Dr Helen Lambert (course organiser), Dr Kerry Avery, Dr Kristina Bennert, Dr Lucy Biddle, Dr Christie Cabral, Dr Helen Cramer, Dr Maggie Evans, Prof Jenny Donovan, Dr Isabel de Salis, Dr Rachael Gooberman-Hill, Dr Beki Langford, Dr Alice Malpass, Dr Nicola Mills, Dr Amanda Owen-Smith, Dr Katrina Turner, Dr Julia Wade..
The contributors are social scientists (primarily medical sociologists and anthropologists) and have wide-ranging interests in health and health services research and the application of qualitative research methods. They have a breadth of experience in the design, conduct and analysis of qualitative research.
Five days
19 – 23 March 2012
£1000
The course is intended to give an overview and introduction to the major qualitative research methods used in the social scientific study of health and illness and increasingly in public health, health services and other health-related research. Participants will gain practical experience in study design and the application of the major research methods. By the end of this short course, participants should be able to: appreciate the importance of qualitative research methods in the study of health, illness and health services research; decide when a research topic requires qualitative research methods and be able to select the most appropriate qualitative format to address the research question; begin to develop the skills required to conduct interviews, facilitate focus groups and undertake ethnographic research including observation; begin to analyse qualitative data; understand how to employ qualitative methods alongside other methods in health research.
This course is open to anyone who would like to understand the use of qualitative research methods and begin to learn how to use them. Attendees do not need to have any previous experience or knowledge of qualitative research methods, although experience of, or ideas about, a research project using these methods would make the course more relevant.
The course will comprise a total of thirty hours teaching, including introductory talks, small group work and practical tasks. Approximately 50% of the course will be practical work, and there will be ample opportunities for course participants to discuss and develop planned and ongoing research topics.
For further information: please contact short-course@bristol.ac.uk