Vår 2021

PSY-3015 Qualitative methods - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for psykologi

Type of course

This course is an elective course for students in the masters program in psychology and master in aviation. The course can not be taken as a singular course.

Course contents

Qualitative methods are a form of data collection and analysis that focuses on understanding and meaning. Qualitative research is often considered to be exploratory. The methods are designed to explore the how and why of human behaviour and social processes, often focusing on what determines our actions. In qualitative fieldwork, we interact with the participants because we want to learn how they describe their experiences, interpret what they do and justify their actions or opinions. Qualitative research uses different methods to access and interpret people’s experiences. This course focuses on interviews, observations and the analysis of texts and images.

Objective of the course

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

Knowledge:

Explain principles of scientific theory, areas of application and procedures relevant to qualitative methods
Explain different ways of collecting and analysing data and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different strategies
Explain the principles of validity, reliability and generalisation for research and publications that use qualitative methods

Skills:

Choose suitable methods for the aims and research question
Plan and implement data collection and analysis using qualitative methods with an emphasis on interviews, observation and visualisation
Present qualitative research problems, data collection and analysis, and the research findings in a report
Critically evaluate the quality of research articles that use qualitative methods

General competence:

Conduct a qualitative research project in accordance with relevant ethical principles and guidelines
Formulate research questions based on psychological theory and knowledge
Reflect on their own person as a research instrument when interacting with study participants

Language of instruction

English

Teaching methods

The course runs for one semester and is compulsory. It uses "flipped classroom" methodology and consists of four parts.

Part 1 is an introduction and information on qualitative methods on campus.

Part 2 consists of online learning material that students study on their own.

Part 3 is fieldwork/a student project. The aim is for students to improve their skills during group supervision. The fieldwork also forms the basis for the collection of data for the take-home examination. The fieldwork concludes with a presentation seminar focusing on giving and receiving constructive criticism. By agreement, students will be able to use the results of their fieldwork in their Master thesis.

Part 4 is an examination. Students will be tested on their ability to formulate qualitative research problems and to interpret and present results.

Assessment

The course concludes with an individual take-home examination in the form of a research report of 4000 words. The report should be based on the qualitative research problem formulated by the student. The following must be attached to the report: an interview guide, statement of consent, the data collected, and the student’s reflection on his/her own role during the fieldwork. The take-home examination is graded on a scale from A to F. Students who fail will be allowed to re-sit the examination early in the following semester. Both work requirements must be approved before the student can take the examination.

Coursework requirements:

Documented attendance at a minimum of 80% of classes.
Approved participation in the presentation seminar.

Date for examination

Take-home assignment hand out date 26.04.2021 hand in date 07.05.2021

The date for the exam can be changed. The final date will be announced at your faculty early in May and early in November.