PIA 2003 - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODS

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course provides an overview of contemporary methods used to design and execute qualitative research in the social sciences. In this course students will think about research design and the logic of inference as it applies to qualitative research, but also explore the diverse applications of research methods and then apply those methods to research questions of individual interest. The first portion of the course is devoted to understanding how to develop research questions that rely upon qualitative methods. To this end, we will explore debates about the appropriate use of qualitative methods as well as analyze and design research questions. The second portion of the course explores the most common designs used by those applying qualitative research methods in the social science. Before exploring specific designs, we will assess the nature of causality in qualitative research. Are approaches that rely upon qualitative methods distinct from those that rely upon quantitative methods? We will then look at some of the most common approaches to qualitative research. In the final portion of the course, we will learn techniques used to collect, analyze, and present qualitative data. The emphasis in this last section of the course will be on qualitative data collected in field settings.
Academic Career: Graduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Grad LG/SNC Basis
Course Requirements: Graduate School of Public and International Affairs students only.

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