Qualitative Research Methods

2019/2020

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

3

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

School of Politics and Governance

Course type:

Elective course

When:

1 year, 4 module

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course “Qualitative research methods” is taught on educational online platform “Coursera.org”. Discipline studies are carried out by students independently on the basis of an online course “Qualitative research methods”, https://www.coursera.org/learn/qualitative-methods, the University of Amsterdam. In this course you will be introduced to the basic ideas behind the qualitative research in social science. You will learn about data collection, description, analysis and interpretation in qualitative research. Qualitative research often involves an iterative process. We will focus on the ingredients required for this process: data collection and analysis. You won't learn how to use qualitative methods by just watching video's, so we put much stress on collecting data through observation and interviewing and on analysing and interpreting the collected data in other assignments. Obviously, the most important concepts in qualitative research will be discussed, just as we will discuss quality criteria, good practices, ethics, writing some methods of analysis, and mixing methods. We hope to take away some prejudice, and enthuse many students for qualitative research.

Learning Objectives

• learn how to use qualitative methods
• learn how to collect data through observation and interviewing
• learn how to analyse and interpret the collected data in other assignments
• know quality criteria, good practices, ethics, writing some methods of analysis, and mixing methods

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Get acquainted with qualitative research methods
• Know good practices of qualitative research
• Know different forms of interviewing behaviour
• Know how to do a qualitative analysis
• Know mixing methods and ethical issues

Course Contents

• Philosophy of Qualitative Research
  Welcome to the first week of the course. We start with an introduction, followed by two lessons on the Philosophy of Qualitative Research.
• Observation
  In the first module we discussed the philosophy of qualitative research, explaining some basic notions and general philosophical approaches. In this second module we'll discuss observation as an important method within qualitative research. What types of observation are there? How do we observe? And how do we analyse and describe our data?
• Good Practices & Criteria
  What makes qualitative research 'good' is a rather difficult question. Different criteria are suggested, but within the field of qualitative research there is not much agreement on these criteria. However, there is quite some agreement on what good practices of qualitative research are. In this module we will start in lesson 1 with a discussion of good practices of qualitative research.
• Qualitative Interviewing
  In this module we'll look at what a qualitative interview entails by trying to define it and by discussing different forms of interviewing behaviour.
• Qualitative Analysis
  In previous modules we discussed how you should observe a social situation or conduct a qualitative interview. Now we will focus on what to do with your data, by discussing qualitative analysis. In this module you will try to do a qualitative analysis by interpreting your observed data and try to code it.
• Writing, mixing & ethics
  In this module I will discuss ideas on writing in qualitative research, I will discuss mixing methods and talk about the ethical issues you should consider.

Assessment Elements

• Online tests
• Final interview
  Students provide online course results. Grade for the course is set by the program supervisor after the students pass the final interview.

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (4 module)
  0.3 * Final interview + 0.7 * Online tests

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Silverman, D. (DE-588)141743867, (DE-576)163079072. (2010). Doing qualitative research : a practical handbook / David Silverman. Los Angeles [u.a.]: SAGE. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.307026035
• Taylor, S. J., DeVault, M. L., & Bogdan, R. (2016). Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods : A Guidebook and Resource (Vol. 4th edition). Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1061324

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Leavy, P. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=779511
• The Sage handbook of qualitative research ed. by Norman K. Denzin; Yvonna S. Lincoln. (2011). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.347149243