N212A: Qualitative Data Collection & Ethics [Spring 2023]

COURSE OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES:

N212A examines the construction of qualitative research and ethics in research. Students formulate research questions and design a qualitative study. Lectures, case studies, and course material are presented by the instructor, teaching assistants, and guest lecturers. Class discussion and interactive, participative learning methods are used to enhance understanding of content.

The course objectives are:

1. To learn how to develop qualitative research questions and how to design a qualitative study.
2. To compare and contrast the utility and appropriateness of different qualitative data gathering approaches with particular emphasis on phenomenology, grounded theory and ethnography.
3. To assess the ethical issues that arise from different research questions and data collection strategies.
4. To understand the underlying philosophy and the substantive issues of research with human subjects.
5. To develop a proposal to protect human subjects in the conduct of research.