UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

Department of Government

GOVT6077: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS





February-May 2016 (3 credits)
Lectures: Thursdays 6-8pm,
Labs: 2-5 pm
Lecturer: Lloyd Waller, PhD, University of Waikato, New Zealand
lloyd.waller@gmail.com
Lab Instructors: Othdane Thompson, MSc. BSc.



























1
COURSE DESCRIPTION & RATIONALE : A complement to GT66A (Quantitative Research Methods),
this course provides training in philosophies and methods of qualitative inquiry in the social sciences,
with particular emphasis on techniques employed by political scientists in studying the historical,
cultural, textual, symbolic, subjective, mediated, propagandistic, and rhetorical aspects of political
life. Weekly lectures, assigned readings, student projects, and lab exercises are used to explore both
the major theoretical perspectives that underlie qualitative political analysis, and some of the
commonly-used methods that are used for collecting and interpreting qualitative materials. The skills
that you acquire from this course should enable you to better comprehend related literatures in
professional journals, and will equip you with tools with which to design and execute your own
qualitatively-oriented projects. Wherever possible, you should try to apply some of the approaches
you learn in this course to other courses, research papers, and/or theses.

In recent decades political scientists have increasingly come to recognise that the power struggles
which regularly occur between political actors, groups, classes, and nations are not merely (as Harold
Lasswell once observed) a matter of who gets what, when, and how, but also a matter of who
defines the meaning of what, when, and how. The most commonly employed approaches to
sociopolitical analysispositivism, behaviourism, rational choice, political economy, structural-
functionalism, institutional analysishave often been less than satisfactory for understanding this
definitional aspect of political life. There are both material and symbolic aspects to most political
struggles, and traditional quantitative-positivistic formulas for studying political behaviour have
usually not offered very compelling explanations of the latternamely, the dramatic, rhetorical,
propagandistic, belief-oriented, irrational, legitimising, and consent-manufacturing aspects of the
political process. The work of qualitative or interpretive social scientists has therefore been
immensely helpful in transcending this shortcoming of the standard analytic paradigms, probing more
deeply the cultural and phenomenological roots of human political action. By stressing the
importance of studying symbolic, subjective, and communicative dimensions of politics, these
perspectives provide a necessary counterbalance within the policy sciences, paying particular
attention to the ways in which participants in the creation of sociopolitical events attach meaning to
those events, to their own actions, and to the actions of other participants.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

More specifically, students who successfully complete this course should be able to:

Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the nature, context, range and potential of
qualitative research
An understanding of the logic and rationale of qualitative research
Undertake an advanced qualitative research study
Understand the different methods and methodological approaches of qualitative research
Have practical experience of conducting a qualitative research study
Understand the process of writing up qualitative research for publication
Employ widely used techniques for the systematic analysis and interpretation of qualitative
data.
Critically assess the quality of a qualitative research study


2
SEMINAR AND LECTURE TOPICS

FOUNDATIONS

1.
Week 1 INTRODUCTION AND LECTURE
Topic: The philosophical and intellectual historical roots of Qualitative Research Starting your
Qualitative Research Project
Readings: Flick, 2006 - Chapters 2 and 3; Denzin and Lincoln, 2005 Chapter 1 and Epilogue; Lincoln
and Denzin, 2003a Chapter 7; Silverman, 2002 Chapter 2; Maykut and Morehouse, 1994 -
Chapters 1 and 2
1. Course overview and introduction
2. Selecting your topic
3. Framing your Research Statement and Research Questions
4. Developing your Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
5. Designing Conceptual Maps



Module 2 and 3
Week 2 - 3 : Presentations and Discussions - (INTRODUCTION)

Each Group will be required to deliver a 20 minute presentation on the following aspects of their
study (thereafter we will have a 15 minute discussion of the presentation among evaluators):
Presentation of
Background of the Study
Objectives of the Study
Rationale for the Study
Framework used for the study - Theoretical or Conceptual
Conceptual Map/Diagram

Week 4 - LECTURE
Topic: Preparing your literature review
1. The purpose of the Literature Review
2. Selecting the right type of Literature Review
3. The Literature Review Format
4. Literature Review Sources


Module 5 and 6
Week 5 - 6 : Presentations and Discussions (LITERATURE REVIEW)
Each Group will be required to deliver a 20 minute presentation on the following aspects of their
study (thereafter we will have a 15 minute discussion of the presentation among evaluators):
Presentation of:
3
Review Type
Main issues explored
Annotated Bibliography - Presentation of main influencing authors and rationale for their
inclusion in the study


Week 7 - LECTURE
Topic: Creating your Research Design
1. Design Types
2. Research Methodologies
3. Sampling - Tools and Techniques
4. Methods of Data Collection - Tools and Techniques
5. Types of Data Analysis Tools (DTs)
6. Human Participants and issues of Ethics

WEEK 8: SUBMISSION OF FULL RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND
BEGINNING OF DATA COLLECTION EXERCISE

Module 8 and 9
Week 8 - 9: Presentations and Discussions (RESEARCH DESIGN)

