A Methodological Framework in Identifying the Research-Worthy Problems in the Field of “Collective Memory in Iranian Cities” by Adopting Problem-Based Approach

Iranian cities have experienced a dramatic change (as a great contemporary challenge) since the last century, leading to a failure of physical, socio-cultural and ecological coherence and confronting collective memories with significant challenges. In such circumstances, the collective memories of the citizens are forgotten and we are faced with the cities that are alienated from their pasts whose soul and meaning have completely changed. Demolishing urban historical fabrics, irreparable damages to the physical, socio-cultural and ecological structure of the cities as well as a substantial change in lifestyles are some evidence of this drastic change. A change that could entail the need for research about collective memory in Iranian cities. That is why counting the indigenous research-worthy problems in this field becomes deeply significant. The aim of this study is to propose a methodological framework about the process of counting the context-based challenges and selecting the research-worthy problems -particularly focused on “collective memory in Iranian cities”- by adopting a problem-based approach and respecting the indigenous originality of the research. This research is qualitative, and the methodology is a combination of the case study approach (by studying a specific experience in choosing the research topic of Ph.D. in Urban Planning around "collective memory" as a general topic), qualitative meta-synthesis of the Iranian researches about collective memory and the methodological texts in the field of problem-based research (in order to find the method of identifying research-worthy problems). This process has been a reciprocal process between case study and qualitative content analysis of methodological texts. This means that firstly, after a meta-synthesis of Iranian researches about collective memory, a study has been conducted on the method of counting research-worthy problems, considering the need to observe the dialectic of the universal and the particular and indigenous originality of research, the need to rely on problem-based research and identify the real issues of Iran. Then, the proposed method has been used in a real case study of choosing the Ph.D. research topic. In this paper, seven problems including “meaning transmission and memory permanence in the contemporary city”, “an imbalance between change, continuity and constancy: the challenges of memory production in the contemporary city”, “disassociation between collective memory and lived experiences in the city”, “the distance between memorizers and memories”, “removing memories in order to gain modern services/ profit-making”, “changes in the lifestyle and concepts and its role on citizens collective memories” and “contemporary challenge and disintegrating the city meaning system” has been identified as the research-worthy problems in the field of collective memory in the Iranian cities, by using the proposed methodological framework and focusing on indigenous originality of the research. The final proposed methodological model is based on a three-step process including “preparing the initial checklist of the problems” resulting from personal and practical observations and experiences, “identifying the research-worthy problems” through a four-step evaluation of the problems (look, read, synthesize, conclusion) and “preparing concise proposals of possible researches about the problems”.