Application deadline

Registration deadline for PhD students and students at the Medical Student Research Program at UiT - The Arctic University of Norway: September 1st

Application deadline for external applicants: June 1st

Application code 9303

Type of course

Admission requirements

PhD students, masters students at a Medical Research Program, or holders of a Norwegian master´s degree of five years or 3+ 2 years (or equivalent) may be admitted. Valid documentation is a statement from your institution that you are a registered PhD student, or master student at a Medical Student Research Program or a Master´s Diploma with Diploma Supplement / English translation of the diploma. PhD students are exempt from semester fee.

PhD students register for the course through StudentWeb. Registrations for the autumn semester starts June 1st.

External applicants apply for admission through SøknadsWeb. Registrations for applications regarding the autumn semester starts February 1st.

For more information regarding PhD courses at the Faculty of Health Sciences go to: http://uit.no/helsefak/forskning/phd/emner

Recommended prerequisites

HEL-8025 Qualitative Methods in Health Research, or equivalent.

Course content

This is an advanced course relevant for all PhD and MPhil students in health services research fields, including the health sciences and public health, and for those working in social science.

Students will get the opportunity to learn about qualitative methodologies (perspectives, analytical strategies and theoretical framing), and to put their knowledge into practice by conducting qualitative interpretations of qualitative data of different kinds. Theories, perspectives and methods from a wide range of research traditions will be discussed, such as Hermeneutics, Phenomenology, Grounded Theory, Narrative Analysis, Case Studies and Thematic Analysis.

Students will be encouraged to consider the value and applicability of methods for health research study development, and will learn how to apply what they have learned through practical skills-development sessions.

Recommended prerequisites

Objectives of the course

Knowledge:

• Knowledge necessary to perform research with complex study designs based on qualitative methodologies, particularly emphasizing the phase of data analysis, and knowledge about how to write up the results.

Skills:

• be able to consider and apply the most appropriate methodologies for analyzing various forms of qualitative data through qualitative interpretation;
• be able to distinguish various forms of interpretive methodologies and to evaluate the appropriateness of different methodologies for different research questions;
• be able to how to critically appraise publications based on qualitative data and methods; and
• be able to how to facilitate a theory-based qualitative analysis of qualitative data, and how to discuss their findings in relation to theoretical frameworks.

Competence:

• be well-versed in literature related to qualitative research skills, including theoretical approaches to methodology, and
• be able to conduct and critically analyse qualitative data in a variety of forms.

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

Assessment

Work requirements

Compulsory attendance, minimum 80 %.

Examination and assessment

A written home assignment (essay) over two weeks on a given topic (2-3000 words), written alone. Graded as pass/fail. Language: English.

A re-sit exam may be arranged in the subsequent term. Registration deadline for re-sit exam is January 15th.