A Proposition for a Construction Research Taxonomy

Texts aimed at construction research students at all levels describe the organisation and undertaking of research work. These generally include a descriptive discussion of the works of such philosophers as Aristotle, Kant and Popper and relate this to theory building, theoretical frameworks, paradigms, etc. Reference is made to hypotheticodeductive methods, action research and grounded theory together with debates on the relative merits of positivist or constructivist approaches to construction related research. The aim of this paper is to review the construction research methods literature and present a taxonomy aimed at the classification of all construction research. In this description the paper will present a methodology for the derivation of research questions from literature through structured synthesis involving interrelationship between issues. The paper will also propose a four level classification structure comprising conceptual framework, theoretical framework, technical framework and technical analysis. This classification is illustrated with a construction research focused practical example.