College of Management of Technology

Chair MIR Management of Network Industries Prof. Matthias Finger

PhD Course MGT-603 Qualitative research methods Spring semester 2013

Qualitative Research Methods

PhD course

Abstract

This course aims at offering an introduction to qualitative research methods for engineers.

Participants will learn about the usefulness of qualitative research methods, the philosophical and

theoretical underpinnings of this type of research, the various approaches and schools of thought, as

well as about particular research methods. Finally, the course will also place qualitative approaches

and methods within the broader research design, i.e., in the case of engineers, often as a complement

to quantitative research. But most of all, the course will help the participants to make progress in the

formulation of their problem statement, their research design, qualitative data collection, and analysis

of qualitative data.

Course objectives

Even the most quantitative research endeavor will make a minimal use of qualitative research

methods, be it only to frame the problem, define the hypotheses, or to analyze complementary

qualitative data. In some cases, a PhD will be entirely based on qualitative research methods,

something which is not unusual in management research. The purpose of this course is to

foster an understanding among the participants that qualitative research is often equally

important as quantitative research, that qualitative research can be complementary to

qualitative research, and that quantitative research must and can be conducted with the same

intellectual and methodological rigor as is quantitative research. But most of all, the course is

practical in nature, as it will help the participants to apply qualitative research methods to

their personal PhD project.

This is a course aimed at the generic PhD student, even if the portion of qualitative research is

limited within his/her PhD. Indeed, qualitative research has solid epistemological and

theoretical foundations in philosophy (phenomenology, hermeneutics), is composed of

various schools of thought notably grounded theory, ethnomethodology, etc. , and leads to very concrete research methods, such as various forms of interviews, participant

observation methods, focus groups, and many others more. Analysis of qualitative data

follows equally rigorous steps, and can actually even be quantified. Finally, like quantitative

research, qualitative research must follow a coherent research design.

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Consequently, the participants may expect the following outcomes from this course:

Understand the epistemological and theoretical foundations of qualitative research,

Become knowledgeable about the various qualitative research methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and case studies.

Learn about the analysis/interpretation of qualitative data, as well as about writing up cases.

Apply qualitative research methods to various stages of the participants research process, such as problem statement formulation, research design, data collection,

and data analysis.

Pedagogical approach

Our pedagogical approach is based on adult learning, with a strong focus on the participants.

The participants are therefore expected to come to the course with their respective qualitative

research problems, regardless of the stage they are in in their PhD process, i.e., formulation of

the research question, design of the research steps and the methodology, devising of their

precise qualitative methodology or analysis and interpretation of qualitative data.

As part of the first day, we will identify the various contributions of the participants and

inbuild them within the course so as to make best use for all the participants.

In order for participants to prepare themselves and in order to optimize the working sessions,

participants are invited to read the texts provided. These are introductory texts aimed at

providing the participants with the basic concepts and questions related to the different topics.

Further course preparation: participants are expected to come to the course with the

following preparatory work:

1. A half-page description of their problem-statement for their PhD, 2. A one-page graphic presentation of their research design (if available), 3. A short description of the type of qualitative data collection method (to be) used

(if available), and

4. Available qualitative data for analysis and interpretation (e.g., written up cases, synthesized interviews, monographies, biographies) (if available).

Assignments for Blocks 2 and 3 will be individual for each participant and will be defined

with the professor during the first and the second block.

The course is structured into 3 blocks, namely a first block (March 12-13, 2013) during which

the participants are introduced to the foundations of qualitative research methods; a second

block, one month later (April 8-9, 2013), during which the participants learn about qualitative

data collection; and a third block (May 6-7, 2013), during which the participants learn how to

analyze and interpret qualitative data and link them back to their research/PhD project. In

between, the participants will work on their own concrete qualitative research, so as to be able

to bring it to the table each time one month later. April 10th

and 11th

, 2013 are reserved for

individual meetings with the PhD students; each PhD student will have at least a 45 personal meeting with the professor on one of these two days.

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Requirements and Evaluation

Participants are required to prepare themselves for the working sessions by reading the texts

provided for that purpose. Participants will be assessed according to their active participation

as well as on the basis of a paper they will hand in after the end of the course. This paper

counts as the final exam. The paper will be defined individually together with the professor

and will be approximately 30 pages long. It will pertain to the particular qualitative research

problem of the participant. The paper must be handed in at the latest on June 10th

2013

midnight.

There is a reading for each of the three blocks. Participants should read these texts, which are

available online on http//moodle.epfl.ch.

Structure of the course

The course is structure into 3 blocks of altogether 6 days (2+2+2), plus two days of personal

tutoring (April 10-11, 2013). Each block is structured into 6 sessions, two of which are always

devoted to participants input.

