DESIGN RESEARCH DISSERTATION [ TASK 1 ]
24.04.26 - 07.06.26 / Week 1 - Week 7
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / DESIGN RESEARCH DISSERTATION / Taylor's University
Task 1
OUTLINE
Instruction
Feedback
- WEEK 1
- WEEK 2
- WEEK 3
- WEEK 4
- WEEK 5
- WEEK 6
- WEEK 7
- WEEK 1
- WEEK 2
- WEEK 3
- WEEK 4
- WEEK 5
- WEEK 6
- WEEK 7
Reflection
INSTRUCTION
Module Information Booklet (MIB) of Design Research Dissertation
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Task 1
First of all, my initial work was to complete the Literature Review assigned by Dr Hayati on the MyTimes. Since the Literature Review had to be based on the topic I worked on in Design Research Methodology, I revisited and reviewed my previous assignments.
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My research topic: The influence of cultural identity on character design
Research questions
Research Question 1: What is the current trend of incorporating cultural identity into character design?
Research Question 2: How do character designs that incorporate cultural elements avoid or perpetuate stereotypes?
Objectives: The main objective of this research is to explore the influence of cultural identity on character design in the entertainment industry. So by understanding the impact of cultural identity on character design, this research will be able to provide guidelines and recommendations for creating more diverse and inclusive characters.
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| Fig. 1.3 Weekly Progress Reflection Sheet, Literature Review and DRAFT Dissertation (Week 2 / 1.5.2026) |
First, I organised the tasks that needed to be completed for Week 2. The first task was the Weekly Progress Reflection Sheet, which is a document used to record my weekly tasks, what I have completed, my reflection, and feedback from Dr Hayati. The second task was the Literature Review, which needed to be developed using the articles I had previously used for the Critical Review in DRM. The final task was the Draft Dissertation, which is the document where the work completed throughout this module will be organised and written in a final dissertation format.
After checking these documents, I immediately started recording my Weekly Progression and studied how to write the Literature Review properly.
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| Fig. 1.4 Literature matrix Samples |
After looking at the Literature Review examples, I divided the articles I had into three categories.
The first category includes articles that are generally related to culture: Article 1 and Article 2.
The second category includes the article that contains both gender stereotypes and cultural expectations: Article 3.
The final category includes articles that discuss gender stereotypes as a form of identity representation: Article 4 and Article 5.
The Literature Review is not about reviewing each study individually, like the previous Critical Review. Instead, it requires connecting and comparing the articles with each other. Therefore, I read the articles several times to understand them properly. After that, I started filling in the Matrix by following the example shown in Fig. 1.3.
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| Fig. 1.10 Progress |
Final Task 1: RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION - DRAFT DISSERTATION
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FEEDBACK
WEEK 1
Specific Feedback: No Feedback
General Feedback: Students should review their previous research topic, data collection, critical review, research questions, and objectives before writing the draft dissertation.
WEEK 2
Specific Feedback: No Feedback (Holiday)
General Feedback: No Feedback (Holiday)
WEEK 3
Specific Feedback: Themes should show the main issue or main point of each article. They shouldn’t sound like separate dissertation titles. Rename the draft dissertation document and remove the word Cover Page from the title. Add the previous DRM proposal content into Chapter 1, including the problem statement, research questions, and research objectives. Continue developing the Literature Review Matrix because some parts are still incomplete. Review the selected articles carefully because some articles focus on cultural identity, while others focus more on gender stereotypes. And the DRM proposal, also, before finalising the working title. Check whether the selected articles are aligned with the research topic, working title, research questions, and objectives.
General Feedback: Review and understand the previous Design Research Methodology, as it’ll affect the dissertation writing. The literature review should compare and connect the articles. Similarities and differences should be based on the selected articles as secondary data, not on the student’s own primary research. Sub-topics for Chapter 2 should be developed from the themes, keywords, similarities, and differences found in the articles. Use the previous DRM proposal content for Chapter 1, including the background, problem statement, research questions, and research objectives. Do not write the abstract at this stage.
WEEK 4
Specific Feedback: You must include a subtopic on Bias Mitigation Strategy because your data analysis and visual analysis do not involve other participants. You are the one directly observing, reviewing, and interpreting the materials.
