Qualitative Research MethodsLaajuus (3 ECTS)

Objective

The student knows the main principles and processes of qualitative research. The student can recognize various working methods and tools. The student understands the challenges of qualitative research, how the point of view a researcher takes will reflect in the research, how research questions form a greater whole, and how argumentation builds the research.
The student is able to apply her/his knowledge of qualitative research into practice. She/he can identify and focus on a meaningful research question. She/he recognizes when the question can and should be answered through qualitative research. The student is able to describe her/his research process, to justify her/his choices during the research process, and to reason about the advisability of those choices in light of validity and reliability of the research results.

Content

This is a hands-on course in qualitative research methods. The student learns by doing a small scale qualitative research project on a topic of her/his choosing, for instance a part of her/his bachelor’s thesis.
The course focuses on issues concerning collection, handling, and analyzing qualitative data.

Further information

Grading scale: pass-fail.
The listed literature is not tested in an exam. You can use it to solve problems that show up in your qualitative research:
Laadullisen tutkimuksen perusteet. Jari Metsämuuroinen (Metodologia-sarja 4.) 2001. Viro
Toimintatutkimus. Arja Kuula. 1999. Tampere: Vastapaino
Tiedettä tekemään. Rauno Tamminen. 1993. Jyväskylä: Gummerus