Block 1 (March 12-13, 2013): the history, context and usefulness of qualitative research

- Session 1.1.: Introduction to qualitative research, overview - Session 1.2.: The origins of qualitative research - Session 1.3.: Participants input on research questions - Session 1.4.: Epistemological questions - Session 1.5.: The different approaches to qualitative research - Session 1.6.: Participants input on research design

Block 2 (April 8-9, 2013): data collections and preparation; plus two days (April 10-11, 2013)

of personal tutoring

- Session 2.1.: The different approaches to qualitative research II - Session 2.2.: Research design - Session 2.3.: Participants input on data collection - Session 2.4.: Participants input on data collection - Session 2.5.: Data collection methods - Session 2.6.: Data preparation methods

Block 3 (May 6-7, 2013): analysis and interpretation of qualitative data

- Session 3.1.: Data coding methods - Session 3.2.: Ethnographic case methods - Session 3.3.: Participants input on data analysis and interpretation - Session 3.4.: Participants input on data analysis and interpretation - Session 3.5.: Data analysis - Session 3.6.: Grounded theory methods

Readings

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The following readings have been uploaded and should be read by the participants prior to

each of the three blocks:

Readings for Block No.1:

Reading No.1: Miles, M. & M. Huberman (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. London: Sage, chapter 1 Introduction, pp.1-15; chapter 2 Focusing and bounding the collection of data, pp.16-39; chapter 3 Focusing and bounding the collection of data, further design issues, pp.40-49.

Reading No.2: Schwartzmann, H.B. (1993). Ethnography in organisations. London: Sage, pp.1-76

Readings for Block No.2:

Reading No.3: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 2 Research interviews, philosophical dialogues, and therapeutic interviews, pp. 23-46.

Reading No.4: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 3 Epistemological issues of interviewing, pp.47-60.

Reading No.5: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 4 Ethical issues of interviewing, pp.61-79.

Reading No.6: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 6 Thematizing and designing an interview study, pp. 99-121.

Reading No.7: Patton, M. (1980). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. London: Sage, chapter 5 Designing qualitative studies, pp. 145-198; chapter 6 Fieldwork strategies and observation methods, pp. 199-276.

Reading No.8: Patton, M. (1980). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. London: Sage, chapter 7 Qualitative interviewing, pp. 277-367.

Reading No.9: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 10 Transcribing interviews, pp. 177-187.

Readings for Block No.3:

Reading No.10: Miles, M. & M. Huberman 1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. London, Sage, chapter 4 Early steps in analysis, pp. 50-89.

Reading No.11: Gibbs, G. (2007): Analyzing qualitative data. London: Sage, chapter 4 Thematic coding and categorizing, pp. 38-55.

Reading No.12: Buchanan, D. & A. Bryman (eds.) (2009). Organizational research methods. London: Sage; chapter 35 Ethnography in organizational settings, pp. 602-619.

Reading No.13: Yin, R. (2003). Case study research. Design and methods. London: Sage; 3

rd edition; chapter 2 Designing cases studies, pp. 19-56.

Reading No.14: Yin, R. (2003). Case study research. Design and methods. London: Sage; 3

rd edition; chapter 4 Conducting case studies: collecting the evidence, pp. 83-

108.

Reading No.15: Yin, R. (2003). Case study research. Design and methods. London: Sage; 3

rd edition; chapter 6 reporting case studies, pp.141-169.

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Reading No.16: Gibbs, G. (2007): Analyzing qualitative data. London: Sage, chapter 6 Comparative analysis, pp. 73-89.

Reading No.17: Miles, M. & M. Huberman 1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. London, Sage, chapter 5 Within case displays: exploring and describing, pp.90-142.

Reading No.18: Buchanan, D. & A. Bryman (eds.) (2009). Organizational research methods. London: Sage; chapter 22 Grounded theory perspectives in organizational research, pp.381-394.

Reading No.19: Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory. A practical guide through qualitative analysis. London: Sage; chapter 6 Reconstructing theory in grounded theory studies, pp. 123-150.

Reading No.20: Glaser, B. & A. Strauss (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research. New York: Aldine de Gruyter; chapter II

Generating theory, pp. 21-43.

Reading No.21: Glaser, B. & A. Strauss (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research. New York: Aldine de Gruyter; Chapter X

Applying grounded theory, pp. 237-250.

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Websites

http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-eng.htm

http://kerlins.net/bobbi/research/qualresearch/

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ihcs/rescqr.html

http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/iiqm/

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/index.html

http://www.coe.uga.edu/leap/qual/index.html

http://www.ualberta.ca/~ijqm/english/engframeset.html

http://www.aqr.org.uk/homepage.shtmljournal dedicated to qualitative research since 1990