The bias mitigation strategy should not only appear in the methodology chapter. It should also be connected to the analysis chapter, so that the analysis process reflects the strategies used to reduce biased interpretation of the data.
Explain how bias will be mitigated or eliminated in both the methodology process and the later interpretation of the findings.
The data analysis procedure needs to be clearly differentiated. You should explain the role of each method, such as data analysis, visual analysis, text analysis, and comparative analysis, and how they connect.
Understand and explain the sequence of your research process. You should also justify why you selected these particular nine films, including their relevance and selection reasons.
The focus should not only be on whether the method was conducted or not. What matters is using the right method to describe the procedure and showing the decision-making process used to reduce bias in the writing.
To strengthen the bias mitigation strategy, you could show the same material to one or two enthusiasts or ask two or three people in a small focus group to observe the same material. Their feedback could then be compared and contrasted with your own interpretation. This triangulation process can help reduce bias in the analysis.
General Feedback: For Ch 3, it is important to recall the methods that were previously adopted. It is also necessary to consider whether the method was rushed or whether it needs further clarification.
The methodology section should not go straight into the method. It should first be associated with the intended study and linked back to the research aim, objectives, and questions.
The connection between the method, instrument, and analysis elements needs to be clearly explained.
Chapter 3 methodology must be related to the research objectives and research questions.
If a questionnaire survey is used, it should be divided into several sections. Since each section has a different target to achieve, the details of each section need to be explained clearly.
Each method should include its strengths and weaknesses
If there are incorrect or unfinished parts in the draft, they should not be deleted immediately. It is better to keep them as different versions, such as Version 2 or Version 3. The latest version can be treated as the most updated one.
If a quantitative method is chosen, the reason and justification should be explained first. It is also necessary to explain why a qualitative method was not used.
The working title can still evolve until the final Week 7 stage, or even before the final submission stage in Week 12.
The conclusion title for each section can be written as a summary to avoid confusion with the conclusion chapter. For example, it can be named Summary Conclusion, Summary of the Literature Review, Summary of the Methodology, or Summary of the Research Analysis. Later, when writing the conclusion chapter, each section’s summary conclusion can be taken and further refined.
WEEK 5
Specific Feedback: Absent
General Feedback: Students should transfer and further develop their previous DRM research proposal into Chapter 1 of the draft dissertation. Chapter 1 should include the research problem, problem statement, research questions, research objectives, research background, and a conceptual framework or diagram that clearly explains the overall research direction.
Students should have a strong understanding of their previous research by Week 5. Since they are now consolidating and rewriting their previous data into the draft dissertation, they should be able to explain their research topic, methods, data, and findings more confidently.
Chapter 3 Methodology should clearly explain the method, instrument, and procedure used in the previous DRM research. Students should revisit their previous methodology and explain how the chosen method connects to the research title, objectives, research questions, and literature reviewed.
If a questionnaire was used, its structure should be clearly described, including the number of sections, types of questions, target participants, distribution method, and data collection period. If open-ended questions were included, students should clarify whether the research is mainly quantitative or mixed methods.
Chapter 4 Findings should go beyond the previous DRM findings. Previous data can be reused as a base, but students must expand the interpretation, evaluate the results more critically, and explain why the findings appeared in a certain way instead of simply copying and pasting old findings.
The sequence of Chapter 4 should mirror the methodology described in Chapter 3. If the methodology begins with observation, the findings should also present the observation results first before moving to questionnaire results or other methods.
Students should analyse the strengths and weaknesses of their data collection, interpretation, and methods. Methodology limitations should be discussed in Chapter 3, while broader research limitations can be discussed later in the discussion or conclusion.
Chapter 5 Discussion should connect Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4. It should relate the research questions, objectives, literature review, methodology, and findings together, while explaining the meaning of the findings in an objective, analytical, and critical way.
Each section can include a summary conclusion, which can later help students write Chapter 6. However, the conclusion should still be rewritten and connected as a new chapter, not copied directly from previous summaries.
