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Digital Interviewing and Qualitative Data Analysis

Key Information

Course details
Methods Option course for MSc, Hilary Term
Assessment
Written submission
Reading list
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Tutors
Professor Ekaterina Hertog, Dr Gemma Newlands

About

This course is designed to give students handson practice gathering qualitative data, particularly using digitallymediated methods. Secondly, the course provides students with the knowledge and skills to analyse various types of qualitative data analysis (e.g. text, photos, videos) collected from both online and offline settings. Students will gain familiarity with techniques for using a variety of Internet-related methods, and will understand their challenges. 

This course is designed to give students experience analysing qualitative data, and to give them a conceptual understanding of the reasons for using qualitative analytic approaches, the limits of the techniques they will be using, and the opportunities and challenges unique to qualitative social research methods and the Internet. Each week, students will develop their conceptual understanding and analysis skills via the discussion of key academic texts and through working with authentic qualitative data. Sessions will require the students to work with and analyse the data they have collected, using appropriate methods and software. 

 Learning Objectives

  • Understand the epistemological underpinnings of digital research interviews; 
  • Apply a critical and theoretically informed approach to all stages of the interview process for a range of research topics with different populations; 
  • Acquire interviewing skills in a range of digitally mediated settings; 
  • Understand the ethical issues and potential challenges that may emerge when conducting digital interviews and how these can be addressed. 
  • Describe various approaches to interpretation of qualitative data; 
  • Learn about different qualitative analysis software options in order to identify a suitable package that meets the specific analytical needs of their research projects; 
  • Use qualitative analysis software to assist in organising and managing qualitative data; 
  • Develop their analysis skills and learn how qualitative data analysis works in practice; 
  • Develop coding schemes corresponding to the theoretical orientation, research questions and analytical strategy of their final assignment for the course; 
  • Apply analytic techniques to qualitative data, and write a paper based on that analysis.