AucklandCouncilResearchStrategyandPriorityResearch.pdfVIP

Auckland Council Research Strategy and Priority Research Areas 2013 - 2016 March 2013                                         Table of contents     Research strategy 1 Key result areas 3 Priority research areas 4 Research theme 1: People 6 Research theme 2: Infrastructure and land use 8 Research theme 3: Environment 10 Research theme 4: Housing 12 Research theme 5: Economy 14 Research theme 6: Climate change and energy 16             Prepared by Auckland Council’s Research, Investigations and Monitoring Unit. 1   Research strategy Purpose of the strategy The purpose of this strategy is to provide direction for Auckland Council’s research activity in alignment with the council’s priorities. Specifically, this strategy recognises the requirement to prioritise high- quality research to support the implementation and evaluation of the Auckland Plan. Introduction The Auckland Plan sets the long-term (30-year) direction for Auckland with thirteen strategic directions across social, economic, environmental and cultural domains. These strategic directions, and their associated priorities, provide the framework for this research strategy. This strategy aims to ensure that Auckland Council’s research activities contribute to the development of a sound evidence base to inform, support and evaluate the delivery of the strategic directions. The delivery of high- quality research plays an essential role in providing the evidence base for the council’s activities. Research is an organised and systematic process of discovery. It is organised because it is planned and focused, with a clearly defined scope related to the research question. It is systematic because it proceeds through a sequence of development, testing, and evaluation to ensure accurate results. Research can involve a variety of activities and methods, from small-scale, issue- specific ques