Qualitative Research Methods 2500-PL-PS-OB3L-2

This course is a basic introduction to qualitative methods in psychology. Students will learn skills needed on every stage of research process within qualitative inquiry.
It involves:
• Understanding the nature of qualitative inquiry and its varieties
• Asking research questions suitable for Qualitative approach
• Ethics in QUAL Approach
• Researchers’ reflexivity and critical thinking
• Participants recruitment
• Collecting qualitative data
• Conducting qualitative research interviews
• Procedures for qualitative data analysis.
• Writing a QUAL research report
• Critical evaluation of qualitative studies

This course will touch on different methods used within QUAL approach in psychology, such as thematic and content analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis, grounded theory approach, narrative methods, discourse analysis, focus groups, anthropological approach, as well as mixed methods approach and data transformation from QUAL to QUAN. Because of the basic character of the course, the focus will be rather on general skills that are common for many methods, and not on one particular method. Moreover, we will focus on the general ability to understand qualitative data and on the ability to critically read and think about qualitative studies done by other researchers.

This course has both a theoretical and practical character. During the whole semester, students develop and conduct in groups their own small-scale qualitative research project. Project work involves all stages of the research process from planning and conducting a study to analyzing and reporting its results. Additionally, each student has to present critically one qualitative study from the literature.

Class 1: General Introduction to qualitative methods and course organization

Definition, Basic qualities, and history of qualitative approach within psychology. Differences between QUAN and QUAL approach. Mixed Methods as an approach combining both research designs. Explaining vs. understanding. Types of data in QUAL studies, data collection types, using existing data. Narrative knowledge, narrative mode. Biographical methods. Role of researchers subjectivity and reflexivity.

Organization of the course. Rules for grading.

Literature: Chapter one from: Creswell, J. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Class 2. Finding research questions for qualitative design.

Finding problems and formulating research questions suitable for qualitative design. Epistemology base of qualitative research questions: critical realism, social constructivism, phenomenological approach. Research question -> research methods -> problems of sampling.

Workshop: training in creating research questions. Students create questions according to their interests and form small (3 - 4 persons) groups on this basis, looking for a research problem they will focus later during this class and make their group project about. Those research problems can be in many different areas of psychology, for example: clinical, economic, social, etc. The final research problem and question for a group have to be accepted by a teacher according to theoretical meaning, the possibility of being done ethically and on time. Later during the course students will plan a research project for that question, based on semi-structured interviews (one for each student), they will conduct, and a common analysis and report. This project last for the whole semester and each stage of the project corresponds to the themes of classes. Those stages are: planning, designing an interview, conducting, transcribing and evaluating it, doing data analysis, writing a research report, evaluating the report.

Class 3. Collecting data in qualitative approach

Different methods of collecting qualitative data: types of interviews, group focused interviews FGI, biographical methods, written data, narrative data, projective techniques, types of observation and ethnography. Using existing data, corpus data, internet data.

In deep explanation of the semi-structured interview dynamics. Difference between clinical interviews and diagnostic and research interviews. Interpersonal dynamics of interviewing. Ethical issues in research interviews.

Class 4 & 5: Preparing research projects and interview plans

Workshop: In groups, students prepare and plan together with the teacher and the help of pears their interview plans. Those are based on the research question common to a group. Research questions should slowly take their final form by this time.

Establishing the final date for conducting and transcribing the interview. Transcription rules.

Class 6 & 7: Methods for qualitative data analysis.

During class 6 & 7 we learn and practice basic analytic skills for qualitative data. First, we do this on teachers examples, and later, when students interviews are done and transcribed on students own project material.

Analytical skills start with processes that are common for more than one qualitative approach. This involves mainly inductive or deductive (theory-driven) building of analytical categories (For Example themes or codes). This process can be learned as part of TA (Thematic analysis), IPA (Interpretative phenomenological analysis), or Grounded theory.

Intro to computer-assisted QUAL data analysis: Atlas.ti., or MaxQDA or LIWC. (There are free trawl version of All of those available).

