Postgraduate Course: Data Analysis in Qualitative Social Research (PUHR11077)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This courses builds on the core concepts and ideas in qualitative research from the Semester 1 core course Introduction to Qualitative Research on the MPH programme. There will be a significant practical aspect to the course with the aim that you will finish feeling confident to plan and conduct an analysis of qualitative data, generated either through your own fieldwork or doing a secondary analysis of existing data generated by other researchers. We will begin with an overview of different approaches to analysing qualitative data then focus on the steps involved in conducting a thematic, interpretive analysis, drawing on aspects of other methods such as grounded theory and framework analysis to produce findings of relevance and utility to public health. You will conduct a secondary analysis of a small qualitative data set in small groups to apply the ideas and concepts we will discuss in the teaching sessions. You will also apply the concepts and criteria of rigour, introduced earlier in the programme (Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods), to your own analysis. We will follow the analysis process to its conclusion by considering how to present the findings of qualitative research for academic and policy/practice audiences both be examining published qualitative research and writing up the results of your analysis. This is essential preparation for a qualitative dissertation project on the MPH programme but the course is framed to be of relevance to anyone who is interested to learn more about qualitative research, to enable you conduct qualitative data analysis in your future work. |
| Course description |
This is a 5-week on campus course worth 10 credits. Students will be provided with a structured reading list of core and further readings to support them in their learning. Each week will consist of lecture input highlighting the key concepts followed by space to discuss these concepts by applying them to examples of qualitative data analysis in the public health literature. Alongside this conceptual learning, a series of group study and tutorial activities will provide students with the opportunity to complete all stages of analysing an existing qualitative dataset from a public data repository (the UK Data Archive). This practical analysis work will culminate in a written assignment at the end of the course and will be the subject of formative feedback during the tutorials and through online activities. Peer feedback will be a central part of the formative feedback, so that students further their understanding of the topic and their achievement towards the course learning outcomes by observing and appraising the work of their colleagues. This will also improve assessment literacy for students who continue on to a qualitative dissertation project because the students will have to produce an analysis of qualitative data (secondary or primary) and present their findings in a rigorous manner.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Knowledge of qualitative research |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss the different approaches to qualitative data analysis commonly used in qualitative research for public health
- Plan and conduct the analysis of qualitative research data using appropriate coding techniques to organise the data
- Practice reflexivity to keep track of your thoughts and assumptions during the research process to ensure rigour
- Select and present key findings from your analysis in a way that is appropriate for qualitative research in public health
- Consider and demonstrate the rigour of your analytical work in your writing
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
During this course students will have to demonstrate the ability to work both independently and collaboratively with others. Their knowledge and understanding of the topic will improve but they will also learn generic approaches/skills such as classifying information, critically analysing materials and evaluation skills. Since the course contains online elements, it will contribute to their IT, writing and communication skills. Finally, they will be expected to be able to bring together and draw from the information provided through the course during their essay writing. Competencies such as structuring of work and accurate referencing should improve. |
| Keywords | Qualitative research,data analysis,public health,interpretive research |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Gemma Phillips
Tel:
Email: Gemma.Phillips@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Stuart Mallen
Tel: (0131 6)50 3227
Email: Stuart.Mallen@ed.ac.uk |
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