QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN ARCHITECTURE: SELF-DISCOVERY THROUGH TESIS / DISERTATION WORKS

One of the improvements in the quality of university teachers is achieved by further education at the S2 and S3 levels. S2 and S3 education according to the Indonesian National Qualifications Framework (KKNI) is divided into two, namely academic orientation (scientific theory) and vocational orientation (applied research). The difference is, the level of academic orientation is based on research, while the vocational orientation is based on practice / applied. The majority of master's and doctoral education in Architecture in Indonesia is mostly academic oriented. The logical consequence is that research activities become a necessity.

On one hand, various constraints were experienced by students with an Architecture background when attending this advanced education, among others: S1 Architecture education was not formatted to be a "researcher"; Research Methodology courses are relatively new to the Architecture education curriculum and to date this course is only a complement; work as a "consultant" is more promising than the research world. With all the conditions behind the students' work, research activities are the only path that must be passed.

There are two choices of research types, namely Quantitative Research and Qualitative Research. Although this grouping of opposing dualisms of research disagrees (Trochim, 2007; Groat, 2013), in reality the grouping dichotomy is still used.

This paper will only be limited to qualitative research with the consideration that the majority of research conducted by alumni is more inclined there. Also limited to the scope of Thesis / Dissertation research not non-academic research. The discussion is more "introductory" than a complete discussion which is not possible in very limited writing