The methodological rigour of South African master's and doctoral planning theses : 1963-2007

Abstract

Planning knowledge is increasingly contested while publication pressure on supervisors and their students is mounting. Given these challenges, to what extent has the methodological rigour of South African master's and doctoral planning theses improved over time? This article examines improvements in methodological rigour of theses completed between 1963 and 2007 by describing how the structure of theses and the use of research designs changed. Data are based on a survey and methodological content analysis of 143 theses sampled by university and programme. Although the structure and 'science' of theses improved over time, theses still require better explication of designs, while designs are increasingly limited to case studies and qualitative approaches. It is concluded that a typology of designs for planning research is needed so that students may better choose and explicate their designs.

Beplanningskennis word toenemend bevraagteken terwyl publikasiedruk op studieleiers en hul studente toeneem. Gegewe hierdie uitdagings, tot watter mate het die metodologiese deeglikheid van Suid-Afrikaanse magister en doktorale beplanningstesisse oor tyd verbeter? Hierdie artikel bestudeer verbeteringe in metodologiese deeglikheid van tesisse voltooi tussen 1963 en 2007 deur te beskryf hoe die struktuur van tesisse en die gebruik van navorsingsontwerpe verander het. Data is gebaseer op 'n opname en metodologiese inhoudsanalise van 143 tesisse gesteekproef per universiteit en program. Alhoewel die struktuur en 'wetenskaplikheid' van tesisse oor tyd verbeter het, benodig tesisse steeds 'n beter uiteensetting van ontwerpe, terwyl ontwerpe toenemend tot gevallestudies en kwalitatiewe benaderings beperk word. Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat 'n tipologie van ontwerpe vir beplanningsnavorsing nodig is sodat studente ontwerpe beter kan kies en uiteensit.

Tsebo ya ho rala e ntse e eketsa ho phenyaphenngwa ha kgatello ya ho phatlalatsa ditaba (articles) ho balaodi le baithuti ba bona e ntse e tota. Ka ho fumantshwa diphepetso tsena matla a mekgwa ya dithisise tsa dikgau tsa masters le ya bongaka a moralo a ntlafetse hakae ka nako e fetileng? Ditaba tsena di hlahloba dintlafatso matleng a mokgwa wa dithisise tse phethetsweng dipakeng tsa dilemo tsa 1963 le 2007 ka ho hlalosa kamoo sebopeho sa thisise le tshebediso ya meralo ya dipatlisiso e fetohileng kateng. Dideitha tse thehilweng hodima dipatlisiso O le manolla ya dikateng ya mokgwa ya dithisise tse lekgolo le mashome a mane a metso e meraro (143) tseo ho entsweng mohlala ka tsona ke yunivesithi le ba lenaneho lena. Le ha sebopeho esitana le saense ya dithesese e ntlafetse dilemo tse fetileng, thesese e sa ntse e boela e hloka moralo o ntlafetseng o totobetseng, ka ha meralo e ntse e tswela pele ho qepha ho dithuto le mekgwa ya ho etsa ya boleng. Ho entswe qeto ya hore meralo ya bonono ba kgatiso ba ho rala dipatlisiso e a hlokaha hore baithuti ba kgone ho kgetha le ho totobatsa meralo ya bona.