Course pre-requisite(s): No specific prerequisites are required, making this course suitable for students and professionals eager to explore the realm of qualitative research in social sciences.

Course Overview

This course serves as a foundational exploration of qualitative research methods within the Social Sciences. Participants will explore the philosophical underpinnings, methodological approaches, and practical techniques essential for conducting meaningful and ethical qualitative research within Social Sciences.

After completing the course, participants will have acquired a robust set of knowledge and skills in qualitative research methods within the Social Sciences. They will understand the philosophical foundations and principles guiding scientific inquiry, allowing them to critically evaluate and select appropriate research strategies such as surveys, observation, case studies, etc.
Ethical considerations will be woven into their decision-making processes, ensuring an ethically sound approach throughout the research journey, especially when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is applied to support various steps of any given study. Participants will gain practical proficiency in creating research design, sampling techniques, content analysis, and computer-assisted tools for qualitative data analysis. Technical skills in coding qualitative data and visualizing the results will be gained through hands-on experience. Various alternative AI assisting tools will be explored as well.
Moreover, participants will master survey design, leading to effectively conducting interviews, focus group interviews, and questionnaires. They will develop the ability to communicate research findings clearly and tailor their communication to diverse audiences, enhancing their effectiveness as researchers.
Critical thinking skills will be nurtured, enabling participants to evaluate research strategies with a discerning eye and analyze qualitative data with depth. The course will instill problem-solving capabilities, empowering participants to address challenges in qualitative research creatively.

Overall, participants will leave the course not only with a comprehensive understanding of qualitative research methods but also with the practical skills and ethical awareness needed to navigate the dynamic landscape of Social Science research.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, participants will have acquired a robust set of knowledge and skills in qualitative research methods within the Social Sciences. They will understand the philosophical foundations and principles guiding scientific inquiry, allowing them to critically evaluate and select appropriate research strategies such as surveys, observation, case studies, etc.

Ethical considerations will be woven into their decision-making processes, ensuring an ethically sound approach throughout the research journey, especially when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is applied to support various steps of any given study. Participants will gain practical proficiency in creating research design, sampling techniques, content analysis, and computer-assisted tools for qualitative data analysis. Technical skills in coding qualitative data and visualizing the results will be gained through hands-on experience. Various alternative AI assisting tools will be explored as well.

Moreover, participants will master survey design, leading to effectively conducting interviews, focus group interviews, and questionnaires. They will develop the ability to communicate research findings clearly and tailor their communication to diverse audiences, enhancing their effectiveness as researchers.

Critical thinking skills will be nurtured, enabling participants to evaluate research strategies with a discerning eye and analyze qualitative data with depth. The course will instill problem-solving capabilities, empowering participants to address challenges in qualitative research creatively.

Overall, participants will leave the course not only with a comprehensive understanding of qualitative research methods but also with the practical skills and ethical awareness needed to navigate the dynamic landscape of Social Science research.

Course Content

The course will cover the following topics:
• Scientific inquiry and methodological principles of qualitative research.
• Research strategies (e.g. survey, observation, case study, social network analysis, etc.).
• Research ethics.
• Sampling types and strategies.
• Content analysis as a research method.
• Content analysis as method for data analysis.
• Open data.
• Computer-assisted analysis of qualitative data. Coding of qualitative data.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in scientific research.
• Surveys: Interviews, focus group discussions, and questionnaires.
• Survey research and questionnaire construction.
• Reporting on research projects.

Instructional Method

The course includes a combination of theoretical classes (lectures) and hands-on practice seminars, all of which are designed to be as student-centered as possible. During the theoretical classes, students are introduced to the core theory related to the topic, they are also invited to discussions and carry out small individual or group assignments. The hands-on seminars are designed in a way that students get to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice. More precisely, during these seminars, students will be working on developing their small-scale research projects.

Required Course Materials

For every class, students will be asked to come prepared, having read the provided reading materials, which consist of scientific publications, chapters from books on research methodology, etc. If the course is accepted to be given at the summer school, the lecturer will explore what publications are accessible in the local infrastructure (e.g. library, data bases, etc.) and will integrate them into the course either as course materials or as recommended additional sources.

In the course, students will be processing their data with qualitative and mixed methods software called MAXQDA. The lecturer has the title of a professional MAXQDA trainer, so she has the possibility to retrieve the software licenses for the participants during and some time beyond training, if needed be.

Assessment

The course aims at providing the participants with feedback on learning and for learning. The former focuses on learners’ progress, whereas the latter encourages the learner to make improvements based on the feedback received and improve their learning process, outputs, learning gains, etc.
In the course, as they go through various topics and hands-on activities, students will be developing a small-scale research project. The final assessment will be based on the quality of the research report (and its oral presentation) that is expected to have a very similar structure to a scientific paper.