Introduction to Qualitative Research: From Principles to Practice

New and experienced qualitative researchers alike often ask: “How do I align my qualitative project with core principles of the method?” To facilitate answering this question, participants will engage the life cycle of a qualitative study, from early brainstorming to final products, with attention to qualitative principles that shape each step and invite insights into the lives of participants and toward an analysis that privileges their complex voices. Those attending this course will become more confident in making decisions regarding qualitative design, data collection, and strategies for analysis and presentation.

We will engage the following questions:

• Rationale for using qualitative methods: Why are qualitative methods necessary to address my research question(s)?
• Study design: How will I design my qualitative research project to align study goals with effective data collection and preliminary strategies for analysis?
• Data collection: How will my data collection methods address my research question(s), get closer to participants’ experiences, and drive data analysis?
• Data analysis: What does it mean to “stay close to the data?” How do I do it? Why does it matter? How will my qualitative analysis approach help me to arrive at my goals?
• Study products: What are my intended study products and how will I “get there” from data collection and analysis?

Participants will be provided with materials and bibliographies to support design and execution of qualitative projects.