical subject can framed:

1. Causal Explanations of History : The Idea of a Covering Law"

Involves the belief that social phenomenon cause or predict actions
2. History as the Movement of Absolute Spirit
History is the on-going evolution of a communal consciousness or mind,
3. Structuralism
 Similar to casual history in that actions (designs) can be a response to structure or structural
analysis.
4. Poststructuralism
It is a byproduct of “discourse” (the cultural manifestations of the trafficking of thought)
meaning defines an area. Takes a period of time as s. the material produces of culture are parts
of a larger immanent discourse.

There are different types of evidences. Some of them are:

- Determinative evidence:
It’s that one can situate the object of study in the time and place of one historic world.
- Contextual evidence:
The elements of the built environment are often used to situate the object of enquiry in
context
- Inferential evidence:
Can link one proposition or idea through the use of logical deductions, proximal data, or
reasoned interpretation.
- Recollective evidence:
Interviews with people familiar with the topic who were there when it happened or have
intimate details of the events.

The various types of tactics for Architectural Structures are:

- One-Site familiarity.
- Use of Extant Documents.
- Visual Inspection.
- Material Evidence.
- Comparison with conditions elsewhere.
- Use of Local informants and lore.
- Reenactment or testimonials.
- Identification of remaining questions.

3.2.2: Qualitative Research:

Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of underlying

reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or
hypotheses for potential quantitative research. 

It has various categories:

1. Ethnographic:

The ethnographic approach to qualitative research comes largely from the field of anthropology. The
emphasis in ethnography is on studying an entire culture. Originally, the idea of a culture was tied to the
notion of ethnicity and geographic location, but it has been broadened to include virtually any group or
organization. That is, we can study the "culture" of a business or defined group.

Ethnography is an extremely broad area with a great variety of practitioners and methods. However, the
most common ethnographic approach is participant observation as a part of field research. The
ethnographer becomes immersed in the culture as an active participant and records extensive field
notes. As in grounded theory, there is no preset limiting of what will be observed and no real ending
point in an ethnographic study.

2. Inductive:

Inductive approach, also known in inductive reasoning, starts with the observations and theories are
proposed towards the end of the research process as a result of observations.  Inductive research
“involves the search for pattern from observation and the development of explanations – theories – for
those patterns through series of hypotheses”. No theories or hypotheses would apply in inductive
studies at the beginning of the research and the researcher is free in terms of altering the direction for
the study after the research process had commenced.

3. Context Analysis:

Context analysis is a research technique used to make replicable and valid inferences by interpreting and
coding textual material. By systematically evaluating texts (e.g., documents, oral communication, and
graphics), qualitative data can be converted into quantitative data. Although the method has been used
frequently in the social sciences, only recently has it become more prevalent among organizational
scholars.