Qualitative Research Methods

This long course (1hr 20mins lecture, 1hr 20mins seminar and 1 office hour a week) explores the issues and perspectives in social research, and sets out the methods and processes. The course examines:

 

Reading

* Tim May, 2001, Social Research: issues, methods and process, 3rd edition, Open University Press, Buckingham.

* Nigel Gilbert, 2001, Researching Social Life, 2nd edition, Sage, London.

+ Colin Robson, 2002, Real World Research, 2nd edition, Blackwell, Oxford.

+ Alan Bryman, 2001, Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Andrew Sayer, 1992, Method in Social Science: a realist approach, 2nd edition, Routledge, London.

Berth Danermark, Mats Ekstrom, Liselotte Jakobsen and Jan Ch. Karlsson, 2002, Explaining Society: critical realism in the social sciences, Routledge, London.

* - essential reading

+ - supplementary reading

 

WEEK (1hr 20mins lecture and 1hr 20mins seminar)

  1. Introduction: aims of the course, and a preliminary investigation of the different research approaches and techniques.

    2. Seminar: No seminar.

  2. Perspectives on social scientific research: schools of thought in social research, and feminisms and research (May Ch1; Robson Chs2,5,6&7; Bryman Chs1&2; Sayer Ch1; Danermark et al. Chs2&3).

    3. Seminar: 'Your own research project' - an opportunity to discuss your initial ideas about your research (both topic and method).

  3. Social theory and social research: the relationship between social theory and social research, and situating social theory and research (May Ch2; Gilbert's 'Research, theory and method' in Gilbert Ch2; Robson Ch3; Sayer Ch2; Danermark et al. Ch5).

    4. Seminar: 'Questionnaire' - to examine the experience of answering a questionnaire, and to investigate some difficulties, which arise in questionnaire design.

  4. Values and ethics in the research process: values and ethics and their relation to social research (May Ch3; Bulmer's 'The ethics of social research' in Gilbert Ch4; Bryman Ch 24).

    5. Seminar: 'What kind of researcher to be?' - to look at different styles of research, and to explore the consequences of choosing one style rather than another.

  5. Official statistics: the social construction of official statistics and debates about official statistics (May Ch4; Arber's 'Secondary analysis of survey data' in Gilbert Ch16; Bryman Chs3&10).

    6. Seminar: 'Research decisions' - to highlight the many deliberate choices and unavoidable constraints upon researchers that inform and restrict their choice of method of data collection.

  6. Social surveys: sampling, types of questionnaires, and design and analysis of questionnaires (May Ch5; Arber's 'Designing samples' in Gilbert Ch5; Simmons's 'Questionnaires' in Gilbert Ch6; Procter's 'Measuring attitudes' in Gilbert Ch7; Robson Chs8&10; Bryman Chs3, 4,6&7).

    7. Seminar: 'Analysis of qualitative data' - to practise the analysis of qualitative data; i.e., to make sense of the data, and to make some theoretical claims (Fielding's 'Coding and managing data' in Gilbert Ch14; Procter's 'Analysing survey data' in Gilbert Ch15; Wooffitt's 'Analysing factual accounts' in Gilbert Ch19; Alexander's 'Analysing visual materials' in Gilbert Ch20; Robson Chs13&14; Bryman Chs11&20).

  7. Interviewing: types of interviews, and conducting and analysing interviews (May Ch6; Fielding and Thomas's 'Qualitative interviewing' in Gilbert Ch8; Robson Ch9; Bryman Chs13&15).

    8. Seminar: 'Preparing interviews' - to introduce you to the kind of interviewing you would need to use for your project, and to emphasise issues of planning and research interests.

  8. Participant observation: the practice of participant observation, and the analysis of observations (May Ch7; Fielding's 'Ethnography' in Gilbert Ch9; Robson Ch11; Bryman Chs8&14).

    9. Seminar: 'Practice interviews' - to undertake interviews on each other on issues of education or another social concept.

  9. Test
  10. Documentary research: the process of documentary research, and the analysis of documents (May Ch8; Macdonald's 'Using documents' in Gilbert Ch12; Robson Ch12; Bryman Ch18).

    11. Seminar: 'Planning and conducting your project' - individual tutorials when you will be able to discuss your project plan and progress (Bryman Ch25).