Students should update their Weekly Progression Sheet properly by recording their progress, understanding, pending tasks, and reflections. They should also follow the timeline and submission window so they can upload and test their file for similarity index and AI writing detection before final submission.
WEEK 6
Specific Feedback: Absent
General Feedback: Chapter 1 should be further developed by clearly explaining the research background, research significance, or research motivation, rather than only including the rationale. The conceptual framework should also be included and connected to the introduction.
The abstract should be written after completing Chapters 1 to 6, including the references and appendices. It should summarise the whole dissertation clearly, be around 300 words, and include a maximum of five keywords.
The conclusion can be developed from the summary conclusions written in each chapter, but they should not be copied and pasted directly. The conclusion should be refined, connected, and should also consider future research and project recommendations, especially in relation to Creative Media practice.
The Reference List should only include sources cited in Chapters 1 to 6. If additional materials were used for understanding the topic but were not cited, they can be placed under Bibliography. The Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables should also be formatted properly, with Roman numbering before Chapter 1 and chapter-based numbering for tables and figures, such as Figure 3.1 or Table 3.1.
The discussion chapter should connect the findings from Chapter 4 with the secondary data from Chapter 2, Literature Review. It should answer the research questions and objectives from Chapter 1, rather than simply repeating the findings.
Chapter 4 should not be copied and pasted directly from the previous DRM assignment. The findings can be reused as a base, but they must be further analysed and interpreted. The sequence of Chapter 4 should also reflect the methodology described in Chapter 3.
The Weekly Progression Sheet should be updated properly. It should explain the weekly task, the action taken, the progress made, and the reflection or challenges faced, rather than only recording tutorial feedback.
Students should upload their draft to MyTIMES before the final deadline to test the file and check the similarity index. It is better to upload early so that corrections can be made before the final submission.
Students should make sure their understanding of their own research is strong by this stage. If their understanding is still low by next week, it may become a concern.
WEEK 7
Specific Feedback: You should fully utilise the Turnitin practice window and upload your draft for AI detection and similarity checks before the final submission. Even if the draft is not fully completed, you should use the practice window to check the current AI writing detection and similarity index.
You must submit the Draft Dissertation only once, with no option for resubmission. Therefore, you should ensure that the draft is thoroughly checked and revised beforehand. Additionally, Chapter 4 needs a stronger analytical discussion that interprets the data and connects it to the research questions and objectives, rather than simply copying from previous work.
The dissertation must be properly formatted, starting each chapter on a new page and using Roman numbering for pages preceding the Introduction. Amendments should be made promptly, and the revised document should be reuploaded to Window 2 for the practice submission.
General Feedback: The Draft Dissertation is due before Sunday midnight and is a crucial step before the final submission in Week 12. Students are advised not to leave it until the last minute, as it will be refined based on supervisor feedback. Although AI tools may be used, they must be declared and should not replace original research or creativity. Any AI assistance for writing, grammar checking, translation, summarising, or idea development must be documented in the AI declaration form.
Students are advised to use the Turnitin self-check window before final submission to ensure the AI writing and similarity percentages are within acceptable limits. After the actual submission, they must download the current view report to attach to their assignment. Assignment 2 involves creating an e-publication based on dissertation content, requiring students to adopt a designer mindset, translating research into a visual format through layout, typography, colour, images, and charts.
The e-publication must be visually clear and readable, incorporating design principles, typography, and appropriate layout. It should enhance, not merely decorate, the dissertation's content. Students should thoughtfully redesign charts and tables from survey findings to align with the research's visual direction, ensuring data accuracy is preserved.
All non-student-created images and visual materials must be credited to respect copyright and intellectual property rights. The Final Dissertation should build upon the Draft Dissertation using supervisor feedback, and students can begin working on the design direction for Assignment 2 while awaiting this feedback.
For the final submission, students will also have another practice window to check AI writing and similarity. However, once the final submission window opens, the practice window will close. Therefore, students should use the practice window carefully before the final deadline.
REFLECTION
Experience
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Observations
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Findings
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QUICK LINKS
Projects
- DESIGN RESEARCH DISSERTATION TASK 2
- DESIGN RESEARCH DISSERTATION TASK 3
- DESIGN RESEARCH DISSERTATION TASK 4
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