Qualitative methods (PHD103)
The course addresses researchers within the social sciences broadly—sociology, human geography, anthropology, political science, economy, social work, psychology—who use or plan to use qualitative methods for their PhD research. Qualitative methods include interviews, document studies, fieldwork, observations, and may be used as stand-alone methods, or in combination with quantitative methods (mixed methods).
Course description for study year 2025-2026. Please note that changes may occur.
Course code
PHD103
Version
1
Credits (ECTS)
5
Semester tution start
Spring
Number of semesters
1
Exam semester
Spring
Language of instruction
English
Content
Researchers use the qualitative methodology for a variety of purposes, be it to investigate the meaning ascribed to social and cultural phenomena by individuals or groups, to detect social processes in institutions or groups, to analyse meaning/discourse in society at large, to study historical processes, or to gather facts and details about enterprises or political processes. Furthermore, we can analyse qualitative data regarding how they inform us about people's (groups and individuals’) perspectives, social processes, as well as for the joint construction of meaning between researcher and participant. All this may differ between academic disciplines. PHD103 emphasises the practical side to qualitative research.
The course will make students acquainted with methodological issues within qualitative research broadly. It will help students frame their respective research studies in a methodologically sound manner and to identify and work through key practical-methodological issues and problems within their studies, as well as to make sound arguments about the theory-data interface in their research. Key topics and discussions include:
- Some classical and recent methodological tools for constructing and interpreting qualitative data, by way of interviews, field conversations, written documents, media publications, photos, and observations. The classical interview (and critiques of it) serves as baseline for discussions.
- The course will enable participants to reflect critically about crucial practical aspects of qualitative research, regarding access to the field, and brokering of trust
- The course will enable participants to reflect critically and strengths and limitations of one’s chosen methodological approach and one specific methods.
- The course will also prepare participants to argue epistemologically for the methods they apply in their theses.
- Crucially, the course will achieve the above by grounding the discussions and the students' individual papers in methodological reflections about the respective PhD projects. We work here from identified "problems" in the participants’ project.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
After completing the course, the students should:
- have advanced knowledge about key qualitative methods, such as interviews, document studies, fieldwork/ethnography.
- have advanced knowledge about methodological positions within qualitative research, especially as regards the theory-data interface (grounded theory, abductive analysis, etc.), and be able to participate in such debates.
- have advanced knowledge on research design in qualitative studies, including the planning of research and methodological coherence of questions, methods, theory
- have advanced knowledge on how qualitative research is assessed (like by editors/reviewers).
Skills
By the end of the course, the participants should be able to:
- argue for their chosen (or planned) research design,
- identify methodological implications of specific qualitative methods,
- evaluate the use of different qualitative methods in the analysis of social phenomena, in ways that mirror the status of the research front,
- navigate complex questions in qualitative methods, and to challenge established methodological positions,
- produce new knowledge about methodological tools that enables them to plan and conduct interpretive analyses of various data sources such as interviews, conversations, observation, and documents.
- reflect critically on methods, and to produce scientific papers on the theme of qualitative methodology, building on one’s own ongoing research; papers of a near-publishable standard
- assess methods sections in academic publications (e.g. articles).
- handle complex methodological implications in ongoing qualitative research.
- communicate the results of his/her reflections in speech and writing in a clear and systematic way, and in ways that contribute to moving the research front.
General competence
By the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- meet social phenomena and theoretical-academic subjects with methodological assumptions that must be a basis for an analysis of the data through research-based production of insight and knowledge.
- contribute to social science debates (research front) about the methodological choices one makes in developing and conducting qualitative research
Required prerequisite knowledge
Exam
| Form of assessment | Weight | Duration | Marks | Aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual paper | 1/1 | Passed / Not Passed |
The individual paper of 5000 words (+/- 10%) in English on a self-chosen topic approved by the instructor, which builds on the participants’ on-going PhD project. However, the paper must take the form of a contribution to a more general literature on methods/methodology (pure ‘methods chapters’ will not be accepted). Ideally, a paper is worked from a methodological 'problem' or 'issue' in one's own PhD project, which is addressed by engaging methodological literature, and then presented as an individual contribution to the methods literature. Examples of good course papers will be made available via the course online platform (CANVAS). The paper must be submitted within 8 weeks after the end of the course and will be evaluated as Pass/Fail.
Coursework requirements
- Prepare a 2 p. (max. 1000 words) note, containing the following: (i) a short description of your PHD project, with emphasis on theme, research design, questions, methods and status of the work; (ii) building on your PhD project, outlines of the planned topic for the course paper. This note must be submitted two weeks in advance of the course.
- Two individual presentations during the course, building on the 2-page note submitted in advance: (i) present entire PHD project during the first week (research design, etc.). (ii) present and discuss planned course paper in online seminar one week later. For the planned course paper, students may highlight elaborations and alterations after discussions over the first week.
- Prepare comments to one of the other participants’ planned course papers (participants will be allocated to one other participants’ paper).
- Prepare for individual lectures by reading literature.
- Generally participate actively in discussions in class.