1. Historical context and forward-looking vision:
How have historical factors shaped your object of study? In other
words, what is the historical context out of which have emerged current
understandings and approaches to your field (e.g., affordable housing,
water quality management, regional planning, etc.)? How have key concepts being used in your domain
of theory-building and practice changed over time (e.g., wetlands
used to be called swamps; is smart growth old wine in a new bottle?
how has our understanding of equity changed over time)?
2. Methodology and ethics:
What are the types of investigative strategies one uses to answer
questions in your field of study? To what extent do normative views
and values influence the choice of methods? How so? What are the strengths
and weaknesses of alternative research designs and approaches (qualitative
and quantitative)? What are the ethical issues involved in your methods
for collecting and sharing data? From a methodological standpoint,
what would you say is your primary "unit of analysis" (individual,
family, neighborhood, region, network) and how does the interplay
of local and global dynamics enter into the picture?
3. Governance and power relations:
Who cares about your issue, why? What are the legal-institutional
frameworks in place for dealing with the questions/problems you are
addressing? What is the "ecology of agents" involved (i.e.,
what is the constellation or network of stakeholders and how do these
stakeholders relate, or not relate, to one another). Why is greater
emphasis now being placed on participatory approaches to urban and
regional planning, and economic development?
4. Diversity and Integration:
How does the increasing social and cultural diversity of our society
impact your work? From the perspective of promoting regional quality
of life and habitat, how does (or should) your field of study (e.g.,
housing affordability, health care) influence other fields of study
(e.g., environmental stewardship, digital divide); and vice versa?
Do you find the discourse on "sustainable development" useful
(especially the call for integrating the so-called 3Es of sustainability:
equity, economic efficiency, and environmental stewardship)? To what
extent do you rely on Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
to integrate and share the products of your research/outreach? Along
these lines, what special challenges does the rise of cultural diversity
present?
