Qualitative research methods are important tools for approaching the understanding and interpretation of complex phenomena, including actors’ perceptions, motivations and decisions. This course will:

• introduce students to the foundations and underlying rationales for qualitative and multi-method research;

• present core design considerations with a focus on planning qualitative fieldwork, data collection and analysis of qualitative data;

• introduce advantages and challenges of engaging with qualitative and multi-methods research in the field of geography and social science, and

• present approaches to reporting different types of qualitative and multi-methods research.

The course will take both a theoretical and a practical approach to various perspectives related to qualitative research. The theoretical will prepare the student to use relevant theories and methods for conceptualizing the design, data collection, data analysis and reporting. The practical approach is used in hands-on exercises with interviews, to reflect and analyse already collected material and to prepare and plan future data collection.

The course aims to introduce PhD students who primarily have worked with quantitative methods to qualitative and mixed methods approaches. This course gives an introduction to qualitative methodology, including how it can complement or be combined with quantitative methods. A central goal of the course is to teach the students how to prepare, conduct and analyse qualitative methods and data. . In order to do so the students are taught to conduct qualitative analyses in a systematic, consistent and transparent way, and thereby ensure validity and replicability of research results.

A combination of lectures, project presentations, peer-feedback, group work, and discussions. Emphasis will be placed on cases represented in the studies undertaken by PhD students participating in the course. 

Participants are required to submit a one page motivated application upon registering for the course. The application should be sent to Rikke Brandt Broegaard, rikke.broegaard@ign.ku.dk. This should include the following elements: title of the PhD project and the student, aim of the project, methodology including how qualitative and multi-methods are used/incorporated into the study design, and expected learning outcomes from participating in the course. Furthermore, it should address students’ reflections on validity and replicability in their own research, i.e. how they ensure that the questions they ask and the way the interpret results reflect what they want to enquire into, in ways that give meaningful answers, and the probability that other researchers, retracing their steps, would reach similar results.

Deadline for registration and sending the motivated application is September 4^th.

All applicants will receive reply on their application by September 6^th at the latest.

A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:

1. Understand and explain the rationales and foundations of qualitative and multi-methods research

2. Explain and compare core qualitative and multi-methods designs

3. Describe and explain approaches to planning, data collection, analysis and reporting of qualitative and multi-methods research

4. Discuss advantages and challenges in conducting qualitative and multi-methods research

   Bazeley, Pat (2009); Analysing Qualitative Data: More Than ‘Identifying Themes’. Malaysian Journal     of Qualitative Research, 2009, 2(2): 6-22.

Flyvbjerg, Bent (2006). Five Misunderstandings about Case-Study Research. Qualitative Inquiry 12 (2): 219–245.

Hammersley, M. & Atkinson, P. 2007. Ethnography: Principles in practice, Routledge.

Kvale, S. (1996). "The 1,000-Page Question." Qualitative Inquiry 2(3): 275-284.

Mikkelsen, B. (2005): Conclusion on Ethics and Interventions. Chapter 8 in Mikkelsen, B. (2005): Methods for Development Work and Research: A New Guide for Practitioners. Sage.

Mosse, D. 1994. Authority, Gender and Knowledge: Theoretical Reflections on the Practice of Participatory Rural Appraisal. Development and Change, 25, 497-526.

Rose, G. (1997). Situating knowledges: positionality, reflexivities and other tactics. Progress in Human Geography 21(3): 305-320.

Stake, R.E., (1994) Case Studies, in: Denzin, N.K., Lincoln, Y.S. (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research. SAGE, Thousand Oaks, London and New Delhi, pp. 236-247.(R)

Course takes place at department of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenahgen K

Certificates will be granted to PhD students with full participation in all sessions. The students will receive a diploma where it is certified that the students have taken part in and completed all requirements for the PhD course