Program Overview

HLSC646 - Qualitative Research Methods

Year

2024

Credit Points

10

Campus Offering

The unit is offered online.

Unit Description

The broad aim of this unit is to provide students with a strong research foundation for those who elect to undertake the research stream at Master's degree level. This unit is necessary for students to be able to apply knowledge and skills in order to plan and execute a substantial research–based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship that responds to an administrative, leadership, educational or clinical challenge in health care.

Unit Rationale

The unit meets the course objectives of preparing students to analyse and synthesise complex information and to use decision–making skills to respond to emerging challenges within a dynamic health environment. Specifically, this unit aims to develop students' abilities to use qualitative research methods in the context of ethical, person-centred health-related research.

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

• Align the role of the researcher with a selected qualitative research approach
• Apply knowledge of ethical risks to design, plan, justify, and conduct a rigorous qualitative research project
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in selected qualitative research methods of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination
• Apply knowledge and skills in qualitative data management

Content

The unit covers the following topics:

• Theoretical and paradigmatic frameworks in qualitative research
• Designing qualitative research
• Qualitative research methodologies, including:
  • Ethnography
  • Grounded theory
  • Phenomenology
  • Action research
  • Case study
  • Historical and archival research
  • Integration studies (systematic reviews)
• Trustworthiness in qualitative research
• Ethical and legal risks
• Data collection methods, including:
  • Interviews
  • Focus groups
  • Participant observation
  • Reflective journaling
  • Narrative/Storytelling
  • Text
  • Visual, non-textual data
• Data analysis methods
• Dissemination of results
• Data management

Learning and Teaching Strategy

The unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn and are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions.

Assessment Strategy

In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit three graded assessment tasks:

• Assessment Task 1: Essay - Data Collection/Analysis (25%)
• Assessment Task 2: Discussion Forum (25%)
• Assessment Task 3: Expanded Methods Section of the Research Proposal (50%)

Representative Texts and References

• Borbasi, S., & Jackson, D. (2016). Navigating the maze of research: Enhancing nursing and midwifery practice. (4th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Mosby Elsevier.
• Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2018). The Sage handbook of qualitative research, (5th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications Inc.
• Geia, L.K., Hayes, B., & Usher, K. (2013). Yarning/Aboriginal storytelling: Towards an understanding of an Indigenous perspective and its implications for research practice. Contemporary Nurse, 46(1), 13-17.
• Grbich, C. (2013). Chapter one: Introduction Qualitative data analysis: An introduction (2nd ed., pp. 1-38). Singapore: Sage.
• Liamputtong, P. (2019). Handbook of research methods. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
• Pope, C. & Mays, N. (Eds.). (2020). Qualitative research in health care. Wiley Blackwell.
• Richardson-Tench, M., Nicholson, P., Taylor, B., Kemode, S., & Robers, K. (2018). Research in nursing, midwifery and allied health: Evidence for best practice (6th ed.). South Melbourne: Cengage Australia.
• Walter, M. (Ed.). (2019). Social research methods (4th ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.