Introduction to Qualitative Research

Text:

Instructor: Sugra Chunawala

Credits : 4

Contents:

This course will focus on the foundations of qualitative research and will aim

  • to orient students as to why qualitative research has become particularly relevant 

  • offer students a background to assist the research and utilization of qualitative methods

  • develop an understanding about the different types of qualitative studies into various traditions or approaches.

 

The course will cover the following topics:

  1. Framework

  • What is Qualitative research?

  • Comparing Qualitative and Quantitative Research

  • Ethics of Qualitative Research

     

  1. From Theory to Text 

  • Reviewing the Literature

  • Theoretical Frameworks Underlying Qualitative Research

  • Epistemological Background: Construction and Understanding of Texts

     

  1. Research Design

  • The Process of Conducting Qualitative Research

  • Research Questions, Entering the Field, Sampling

  • Designing Qualitative Research

     

  1. Verbal Data

  • Conducting Effective Interviews, Narratives, Focus Groups, An Overview of Verbal Data

     

  1. Observation and Mediated Data

  • Being a Careful Observer and Ethnography, Visual Data: Photography, Film, and Video, Mining Data from Documents

  • An Overview of Observation and Mediated Data

 

  1. From Text to Theory

  • Data Documentation, Coding and Sorting Categories

  • Analyzing Conversation, Discourse, and Genres

 

  1. Grounding and How to Write Qualitative Research 

  • The Quality of Qualitative Research: Beyond Criteria

  • Writing Qualitative Research

     

  1. Integration and Outlook of Qualitative Research

  • Triangulation

  • State of the Art and Future

     

Assessment: Group interactions, presentations, seminars and assignments

References:

Selected chapters from the following books:

  1. Flick U. (2010, Fourth Edition). An Introduction to Qualitative Research, Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.

  2. Creswell J.W. (2011, Fourth Edition). Educational Research; Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, PHI Learning Private Limited,

New Delhi.

  1. Merriam S.B. (2009, Second Edition). Qualitative Research; A Guide to Design and Implementation, Jossey-Bass, CA.

  2. Cohen, L., Manion, L., and Morrison, K. (2013, First Indian Reprint, Seventh edition published in 2011). Routledge

     

Course Coordinator: