Questionnaire is used in the field study for collecting data to survey people’s perceptions of thermal comfort and mesh the results with prevailing environmental conditions. The questionnaire design was based on ASHRAE Standard 55. It began with a foreword explaining of its goals, followed by a major section that investigated the participants’ thermal perception of the indoor thermal environment in transitional spaces. The content of the major section of questionnaire was divided into three sections:
• Section 1 is for collecting relevant personal information, including participants’ gender, age, occupation and what they wore when they were participant the questionnaire survey.
• Section 2 is investigating participants’ interaction history with the building and indoor transitional space they occupied.
• Section 3 is investigating participants’ perception of thermal comfort in indoor transitional space.
The questionnaire (Appendix 2) includes three types of questions: individual information, fact allegation and satisfaction evaluation. The former using in section 1 and that main focus on participants’ demographic features. The second one consists of 15 questions that construct a different aspects structure as Table 4.2. The latter consist 8 questions that construct a two level hierarchy structure: the first level is evaluates the overall thermal environment of transitional space, the second level is evaluates the thermal environment of specific area of transitional space. Table 4.2 The aspects of section 2 of questionnaire investigated Aspect Index Sensation of the outside climate Living location and length Interaction history with the transitional space Reason and frequency of visiting the space, length of stay in this space, favorite area, stay reason Personal sensitivity of thermal environment Adaptation activity and drinking, temperature influence on choosing seating place
The second level of section 3 is the key content of the questionnaire, this section asks subjects to rate their current sensation about their thermal environment. Due to the variability of thermal condition in transitional space, thermal comfort will rated on a typical 7-point ASHRAE thermal sensation vote (TSV) scale, which range from -3 to 3 in response to a change from cold to hot, with 0 being the thermal neutral condition. The thermal acceptability (acceptable or unacceptable) question in the survey was assessed by the question of the occupant’s evaluation of the thermal quality of the space. The records of the responses also need kept and catalogued according to time and date. All the other parts of this questionnaire are assistants to supplement, evident and correct the key content of it. Section 1 and section 2 are investigated participants’ personality and their interaction with the indoor transitional space, which have the significant influence on the evaluation of their thermal perception.
The researcher’s observation of participants combined with section 1, which including participants’ sitting area, clothing, gender, activity, whether eating or drinking, and whether alone or with group of people. Detailed description of participants’ clothing was noted in the questionnaire sheet.
The site map is attached on each questionnaire; it is use for participants point out their favorite area for staying and the reason of it in this space. It is also important so as to pinpoint the location in which each interview occurs. Interviews location is selected randomly within defined boundaries in each site so that it takes individuals’ preferences into account.
4.4.2. Ethics risk and data protection
Ethical implications of the research need to be considered as the monitored subjects in this study are human participants. Generally, there are two main tasks need to be justified in the ethical process (KCL, 2008). At first, balance the benefit of the research to society and the risks concerned with participants. Secondly, in the process of research study and after it, treating the monitored data confidentially. To meet the requirement that an ethical approval was undertaken prior to starting this study, and
approval was given both by the Welsh School of Architecture, and the Ethics Committee of Cardiff University. The ethical approval application carried out for this study has answered questions in the following aspects: • Researchers’ scientific quality on doing the study. • Consent and deception of the study to the participants. • How the data will be used and stored confidentially during and after the study. • Will participants be provided with any incentives for the study When doing the ethical approval, in order not to influence occupants’ judgment about their thermal perception, participants were told that all their information would be used anonymous. However, if they wanted to know some detailed information about the study or the results of the study, it can be provided to them after the study finished. The participants were chose at random and in this research they are entirely voluntary. All participants were over 16 years old.
As mentioned in the Data Collection section (Section 4.2), some measuring devices were used in the study for automated monitoring of important parameters. To ensure participants’ safety during the measurement, a risk assessment of these devices was also completed, which resulted in a ‘Low’ risk. This assessment has considered mainly the mechanical and electrical hazards; potential hazard of the workplace (both physical and environmental); potential hazard from substances; potential hazard of participants’ work activity during the experiment; potential hazard of radiation. In addition, before being allocated into the monitored spaces, all the measurement devices had been tested carefully by professional electricity technicians in the School of Civil and Building Engineering, Cardiff University, making sure that they were in good working conditions.