After completing this course, you will
- Have knowledge of the epistemological characteristics of qualitative research in general, and of the major approaches in qualitative research in particular. (analytical and critical thinking)
- Be able to distinguish different paradigms underlying the production of knowledge in contemporary (qualitative and quantitative) research. (analytical and critical thinking)
- Know when and why to apply qualitative research. (analytical and critical thinking)
- Be able to formulate a problem statement or research question for a qualitative study
- Know how to operationalise a qualitative problem statement
- Be familiar with the different roles theory can play in qualitative research
- Be able to apply knowledge of qualitative research to design a study: to formulate a research question, collect and interpret data in order to answer that question, and communicate conclusions based on research in writing (analytical and critical thinking; problem-solving skills; decision-making skills; planning and organisation; working in a team; writing skills; digital skills)
- Know how to ensure the quality of the research
- Be able to apply knowledge of research ethics in a small-scale research project (analytical and critical thinking; decision-making skills)
- Have practiced with data collection (interviews, collection of online data) and data analysis (writing skills, digital skills)
Specifics
Evaluation is based on an individual multiple choice exam, and a group paper. This course makes use of Diggit Magazine; the best group papers will be considered for publication.
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This course focuses on qualitative research. We start by reflecting on epistemological issues pertaining to qualitative research. Epistemology involves the theory about what (valid, scientific) knowledge is, and how it is produced. This epistemological reflection enables us to understand when and why we need to use qualitative research (instead of quantitative research). Consequently we will study the different approaches in qualitative research (such as narrative research, phenomenology, case study), and then move on to discuss different aspects of doing research such as data collection and research ethics. After the more theoretical introduction to principles and guidelines, we move on to a more hands-on part: students will be familiarised specifically with interviewing and discourse analysis of online data, including visual analysis. Based on the knowledge gained during the course, students will carry out in groups a small-scale research project where they collect and analyse data with appropriate methods, and write up a report based on their research.
Compulsory Reading
- To be announced
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