The Creative Class and Scholarly Research Methods

As cities attempt to attract these workers, the field of urban planning must ask: How does the presence of this class impact how we build and design our cities?

Mastering the Research Process Portfolio

To study topics like the creative class or urban rejuvenation, students must move beyond simple Google searches and engage with academic literature. A Research Process Portfolio is a structured assignment designed to help students manage large volumes of information and understand the relationships between different scholarly sources.

The process begins with a clearly defined research question. Rather than searching for a broad topic, a good research question provides a specific lens for investigation. Examples include:

• What role do arts and cultural institutions play in the social and economic life of cities?
• How does public art contribute to the design of successful public spaces?
• Does attracting “creative class” workers make cities better places to live in?

Once a question is set, the next step is to locate scholarly journal articles through a university library catalogue. Unlike general web articles, these are peer-reviewed works that provide rigorous, evidence-based insights into urban and regional planning.

Annotation Techniques and Source Management

A common challenge for students is becoming overwhelmed by the number of articles, books, and films they must review. Annotation is a powerful tool to combat this, serving as both a research aid and a study tool for exams.

A high-quality annotation should not merely repeat the text; it should perform three specific functions:

1. Summarize: Describe the general subject matter, the data used, and the specific contexts or examples the author focuses on.
2. Explain the Argument: Provide a concise description of the author's central idea or approach. You do not need to agree with the author, but you must be able to describe their logic clearly.
3. Connect to the Research Question: Explicitly state what the source teaches you and how it helps you answer your specific research question.

Exam Tip: When writing annotations, aim for a length of 200–250 words for your primary source. This ensures you are being thorough without becoming repetitive.

Once you have mastered your primary source, you can use its bibliography or "cited by" features in library databases to investigate its impact. This allows you to see how the conversation has evolved:

• Looking Backward: Identify sources that the original author cited to understand the foundations of their argument.
• Looking Forward: Identify newer sources that cite your original article to see how the discussion has changed over time.

Technical Standards: Citations and APA Style

Professionalism in research is maintained through standardized citations. In many social science and planning disciplines, APA (American Psychological Association) Style is the required format. Proper citation ensures that you give credit to original thinkers and allows your readers to locate your sources easily.

When submitting research assignments, attention to detail is paramount. This includes:

• Including necessary identifiers (name, student number, course code).
• Using consistent page numbering and word counts.
• Following specific file-naming conventions for digital submissions.

By combining an understanding of socio-economic trends—like the rise of the creative class—with disciplined research habits, students can move from being passive consumers of information to active contributors to the field of urban planning.