Module Directory

This module gives students a practical grounding in the most widely used qualitative research technique in the social sciences – the interview. It systematically guides students through the research processes specific to a qualitative interview project, from research design through to conducting interviews, analysing them and writing up the findings.

Ethical issues and power differentials in the field are addressed throughout the module in relation to the topics addressed. The module gives students the opportunity to gain practical experience in how to design and conduct a qualitative interview, both online and offline and to reflect on the politics of representing and interpreting 'others'. For their main assessed assignment students will conduct an in-depth interview, and write an essay reflecting on it.

The aims of this module are:

• To take students through the qualitative research process including choosing appropriate methods, interviewing and analysis.


• To experience the process of conducting and analysing qualitative interviews.


• To give an overview of different approaches to qualitative data analysis.


• To develop reflective writing skills by reflecting on the process of learning and doing qualitative research.


• To equip students with the skills to tackle a qualitative study of their own in the future (either online or offline).

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Understand the principles behind and practicalities of doing a research project based on qualitative interviews.

The module begins with an overview of the key principles and theoretical assumptions underlying the qualitative interview before moving on to the practicalities of setting up an interview research project. Students will be asked to collectively devise an interview guide, test out this guide, and then conduct an in-depth interview. Using the qualitative data analysis software NVivo, we introduce techniques for analysing interview data before we conclude with top tips on writing up interview research.

As an applied qualitative interviewing and analysis module, sessions will be face-to-face and last for two hours. The sessions will consist of lectures, practical application of methods, and reflective exercises.

Syllabus

• Introduction to Qualitative Interviewing.


• Planning your research project: Ethics, Positionality, Reflexivity.


• Key qualitative interviewing skills.


• Writing interview guides and transcription.


• Varieties of qualitative interview.


• Reading week – week 21.


• Reflecting on the interview process: Peer review of interviews.


• Qualitative Data analysis: developing a coding frame.


• Working with NVivo.


• Writing up Qualitative research and reflecting on the research process.

Our core text will be:

Morgan Brett, B. & Wheeler, K. (2021) How to do Qualitative Interviewing, London: Sage

Additional and weekly readings can be found on the TALIS reading list.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour seminar each week.

In-person attendance is expected.