Literature:

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J. A. (2014). A practical guide to using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in qualitative research psychology. Psychological Journal, 20(1), 7-14.

Charmaz, K. (2003). Grounded theory. In: J. Smith (Eds.)Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods, pages 81-110.

Class 8 - 11 Workshop. Data analysis of students data within group Project. Report writing.

There should be around 4 group projects, with collected data by this time of the semester. Each class is a workshop where we together analyze this data for each group. This means not only teachers help for the project work but also peer review and peer help in analyzing. We learn the analytic methods by doing it together during the class. Rules of report writing.

Class 12: Mixed design and transformation form QUAl to QUAN data.

Philosophy of mixed design. Research plans for mixed design. Data transformation. LIWC software by J. Pennebaker ( online demo available).

LITERATURE:
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. Sage publications. Chapter Mixed methods.

Pennebaker, J. W., Mehl, M. R., & Niederhoffer, K. G. (2003). Psychological aspects of natural language use: Our words, our selves. Annual review of psychology, 54(1), 547-577.

Class 13: Other Qualitative methods.

Discourse analysis, Focus group interviews and others, according to students interests.

LITERATURA: Willig, C. (2003). Discourse analysis. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods, 2, 160-186.

LITERATURA: Smith, J. A. (Ed.). (2015). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage. Chapter: FGI.

Class 14 & 15:

Presentations and evaluation of reports from project work during the semester.

Knowledge integration, summary, feedback.

NOTE: This Schedule can be changed due to project and group work dynamics.
***

LITERATURE

Further readings & essential handbooks that cover the field of the course:

Creswell, J. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Smith, J. A. (Ed.). (2007). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage.

Learning activities
and teaching methods

Participate in in-class discussions, read and discuss literature.
Project work. Group work.
Most of the class activities will be in the form of small in-class tasks. These include finding and discussing relevant research literature, using online resources, analyzing a variety of qualitative data including texts and interviews, planning new research projects. Some of the tasks will include homework with reading assignments, others conducting small research-related tasks, and presenting own as well as other people’s research.

This course is a basic introduction to qualitative methods in psychology. Students will learn skills needed on every stage of research process within qualitative inquiry.
It involves:
• Understanding the nature of qualitative inquiry and its varieties
• Asking research questions suitable for Qualitative approach
• Ethics in QUAL Approach
• Researchers’ reflexivity and critical thinking
• Participants recruitment
• Collecting qualitative data
• Conducting qualitative research interviews
• Procedures for qualitative data analysis.
• Writing a QUAL research report
• Critical evaluation of qualitative studies

This course will touch on different methods used within QUAL approach in psychology, such as thematic and content analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis, grounded theory approach, narrative methods, discourse analysis, focus groups, anthropological approach, as well as mixed methods approach and data transformation from QUAL to QUAN. Because of the basic character of the course, the focus will be rather on general skills that are common for many methods, and not on one particular method. Moreover, we will focus on the general ability to understand qualitative data and on the ability to critically read and think about qualitative studies done by other researchers.

This course has both a theoretical and practical character. During the whole semester, students develop and conduct in groups their own small-scale qualitative research project. Project work involves all stages of the research process from planning and conducting a study to analyzing and reporting its results. Additionally, each student has to present critically one qualitative study from the literature.

Class 1: General Introduction to qualitative methods and course organization

Definition, Basic qualities, and history of qualitative approach within psychology. Differences between QUAN and QUAL approach. Mixed Methods as an approach combining both research designs. Explaining vs. understanding. Types of data in QUAL studies, data collection types, using existing data. Narrative knowledge, narrative mode. Biographical methods. Role of researchers subjectivity and reflexivity.

Organization of the course. Rules for grading.

Literature: Chapter one from: Creswell, J. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Class 2. Finding research questions for qualitative design.

Finding problems and formulating research questions suitable for qualitative design. Epistemology base of qualitative research questions: critical realism, social constructivism, phenomenological approach. Research question -> research methods -> problems of sampling.

