myDorm  research

What this study is about?
The study aims to understand how young adults, like yourself, who have moved into sustainable student accommodations, think and feel about their new environment, how they use it and how they experience the influence of the building and the influence of other residents on their environmentally impacting behaviours. This is expected to help develop the next generation design of environmentally smart accommodations.

 

Who can participate? You are invited to join if you are between 18 and 30, and you have moved into a sustainable and energy efficient student residence. If you don't know whether your residence is in an energy efficient building you can ask the operator of your building, your univesity or you can write us a message and we will check this for you. 

 

What the research entails? The research consists of a face-to-face interview or alternatively a Skype interview between you and me and will last for approximately one hour. The interview will take place in the communal space of the student accommodation where you reside, or in a café or the communal space of a library near your residence. I will also ask you to keep a short diary for a few days before the interview and to bring to the discussion couple of photos about how you use the building, namely how you perform some of your daily activities that affect the environment.

 

What will I do with the information? The recorded interview discussion will be transcribed and it will be used for my PhD dissertation, which will be assessed and evaluated by Cardiff University. The transcripts and all information you provide will also be used as basis of articles published in academic journals. If you are interested, you are welcome to see the final thesis or read the articles before the publication.

 

Will everything you say to me be kept private? All data you provide will be kept at a secure space and your anonymity and confidentiality will be ensured. Data will be presented in anonymous and unidentifiable form in all subsequent publications.

 

Reseacrh Ethics. The study has received Ethical Approval from the Welsh School of Architecture School Research Ethics Committee.