This task force will involve students in supporting the Institute of Policy Studies, a Singaporean public sector think tank, in their research for a white paper on the topic of community development. Students will participate in and observe a range of community-oriented events and programs, as well as conduct interviews with participants. Our core goals for our client include surveying the landscape of organizations who are focused on community development and understanding the variety of motivations and approaches which they use. Students with an interest in working with the Singapore government as well as those with interests in inequality and social services can gain practical insights from this experience.
Students will be trained in the tools and techniques of fieldwork, participatory research, and qualitative data analysis. Our approach will be an iterative one in which we will regularly refine our codes and analytical themes based on the emergent patterns in the field notes. We will use a software platform (www.dedoose.com) that will enable us to approach the analytical challenge together as a team. The tasks of analysing field notes and then coding them in preparation for writing analytic memos will take up the major portion of our in-class time. This research training will be excellent preparation for anyone taking on an independent study or thesis which involves primary research. Participants in the task force will be required to undertake regular visits to for interviews and field visits around Singapore. However, research methodologies will have to be adapted to suit the circumstances of the pandemic, and this may include an online qualitative research process.