114062 Qualitative Methods

Lehrende: Dr. habil. Silvana Karina Figueroa-Dreher

Veranstaltungsart: Seminar

Orga-Einheit: Sociology, Politics & Economics

Anzeige im Stundenplan: Qualitative Methods

Semesterwochenstunden: 3

Credits: 5,0

Standort: Campus der Zeppelin Universität

Unterrichtssprache: Englisch

Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl: 1 | 38

Prioritätsschema: Standard-Priorisierung

Inhalte:
In this course students learn about the fundamentals of qualitative research methods. The seminar concentrates on the methodological foundations, the principles guiding the designing of a qualitative research project, strategies for collecting qualitative verbal and nonverbal data, and methods for qualitative data analysis. In addition, issues including quality indicators, the creating and preparing of empirical materials and writing a proposal are also addressed.

Lernziele:
The course aims to prepare students researchers for designing qualitative projects by:
• Reading and discussing about designing a qualitative project
• Reading and discussing data collection strategies like observation, interviews and focus groups and practicing them in class exercises
• Familiarizing them with qualitative methods of analysis (grounded theory, content analysis) and practicing them in class exercises
• Writing a qualitative research proposal

Weitere Informationen zu den Prüfungsleistungen:
Required for course:

• Seminar presentation
  

• Formulation of a research proposal
  

Literatur:
Week 1 – September 8 – Introduction
Additional readings
Flick, Uwe (2014): “Part 1: Framework” and “Part 2: Theory in Qualitative Research” and Chapter 7 “Theories Underlying Qualitative Research”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 11-62 and 74-94.

Week 2 – September 15 – Methodological foundations of qualitative research: the adequacy of meaning
Required readings
Schutz, Alfred (1962): “Part I / On the Methodolgy of the Social Sciences”, in id.: Collected Papers I. The Problem of Social Reality. The Hague et al: Martinus Nijhoff, pp. 3-66.
Additional readings
Corbin, Juliet and Anselm Strauss (2015): Part 1, Chapter 2: “Theoretical Foundations”, in id.: Basics of Qualitative Research. Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 17-30.
Flick, Uwe (2014): Chapter 29: “Quality of Qualitative Research: Criteria and Beyond”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, p. 479-507.
Maxwell, Joseph A. (2013): “Chapter 6: Validity”, in id.: Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 124-138.
Silverman, David (2010): Chapter 15: “Quality in Qualitative Research”, in id.: Doing Qualitative Re-search. Lonodon et al: Sage, pp. 268-291.

Week 3 – September 22 – Designing a qualitative research project: overview
Required readings
Flick, Uwe (2014): “Part 3: Research Design”, Chapters 9, 10 and 11, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 107-156.
Additional readings
Flick, Uwe (2014): Chapter 6 “Using the Existing Literature”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, p. 65-73.
Marshall, Catherine and Gretchen B. Rossman (2006): Designing Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Especially recommended: Chapter 3: “The How of the Study: Building the Re-search Design”, pp. 51-96.
Maxwell, Joseph A. (2013): Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach. Los Angeles et al: Sage. Especially recommended: Chapter 2 “Goals: Why Are You Doing This Study?”, pp. 23-38; Chapter 3 “Conceptual Framework: What Do You Think Is Going On?”, pp. 39-72; Chapter 4 “Research Questions: What Do You Want To Understand?”, pp. 73-86 and Chapter 5 “Methods: What Will You Actually Do?”, pp 87-120.

Week 4 – September 29 – Data collection strategies I: observation
Required readings
Maxwell, Joseph A. (2013): “Decisions About Data Collection”, in: Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 100-104.
Flick, Uwe (2014): “Part 5: Data Beyond Talk”, Chapters 19 “Collecting Data beyond Talk” and 20 “Ob-servation and Ethnography”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 291-333.
Additional readings
Adler, Patricia and Adler, Peter (1998): “Observation Techniques”, in: Denzin, Norman and Y.S. Lin-coln (eds.) Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials. London: Sage, pp. 79-110.
Flick, Uwe (2014): Chapter 12 “Entering the Field” and Chapter 13 “Sampling”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 157-166 and 167-181.
Geertz, Clifford (1973): “Chapter 1: Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture” and “Chapter 15: Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight”, in id.: The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays. New York: Basic Books, pp. 3-30 and 412-453.
Marshall, Catherine and Gretchen B. Rossman (2006): Chapter 4: “Data Collection Methods, Primary Methods” (Observation, Participant Observation) in id.: Designing Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp. 97-101.
Spradley, James P. (1980): Participant Observation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Week 5 – October 6 – Data collection strategies II: interviews
Required readings
Flick, Uwe (2014): “Part 4: Verbal Data”, Chapters 15 “Collecting Verbal Data” and 16 “Interviews”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 193-241.
Additional readings
Kvale, Steinar (1996): Interviews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. London: Sage. Especially recommended: Part III: “The Seven Stages of an Interview Investigation”, pp. 81-276.
Marshall, Catherine and Gretchen B. Rossman (2006): Chapter 4: “Data Collection Methods, Primary Methods” (In-Depth Interviewing) in: Designing Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp. 101-107.
Spradley, James P. (1979): The Ethnographic Interview. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Week 6 – October 13 – Data collection strategies III: focus groups
Required readings
Flick, Uwe (2014): Chapter 17 “Focus Groups”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 242-262.
Additional readings
Bohnsack, Ralf (2004) “Group Discussions and Focus Groups”, in: Flick, Uwe, E.v. Kardoff and I. Steinke (eds.) A Companion to Qualitative Research. London: Sage, pp. 214-221.
Krueger, Richard A. (2001): “Focus Groups”, in: Denzin, Norman K. and Yvonna S. Lincoln (eds.): The American Tradition in Qualitative Research, Vol. III. London: Sage, pp. 339-351.

