Research vs. Design

The graduate students who submitted their thesis proposals this semester were advised to revise their work and thus were given more time to work on it. The main problem: their proposals were on "design" and not on "research."

This development supported my observations regarding the undergraduate thesis program of the University of San Carlos (USC) and that of the Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT). I heard many claims that the CIT thesis is better than USC. What bothered me was that the claims were made by USC students. Were the claims based on how the thesis programs were run or on content?

After a series of interviews I concluded that the CIT thesis is not a "thesis" per se but a major project. As a major project most requirements are technical (actual lot descriptions, financial study, construction details, etc.). These requirements are the main reason why USC students consider CIT thesis better. They do not find these requirements in the USC thesis program.

I always tell students that in a thesis what you are actually doing is to prove a point. You ask a question, hypothesize, then prove or disprove your hypothesis. This is why a proposal to design a facility can not be considered a Design Thesis. In USC, proposals like these are referred to as "plates." This is why it is very common to hear panelists say that the thesis being presented is "like a plate."

Some possible Design Thesis would be:

• A study of the applicability of a particular Design theory on a particular project
• Finding the causes of success or failure of an architectural project
• Evaluating a proposed architectural project as to compatibility with its site or context
• Predicting trends and patterns in design or user behavior

Unfortunately the distinction between research and design is not yet clear to majority of both faculty and students of USC. It is not surprising since most architects don't engage in research. This is why I proposed that the bias for research become a distinctive mark of USC products. This, however, still has a long way to go. (By the way, I sent a copy of my suggestions for the Vision/ Mission of the USC CAFA-AD to the dean and the chairman [see blog]. I'm just waiting for feedback from any of them.)

So, does this mean that the CIT thesis is not at par with USC's? Can we now consider it as having lower standard? Certainly NOT! When we designed the graduate program of USC CAFA, the original intent was to have two options: thesis or major project. These two are at the same level. They have the same level of difficulty. They only differ in approach. It is more fitting to refer to them as different "categories" rather than "levels". The latter seems to connote that one is above the other.

During the meeting with the coordinators of the graduate thesis program and the students, when the decision to postpone the proposal hearing was explained, I was very happy. The discipline for research is starting to take root. I just hope that everyone learns to appreciate it.