  11. Comparative research: globalisation and comparative social process, and the process of cross-national research (May Ch9; Bryman Chs21&22; Sayer Ch9; Danermark et al. Ch6).

Seminar: 'Planning and conducting your project' - individual tutorials when you will be able to discuss your project plan and progress (Bryman Ch25).

  1. Write up: writing up the project in orderly sections (Gilbert's ' Writing about Social Research' in Gilbert Ch21; Robson15; Bryman Chs23&25)

    2. Seminar: 'Planning and conducting your project' - individual tutorials when you will be able to discuss your project plan and progress (Bryman Ch25).

  2. Writing a literature review and a research proposal: how to write a good literature review and a project proposal (Robson Appendix A; Bryman Ch25)

    3. Seminar: 'Planning and conducting your project' - individual tutorials when you will be able to discuss your project plan and progress (Bryman Ch25).

  3. Practitioner-researchers and consultants: a critical discussion of the roles of practitioner-researchers, consultants and researchers (Robson Appendix B).

    4. Seminar: 'Planning and conducting your project' - individual tutorials when you will be able to discuss your project plan and progress (Bryman Ch25).

  4. Review of the course: an examination of the aims and content of the course.

    5. Seminar: 'Planning and progress your project' - individual tutorials when you will be able to discuss your project plan and progress (Bryman Ch25).

  5. Examination

Seminar: 'Planning and conducting your project' - individual tutorials when you will be able to discuss your project plan and progress (Bryman Ch25).

Assignments

An original research project (3,500-5000 words) – due in Week 17

Mid-semester written test

End of semester written examination

Grading Structure

40% Research project

40% End of semester examination

10% Mid-semester test

10% Seminar and lecture participation

All assignments must be competed to pass the course. Students who do not complete the assignments on time will have their grades down-graded, or will be dropped from the course. Students are expected to attend all lectures and seminars, to be well prepared, and to have read their readings.

Grading Guidelines for Assignments

‘A’ – Assignments of exceptional quality, and are comprehensive and original in their insights, and written with some sense of style.

‘A-‘ – Assignments of comprehensive and original quality, with an insightful treatment of the subject matter. They indicate a high degree of intellectual, conceptual and analytical sophistication. Assignments are also well-structured, with clear, creative themes, which are supported by clear evidence, and they astutely evaluate counter-arguments.

‘B+’ – Assignments are extremely thorough and thoughtful, though they lack originality, comprehensiveness or insight. Assignments are logical and clear, and have well-reasoned objectives and written structure.

‘B’ – Assignments are well-reasoned and well-organised, and the ideas are developed, but with little originality. They also indicate exceptional insights, but are inadequately developed.

‘C+’ – Assignments show competency of the subject matter, with an adequate written structure. They contain some ideas, which demonstrate analytical skills, though overall they are not well developed.

‘C’ – Assignments regurgitates readings and lecture ideas and materials.

‘D+’ – Assignments have evidence of some thought, though they lack analytical structure.

‘F’ – Assignments where none of the above apply, or are plagiarised from other sources.

Grading Guidelines for Seminar and Lecture Participation

Active participation means that students are ready to articulate and explain their ideas, and listen and respond to others’ ideas.

‘A’ – Students attend each lecture and seminar with questions about the lectures and readings. In engaged dialogues, they raise these questions for other students to discuss, and listen to contrary opinions. They initiate and develop critical issues concerning the seminar activities. They are well-structured and well-organised for the completion of their research projects.

‘B’ – Students complete their readings, but do not always reflect on the questions and issues raised during the lectures and seminars. Though they articulate their own views, they passively wait for others to initiate interesting issues. They are reasonably well organised for their own projects.

‘C’ – Students attend, prepare and listen attentively, but rarely enter into discussions. They are adequately prepared for their own projects.

‘D’ – Students are inconsistent in their attendance and preparations. They do not respect others’ contributions. They are also poorly prepared for their own projects.

‘F’ – Students are consistently ill-prepared and have poor attendance. They are rude and disruptive. They also fail to show any signs of organising their own projects.

Please note that I reserve the right to change the schedule of the meetings and topics as and when necessary.

Please look at my web site for additional information and notes about the course. Additional course information will be given during the semester.

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