Tag: Research Design

"Scaled, citizen-led, and publicness": Improving qualitative research through citizen social science in Singapore and beyond (with researchers Amirah Amirrudin, Dr. Nicholas Harrigan, and Dr. Ijlal Naqvi)

“Scaled, citizen-led, and publicness”: Improving qualitative research through citizen social science in Singapore and beyond (with researchers Amirah Amirrudin, Dr. Nicholas Harrigan, and Dr. Ijlal Naqvi)

Posted on by guanyinmiao

In November last year, the publication titled “Scaled, citizen-led, and public qualitative research: A framework for citizen social science” explored improvements to qualitative research and suggested methods for the conduct of citizen social science. Drawing from two cases – one involving state and civil society organisations and public policy students, and another centred on low-waged migrant workers and the system processing their salary and injury disputes – we dive into the open-access publication with its three author-researchers.

What is a basic standard of living (Photo by Ng Shi Wen)

What is “a basic standard of living”? A deeper research and methodological dive into the Minimum Income Standard study (with Drs. Ng Kok Hoe and Teo You Yenn)

Posted on by guanyinmiao

Since the publication of the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) study (whatsenough.sg), which sought to establish what constituted basic needs in Singapore and the household budgets needed to meet those needs, public discussion has taken two related directions. First, focusing solely on the S$6,426 dollar figure needed per month for partnered parents with two children, and then extolling Singaporeans to “spend within their means”. And second, criticising the study’s methodology without, in my opinion, fully understanding it. Some said, for instance, that the MIS study was analogous to interviewing colleagues about daily budgets before asking bosses for a salary raise.

Every research study has its limitations. But a fair evaluation only follows if we know the research motivations and methodology. It is with that in mind that we host Drs. Ng Kok Hoe and Teo You Yenn, members of the MIS study, who explain a “basic standard of living”, detail the study methodology, and address five common responses and rebuttals to the study.

Chinatown city building

The impact of housing on children’s future “economic status”: Go beyond headlines to interrogate research design

Posted on by guanyinmiao

Three newspapers – ST, TODAY, and BT – reported on the same research study by the National University of Singapore on intergenerational “housing wealth”, yet they all failed to interrogate the design and findings of the study (in this vein, to ask the researchers tougher questions about their research) or to question the proposed causal mechanisms linking a Singaporean’s housing or neighbourhood in childhood to his or her future “economic status” (represented by housing wealth).