6170 - Qualitative research methods
Course information
- Title
- Qualitative research methods
- Course number
- 6170.26
- Academic year
- 2026-2027
- ECTS
- 3.00
- Level
- Ph.D.
- Faculties
- Educations
- Prerequisites
- PhD students and those who are planning or preparing a PhD project in social sciences, health sciences, the humanities, or a qualitative research project in other sciences. Students must have completed a master’s degree. Students shall write an assignment concerning the use of qualitative methods in their research project prior to course commencement.
- Language of instruction
- Danish
- Registration
- Registration via the study office lss@setur.fo no lather than the 21 August
- Beginning date
- Tuesday, October 27, 2026
- End date
- Thursday, October 29, 2026
Academic content
- Purpose
- The aim of this course is to provide PhD students with a foundational and practice-oriented introduction to qualitative research methodologies and enable them to conduct independent, qualitative research. Through a combination of theoretical input and hands-on exercises, participants will develop a critical understanding of key qualitative methods, with a particular emphasis on the qualitative research interview, participant observation, examples covering creative research methodologies, and fieldwork.
- Learning outcomes
- On completion of the course, students can demonstrate the ability to: • Assess and reflect on qualitative methods, their use and historical justification, as well as their contemporary application. • Demonstrate insight into and reflect on the concrete craft of interviewing through practice, having gained experience with it, and the opportunity to reflect on one’s own experiences and skills. • Assess and reflect on the most commonly used analytical methods for analyzing qualitative research interviews, and gain experience in applying these to examples from one’s own research. • Explain and assess how participant observation and fieldwork are carried out, as well as reflect on the relevance and use of participant observation and field studies. • Assess and reflect on quality standards and criteria for qualitative research and apply these in one’s own research. • Develop and reflect on the dissemination of qualitative research. • Discuss, reflect on, and apply qualitative research methods, and integrate these into one’s own research project. • Reflect on and discuss the use of qualitative methods
- Content
- Over the span of three days, the course will guide students through the design and execution of qualitative data collection and analysis. The first two days will focus intensively on the practical and theoretical aspects of interviewing and observational techniques. On the third day, students will be introduced to approaches to qualitative analysis and newer developments in the field, including strategies for presenting and communicating qualitative findings. The course comprises the following main topics: • Introduction to the qualitative research interview • Interview variations and recent approaches to the research interview • Methods of analysis and interpretation of qualitative research interviews • The craft of analysis • Introduction to quality criteria in qualitative research • Participant observation and ethnographic fieldwork, including examples of creative approaches to qualitative research. • Dissemination and reporting of qualitative research
- Learning and teaching approaches
- The course consists of lectures, discussion, and workshops with an emphasis on active involvement of student’s own research experiences. Participants must submit an assignment with reflections of the use of qualitative methods in their own research projects prior to course commencement. Recognizing that qualitative research is as much a craft as an academic discipline, the course is designed to foster learning through doing. Mornings will feature lectures and guided exercises, while afternoons will be dedicated to participant-led group work, encouraging collaboration, reflection, and application of the day's content.
Assessment
- Assessment method
- application submission, active participation (100% attendance, participation in group work during the course).
- Examination (internal/external)
- Internal
- Grading scale
- Passed/Failed
- Exam date/dates
- Students pass the course with active participation all course days
- Deadline for withdrawal from exam
- Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Academic responsibility and teachers
- Academic responsibility
- Erika Anne Hayfield
- Teachers
- Erika Anne Hayfield