1. Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods - online course

Summer 2025

Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods - Online

Registration Fee £1,925.00

* Please note that this course contains content from our other courses,

                Introduction to doing Qualitative Interviews

                Introduction to Analysing  Qualitative Data

To book one of the above, in addition to this course, would be duplication

* CONTACT: [email protected] if you have any problems logging on and paying. You have NOT reserved a place until you have paid.

Please note our cancellation policy: 

Registration can be cancelled within 14 days of purchase and a full refund will be given.   If you have to cancel your place on the course after this time, up until 30 days prior to the course date, there will be a cancellation fee of £100.00.   30 days or less prior to the course date, there will be no refund

Our courses are popular and often sell-out quickly. To receive a bulletin of upcoming course dates, please register here. Our friendly team are on-hand to answer your questions and queries

[email protected]   

Course Description

This highly-regarded course will provide you with a good introduction to qualitative research methods using a combination of online lectures, workshops and small group work, group discussions, and expert tutor feedback .

Delivered by qualitative experts over five full days online (spread over 2 weeks), this training course will introduce you to a broad range of skills in qualitative research methods.

Designed to follow the research process, this course offers delegates a blend of expert lectures and interactive practical sessions on how to prepare for collecting and analysing qualitative data,  exploring the underpinning philosophy and the use of social theory. Course participants will gain hands-on practical experience of different data collection methods. Participants are actively supported to develop their skills in qualitative data analysis, with a strong focus on thematic analysis. Throughout the course we consider core features of the research process such as reflexivity, and ethics and how to recognise and conduct ‘good quality’ qualitative research.

We think the best way to learn new skills is for you to be well supported by expert teachers and have a good opportunity to practise. Therefore, this course provides online practical sessions for participants to practise their interviewing skills, and analyse data. Participants have good opportunity to ask questions and receive individual feedback from tutors and will regularly work in smaller breakout groups with a dedicated expert tutor.

This course is particularly suited for people who are starting work on a project with a qualitative component, doctoral students at the beginning of their studies, and those who are thinking about using qualitative research methods for the first time. Our course also provides a useful introduction or refresher for researchers, academics, managers who are supervising students, or undertaking qualitative research projects themselves. While this course is aimed at health and care professionals, and researchers, academics and postgraduate students working in health and care research, the skills developed on our course can be useful in many settings - so please ask us if you are unsure whether this is the course for you. 

How is the Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (QRM) course  different to the Learning with the book (LWB) course?

The QRM course is more advanced than the LWB course. Over 5 days it provides practical sessions and the opportunity to develop your skills. LWB provides (over 8 evening sessions) an introduction to core methods and research design using online group discussion based around the book chapters.

 

Teaching team

This course is led by a highly experienced and research-active teaching team. Our team have a range of specialities and skills spanning the breadth of qualitative research methods, ensuring that each session is led by a knowledgeable expert in the field. As well as being accomplished researchers, our team are skilled at communicating qualitative research methods in an accessible and clear way. Our tutors are friendly and approachable and will be available to offer delegates tailored feedback. Our participants regularly emphasise our teaching team as a highlight of this course.

Content

The course will include:

• Practical sessions focussing on data collection methods, including qualitative interviewing and focus groups
• Expert-led lectures on research ethics, underpinning philosophy, using theory in qualitative research and to guide sampling, recruitment, designing topic guides and data analysis (including an introduction to the OSOP technique) and on quality in qualitative research
• Small group sessions to practise coding and using thematic analysis

Course delivery

 

Please note that the teaching sessions for this online course will involve you participating in live, interactive Zoom sessions, which will fall between the hours of 09:00 and 17:00 UK time. We are very happy to welcome bookings wherever you are internationally, but please make sure that you are able to attend video calls between these hours.

 

The course will run online on:

Day 1 - 18 June 2025

Day 2 - 19 June 2025

Day 3 - 20 June 2025

Day 4 - 23 June 2025

Day 5 - 24 June 2025

 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will: 

• Have an understanding of different approaches to qualitative research and the underpinning philosophy
• Understand the key issues around recruitment and sampling in qualitative research
• Have developed skills to draft an interview topic guide/schedule
• Have practical experience of conducting in-depth interviews
• Have developed skills to begin to analyse qualitative data using a thematic approach
• Be able to discuss ethical issues associated with conducting qualitative research
• Be able to appraise the quality of qualitative research

 

Course Leaders :

Dr Lisa Hinton

Prof Catherine Pope

Prof Sue Ziebland

And expert tutors from the Medical Sociology & Health Experiences Research Group team