Week 7 – October 20 – Creating and preparing data for analysis
Required readings
Flick, Uwe (2014): Chapter 8 “Texts as Data in Qualitative Research” and Chapter 24 “Transcription and Data Management”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 95-106 and 384-396.
Gibbs, Graham R. (2007): Chapter 2: “Data Preparation”, in: Analyzing Qualitative Data. London: Sage, pp. 10-23.
Additional readings
Morse, Janice M. and Lyn Richards (2002): Chapter 5: “Making Data”, in id: Readme First: For a User’s Guide to Qualitative Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp. 87-110.
Richards, Lyn (2009): “Part I: Setting Up”, in id.: Handling Qualitative Data. London: Sage, pp. VIII-70.

Week 8 – October 27 – Qualitative data analysis: grounded theory, basic considerations and introduction to coding procedures
Required readings
Strauss, Anselm and Juliet Corbin (1990): Part 1: “Basic Considerations”, in id.: Basics of Qualitative Research. Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. Newbury Park: Sage, pp. 15-56.
Flick, Uwe (2014): Chapter 25: “Grounded Theory Coding”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Re-search. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 397-419.
Additional readings
Corbin, Juliet and Anselm Strauss (2015): Chapter 4: “Prelude to Analysis” and Chapter 5: “Strategies for Qualitative Data Analysis”, in id.: Basics of Qualitative Research. Techniques and Proce-dures for Developing Grounded Theory, Fourth Edition. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 57-105.
Urquhart, Cathy (2013): Grounded Theory for Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide. Los Angeles et al: Sage.

Week 9 – November 3 – Qualitative data analysis: grounded theory, coding procedures
Required readings
Strauss, Anselm and Juliet Corbin (1990): Part II: “Coding Procedures”, in id.: Basics of Qualitative Research. Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. Newbury Park: Sage, pp. 57-183.
Additional readings
Friese, Susanne (2014): Qualitative Data Analysis with ATLAS.ti, Second Edition. Los Angeles et al: Sage.

Week 10 – November 10 – Content analysis
Required readings
Flick, Uwe (2014): Chapter 26 “Thematic Coding and Content Analysis”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, p. 420-438.
Mayring, Philipp (2000): Qualitative Content Analysis, in: Forum Qualitative Social Research, Vol. 1, No. 2, Art. 20, June 2000 (online resource, http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1089/2386, last access: June 6, 2016).
Additional readings
Schreier, Margrit (2012): Qualitative Content Analysis in Practice. Los Angeles et al: Sage.

Week 11 – November 17 – Writing qualitative research proposals
Required readings
Maxwell, Joseph A. (2013): Chapter 7: “Research Proposals: Presenting and Justifying a Qualitative Study”, “Appendix A: A Proposal for a Medical School Teaching” and “Appendix B: A Proposal for a Study of Online Learning by Teachers”, in id.: Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 139-160, 161-178, 179-199.
Additional readings (proposals)
Marshall, Catherine and Gretchen B. Rossman (2006): Chapter 7: “Articulating Value and Logic”, in id.: Designing Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp. 199-217.
Morse, Janice M. and Lyn Richards (2002): Chapter 11: “Groundwork for Beginning your Project”, in id.: Readme First: For a User’s Guide to Qualitative Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp. 197-208.
Silverman, David (2010): Chapter 11: “Writing a Research Proposal”, in id.: Doing Qualitative Re-search. London et al: Sage, pp. 179-186.
Additional readings (results)
Flick, Uwe (2014): Chapter 30 “Writing Qualitative Research”, in id.: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Edition 5. Los Angeles et al: Sage, pp. 508-519.
Strauss, Anselm and Juliet Corbin (1990): Part 1: “Writing Theses and Monographs, and Giving Talks About Your Research”, in id.: Basics of Qualitative Research. Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. Newbury Park: Sage, pp. 224-248.

Modulbeschreibung:
Week 1
Sept. 15
Introduction
Course overview
Film presentation
Group discussion

Week 2
Sept. 22
Methodological foundations of qualitative research: the adequacy of meaning
Presentation
Group discussion
 
Week 3
Sept. 29
Designing a qualitative research project: overview
Student-led presentation
Group discussion

Week 4
Oct. 6
Data collection strategies I: observation
Student-led presentation
Discussion
Exercise

Week 5
Oct. 13
Data collection strategies II: interviews
Student-led presentation
Discussion
Exercise

Week 6
Oct. 27
Data collection strategies III: focus groups
Student-led presentation
Discussion
Exercise

Week 7
Nov. 3
Creating and preparing data for analysis
Student-led presentation
Discussion
Exercise

Week 8
Nov. 10
Qualitative data analysis: grounded theory, basic considerations and introduction to coding procedures
Student-led presentation
Discussion
Exercise

Week 9
Nov. 17
Qualitative data analysis: grounded theory, coding procedures
Student-led presentation
Discussion
Exercise

Week 10
Nov. 24
Content analysis
Student-led presentation
Discussion
Exercise
 
Week 11
Dec. 1
Writing qualitative research proposals
Student-led presentation
Discussion
Course wrap-up
FINAL PAPER (RESEARCH PROJECT) DUE FEBRUARY 28

Week 12
April 30
Feedback meeting
Feedback of the corrected individual or group projects, suggestions for further qualitative research projects