Workshop: training in creating research questions. Students create questions according to their interests and form small (3 - 4 persons) groups on this basis, looking for a research problem they will focus later during this class and make their group project about. Those research problems can be in many different areas of psychology, for example: clinical, economic, social, etc. The final research problem and question for a group have to be accepted by a teacher according to theoretical meaning, the possibility of being done ethically and on time. Later during the course students will plan a research project for that question, based on semi-structured interviews (one for each student), they will conduct, and a common analysis and report. This project last for the whole semester and each stage of the project corresponds to the themes of classes. Those stages are: planning, designing an interview, conducting, transcribing and evaluating it, doing data analysis, writing a research report, evaluating the report.

Class 3. Collecting data in qualitative approach

Different methods of collecting qualitative data: types of interviews, group focused interviews FGI, biographical methods, written data, narrative data, projective techniques, types of observation and ethnography. Using existing data, corpus data, internet data.

In deep explanation of the semi-structured interview dynamics. Difference between clinical interviews and diagnostic and research interviews. Interpersonal dynamics of interviewing. Ethical issues in research interviews.

Class 4 & 5: Preparing research projects and interview plans

Workshop: In groups, students prepare and plan together with the teacher and the help of pears their interview plans. Those are based on the research question common to a group. Research questions should slowly take their final form by this time.

Establishing the final date for conducting and transcribing the interview. Transcription rules.

Class 6 & 7: Methods for qualitative data analysis.

During class 6 & 7 we learn and practice basic analytic skills for qualitative data. First, we do this on teachers examples, and later, when students interviews are done and transcribed on students own project material.

Analytical skills start with processes that are common for more than one qualitative approach. This involves mainly inductive or deductive (theory-driven) building of analytical categories (For Example themes or codes). This process can be learned as part of TA (Thematic analysis), IPA (Interpretative phenomenological analysis), or Grounded theory.

Intro to computer-assisted QUAL data analysis: Atlas.ti., or MaxQDA or LIWC. (There are free trawl version of All of those available).

Literature:

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J. A. (2014). A practical guide to using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in qualitative research psychology. Psychological Journal, 20(1), 7-14.

Charmaz, K. (2003). Grounded theory. In: J. Smith (Eds.)Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods, pages 81-110.

Class 8 - 11 Workshop. Data analysis of students data within group Project. Report writing.

There should be around 4 group projects, with collected data by this time of the semester. Each class is a workshop where we together analyze this data for each group. This means not only teachers help for the project work but also peer review and peer help in analyzing. We learn the analytic methods by doing it together during the class. Rules of report writing.

Class 12: Mixed design and transformation form QUAl to QUAN data.

Philosophy of mixed design. Research plans for mixed design. Data transformation. LIWC software by J. Pennebaker ( online demo available).

LITERATURE:
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. Sage publications. Chapter Mixed methods.

Pennebaker, J. W., Mehl, M. R., & Niederhoffer, K. G. (2003). Psychological aspects of natural language use: Our words, our selves. Annual review of psychology, 54(1), 547-577.

Class 13: Other Qualitative methods.

Discourse analysis, Focus group interviews and others, according to students interests.

LITERATURA: Willig, C. (2003). Discourse analysis. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods, 2, 160-186.

LITERATURA: Smith, J. A. (Ed.). (2015). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage. Chapter: FGI.

Class 14 & 15:

Presentations and evaluation of reports from project work during the semester.

Knowledge integration, summary, feedback.

NOTE: This Schedule can be changed due to project and group work dynamics.
***

LITERATURE

Further readings & essential handbooks that cover the field of the course:

Creswell, J. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Smith, J. A. (Ed.). (2007). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage.

Learning activities
and teaching methods

Participate in in-class discussions, read and discuss literature.
Project work. Group work.
Most of the class activities will be in the form of small in-class tasks. These include finding and discussing relevant research literature, using online resources, analyzing a variety of qualitative data including texts and interviews, planning new research projects. Some of the tasks will include homework with reading assignments, others conducting small research-related tasks, and presenting own as well as other people’s research.

None

None