This course will provide an introduction to the principles and practice of qualitative research. Participants will gain an overview on how to design, conduct and evaluate qualitative research. Course sessions will include theoretical concepts underlying qualitative research, study design (including integration of qualitative and quantitative methods), and the principles and strategies for participant recruitment. We then focus on building skills in three methods of qualitative data collection commonly used in public health research, interviews, group discussion, and observation. We also include writing and presenting qualitative research, and throughout the course we focus on assessing the quality of qualitative research. We do not cover data analysis. The course balances lectures with skill-building participatory sessions focusing on core skills (e.g. developing a recruitment strategy, critiquing research instruments, conducting an interview, moderating a group discussion, responding to journal reviewers).

This course is eligible for an EPIC scholarship. Visit the scholarship application page for more information.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Distinguish the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms
2. Understand the principles underlying qualitative research tasks
3. Design and conduct rigorous qualitative research
4. Develop and evaluate effective qualitative research instruments
5. Understand the skills for effective qualitative data collection

None

The following are recommended readings that focus on elements covered in the course. They may be read prior to the course or used as reference material.

1. Carter, S., Ritchie, J., and Sainsbury, P. (2009) Doing good qualitative research in public health: not as easy as it looks. NSW Public Health Bulletin, Vol 20(7-8).
2. Guest, Bunce, Johnson (2006) How Many Interviews are Enough? An Experiment with Data Saturation and Variability. Field Methods, Volume 18, Number 1 February 2006 p59-82.
3. Colucci (2007) _Focus groups can be fun_: The use of activity oriented questions in focus group discussions. Qualitative Health Research 17(10):1422-1233.
4. Belgrave, Zablotsky, & Guadango M. (2002). How do We Talk to each Other? Writing Qualitative Research for Quantitative Readers. Qualitative Health Research Vol.12 No. 10 1427-1439.
5. Penrod (2003) Getting Funded: Writing a Successful Qualitative Small-Project Proposal. Qualitative Health Research Vol.13 No. 6 July, 2003 821-32