Qualitative Research Methods

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor

This course will engage students with the design, collection, and evaluation of the methodological approaches we commonly think of as “qualitative,” emphasizing interview-based research, ethnography, and comparative research. As we learn to use qualitative methods, we will explore a range of important topics in the world today including political polarization, racial and ethnic identity, immigrant experiences, sexual harassment, extreme poverty, homelessness, employment discrimination, natural disasters, and eviction. The course takes students through the stages of various qualitative methods including research design, sampling, data collection, coding and data analysis, and the writing and presentation of findings. We also consider ethical responsibilities and the role of social distance in the researcher-respondent relationship. Students will learn how to conduct qualitative research, considering questions such as: How do you go about starting a project? How do you develop a data collection strategy that flows from the research design? What is the best sampling strategy? How do you gain entrée into the field site? How do you create an interview guide? How many interviews are enough? What about validity and reliability? How do you observe social phenomena? How do you write fieldnotes? What is coding? How do you write up results from qualitative research? We will also consider more theoretical questions related to the design and evaluation of qualitative data for understanding the social world and applying to real-world policy questions. We will ask: What is qualitative research best suited for? What are the criteria used to evaluate whether it meets the standards of scientific evidence? How can qualitative research be used for hypothesis generation and verification? Can qualitative research explain social phenomena, or only interpret them? How many cases are needed? Is there a role for replication? What role can qualitative methods play in policy-related research? Students will learn these methods by directly engaging in research design, data collection, analysis, and writing assignments throughout the course of the semester. Class will be organized in a discussion / workshop model where each week we read articles and book chapters that employ the method in question.