courses in qualitative research methods

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• Short Courses in Qualitative Research Methods

Oxford Qualitative Courses: Short Courses in Qualitative Research Methods

Expert teaching from specialists in qualitative research methods

Short courses:

• Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
• Introduction to doing Qualitative Interviews
• Introduction to Analysing Qualitative Data
• Introduction to conversation analysis and health care encounters
• Learning with the book: an introduction to qualitative research methods for health research

The University of Oxford's expert-led programme of short courses in qualitative research methods aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to design, conduct, and interpret qualitative research. Through these short courses we share the experience, knowledge and enthusiasm of our research-active tutors

Our courses are particularly suited to those who are planning or working on projects with a qualitative research component. Our aims are to:

• Equip health and care professionals, researchers and policy makers with an understanding of the different approaches to qualitative research
• Support the development of core skills such as interviewing, ethnographic observation, running focus groups (whether virtual or face-to-face), conversation analysis, meta-ethnography, and qualitative data analysis.

This highly-regarded programme is delivered in online and face-to-face formats to suit a range of learners.  We use a mixture of lectures and small group work, delivered by our team of qualitative researchers from the University of Oxford’s  Medical Sociology and Health Experiences Research Group . Our group has run these successful courses for twenty years alongside active involvement in qualitative research on a variety of topics, ranging from studies of experiences of health conditions and of healthcare practice, to evaluations of organisational change. Our group also includes qualitative methodologists at the forefront of developing qualitative methods including conversation analysis and evidence synthesis.

Findings from our group’s research on patient experiences, together with supported video, audio and text extracts, can be found on the  HEXI.ox.ac.uk   website. Our portfolio of research and expertise informs current local, national and international healthcare policy and research. 

The syllabuses of our qualitative courses draw on a wide range of expertise from within our research group, including the disciplinary areas of medical sociology, anthropology, and public policy. 

Teaching team

Our courses are led by a highly experienced and research-active teaching team. Our team have a range of specialities and skills spanning the breadth of qualitative research methods, ensuring that each session is led by a knowledgeable expert in the field. As well as being accomplished researchers, our team are skilled at communicating qualitative research methods to people in an accessible and clear way. Our team are friendly and approachable and will be available to offer tailored feedback during the course. Our participants regularly emphasise that our teaching team are a highlight of our courses.

Who are OUR courses for?

Our courses are suited to a wide range of professions, including:

• Health and care professionals
• Undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Academics and researchers interested in health research
• Marketing and communications professionals
• Health and care advisers and policy makers

What do participants think?

New: Online Resources

Our teaching team have collated a series of freely available online resources for anyone looking for learning opportunities. 

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Our courses are popular and often sell-out quickly. To receive a bulletin of upcoming course dates, please register here .

Got a question? Contact us:

Our friendly team are on-hand to answer your questions and queries. 

Email:  [email protected]

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Qualitative Research: Design, Implementation and Methods

DESIGN X440.2

Get an introduction to what qualitative research is, the types of qualitative research methods, the appropriate situations to apply qualitative methods, and how to conduct your own qualitative research. You learn to build a research protocol and use various techniques to design, conduct, analyze and present an informative research study.

At the end of the course, you are expected to conduct your own qualitative research study . To that end, you develop a research plan based on the given situation, collect data using qualitative methodologies , engage with various techniques for coding and analyzing qualitative data effectively, and present the data and insights in a manner that is best aligned with the goals of the research.

Prerequisites: None.

Course Outline

Course Objectives

• Understand what constitutes qualitative research, how it differs from quantitative research and when to apply qualitative research methods
• Identify and formulate appropriate qualitative research plans
• Apply qualitative research data collection techniques
• Develop coding schemes for analysis of qualitative data
• Present qualitative data to inform and influence

What You Learn

• Developing qualitative research questions
• Building a research protocol
• Observing, listening and probing: the core skills of a qualitative researcher
• Qualitative sampling and participant recruitment
• Understanding an overview of the qualitative data analysis process
• Communicating your findings, from summary to interpretation
• Presenting qualitative results

How You Learn

We are online! All of the design classes are conducted online and include video classes, mentor-led learning and peer-to-peer support through our student online platform, Canvas. 

• Reading assignments
• Quizzes at instructor’s discretion
• Small-group activities
• Homework assignments
• Capstone project

Is This Course Right for You?

This course is intended for students in the Professional Program in User Experience (UX) Design , or anybody interested in obtaining skills in qualitative research. You do not need preexisting research experience for this course. Our experienced instructors provide practical information, leverage their qualitative research skills and monitor your development along with peer-to-peer support on our student online platform.

Section 007

Type: Live Online

Instructor:

Melissa Schmidt

Cost: $1,107.00

See section 007 Details

Type Live Online

Schedule and Location

Instructional Hours

Live Online

Delivery Options

Available for Credit

Section Notes

Enroll early to secure a space in course. Enrollment will not be accepted after the second class meeting.

This course will be taught "Live-Online" where the instructor will lecture through the Zoom remote-learning platform at the same designated time every week.

The following minimum recommendation for UX Design:

Apple MacBook or PC

8 to 16GB RAM

Section Materials

(Mandatory)

UX Research: Practical Techniques for Designing Better Products by David Farkas

Spring 2025 enrollment opens on October 21!

Session Time-Out

Design x440.2 - 007 - qualitative research: design, implementation and methods, privacy policy, cookie policy.

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