Qualitative Inquiry & Interpretive Research Design

About this course

What this course covers

Qualitative research commands increasing scholarly prestige, yet it is disproportionately rejected owing to under-theorized design and insufficiently rigorous analytical reporting. This course develops the capacity to design and conduct theoretically grounded qualitative studies — selecting appropriate research traditions, constructing defensible sampling and data-collection strategies, applying rigorous analytical frameworks, and reporting to the standards demanded by indexed qualitative journals. Learning outcomes • Differentiate major qualitative traditions and select one congruent with the study's assumptions and questions • Design a purposive/theoretical sampling strategy with explicit justification for sample adequacy • Conduct rigorous data collection (interviews, focus groups, document analysis) with procedural transparency • Apply systematic thematic, phenomenological, or grounded-theory analysis to generate credible findings • Establish trustworthiness through member-checking, reflexivity, audit trails, and triangulation • Report findings per COREQ, SRQR, or tradition-specific standards Assessment & deliverables A qualitative study-design proposal with tradition justification; an interview guide with methodological rationale; a thematic-analysis exercise on a provided transcript; a reflexivity statement (800 words).

What you’ll learn

Outcomes you can put to work

Curriculum

• 01

  Module 1 — Philosophical Foundations & Research Traditions

  0 lessons

  Ontology, epistemology, and methodology; interpretivism, constructivism, critical theory, and pragmatism; selecting among phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, case study, and narrative inquiry.

• 02

  Module 2 — Sampling, Access & Ethics

  0 lessons
• 03

  Module 3 — Data Collection Methods

  0 lessons
• 04

  Module 4 — Analysis, Trustworthiness & Reporting

  0 lessons