Qualitative Inquiry and Research

This course provides students with an introduction to qualitative methods in social science research and an overview to the components that constitute rigorous design and implementation. The aim of this course is to help students better understand how social science researchers gather reliable information, how they evaluate advantages and limitations of different approaches, and how to develop the capacity to use one of these methods in a project of their own design. The course begins with an historical and philosophical overview of qualitative inquiry, and proceeds with an examination of the most commonly used approaches. While covering these approaches, issues related to research design, data collection, analytic technique, researcher values and subjectivity are taught in an applied manner through a project-based assignment. Although the course is not designed to train for proficiency in any one approach, it will familiarize students with the specific processes involved in designing and conducting qualitative research. Of primary importance is to assist students in constructing valid and accurate descriptions of human behavior in our culturally and ethnically diverse society.