Each Group will be required to deliver a 20 minute presentation on the following aspects of their
study (thereafter we will have a 15 minute discussion of the presentation among evaluators):
Presentation of:
1. Research Design Type, and rationale for design that will be used for the study
2. Type of Research Methodology that will be used for the study, strengths, weaknesses and
rationale
3. Type of Sample Design that will be used for the study, strengths, weaknesses and rationale
4. Methods of Data Collection - Proposed tools, techniques (strength and weaknesses), rationale,
expected issues and resolutions
5. Types of Data Analysis Tools (DTs) - Proposed Tools, Techniques and rationale
6. Issues of ethics
7. Issues of Trustworthiness

Week 10 - 11 - LECTURE
Topic: Qualitative Data Analysis
1. Types of Qualitative Data Analysis Techniques
2. Qualitative Data Analysis Tools
3. Developing Themes
4. Identification of main themes
5. Connecting the themes with the literature - exploring similarities and differences (looking at
history, culture, politics, geography agenda etc)
6. Using Network Diagrams
7. Using Matrices
8. Updating the Conceptual/Theoretical Framework
4
9. Interpreting Qualitative Data
10. Writing a Qualitative Research Report

Week 12-13: Presentations and Discussions - FINDINGS
Topic: Key findings



COURSE ASSESSMENT

1. Presentations (15%)
Each group will be required to present various aspects of their research project

Introduction (5%)
Background of the Study
Objectives of the Study
Rationale for the Study
Framework used for the study - Theoretical or Conceptual
Conceptual Map/Diagram

Literature Review (5%)
Review Type
Main issues explored
Annotated Bibliography - Presentation of main influencing authors and rationale for their
inclusion in the study

Research Design (5%)
Design Type
Methodology
Methods of Data Collection - Tools and techniques
Procedures for collecting the data
Proposed Data Analysis

Presentation of Key Findings (5%)
Students will be required to present their key findings and conclusions to be assessed by the lecturer,
invited guests and their peers.

2. Class Participation 5% (Weekly)
All students will be required to attend and participate in the seminars.

3. Critical Review of a Graduate Seminar Presentation 10%
Each student will be required to attend four (4) Department of Government Graduate Seminar and
prepare a report which critically reviews each graduate presentations. See below for guidelines for
doing a Critical Review:
5

http://www.musallamusf.com/resources/Qualitative-Lit-Analysis-pdf.pdf
http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/290659/Critical-evaluation-skills.pdf
http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/critrev.html
http://wwwdocs.fce.unsw.edu.au/fce/EDU/eduwritingcritreview.pdf
http://member.tokoha-
u.ac.jp/~dixonfdm/Core%20Activities/academic_writing/academic_present_review.htm
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/critical-writing
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/tips/downloads/postgraduate/writing_critical.pdf

Additional material will be sent to students electronically

ALL CRITICAL REVIEWS MUST BE PRESENTED WITHIN A WEEK OF THE PRESENTATION

4. Research Proposal (15%)

Students will be placed in groups of 4 to work on a Research Proposal and a Research Paper. The
Research Proposal should be submitted no later than March 15, 2013 before 5:01 pm to Mr. Othdane
Thompson the Teaching Assistant for the Methodology Unit, Department of Government. The outline
for the Research Proposal is presented below:

Introduction
Background and Motivation for the Study
Statement of the Problem
Objectives/Purpose of the Study
Research Questions
Conceptualization of Key Terms
Significance of the Study
Conceptual Framework
Conceptual Maps
Limitations of the Study
Delimitations of the Study

Literature Review
Types of Literature Reviews
Organization of the Literature
Identification of the dominant views on the subject matter being explored
Identification of alternative views regarding the subject matter being explored
Main influencing sources and rationale
Critical analysis of literature
Locating the literature within the Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
Research Design
Design Types
Research Methodologies
Sampling - Tools and Techniques
6
Methods of Data Collection - Tools and Techniques
Types of Data Analysis Tools (DTs)
Human Participants and issues of Ethics


Each group will be required to select a topic that will be explored by each group. Each group member
will focus on a specific issue within that topic. The topics to be explored this year are:

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING
HOW THE THE OTHER (OTHER NATIONALITIES) FEEL ABOUT JAMAICAN POLITICS (POLITICAL
PARTIES, INSTITUTIONS, PLAYERS, AND STRUCTURES)
POLITICAL PARTIES
THE IMF

Groups will be given an opportunity to refine their final Research Proposals by presenting various
aspects of the work in class seminars. These presentations will be evaluated by the lecturer, their
peers and other invited guests.


5. Research Paper (50%)

INTRODUCTION
Overview and Background to the Study
Statement of the Problem
Objectives/Purpose of the Study
Research Questions
Conceptualization of Key Terms
Significance of the Study
Conceptual/Theoretical Framework
Conceptual Maps
Limitations of the Study
Delimitations of the Study

LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction: Topics, Purpose and Methods of the Literature Review
Organization of the Literature
Main influencing sources and rationale
Alternative Voices
Description and critique of scholarly literature
Inferences for forthcoming studies
Broader discussion on Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: Discussion of each element and
their connections/influences

RESEARCH DESIGN
Design Types
7
Research Methodologies
Sampling - Tools and Techniques
Methods of Data Collection - Tools and Techniques
Types of Data Analysis Tools (DTs)
Human Participants and issues of Ethics


RESULTS/FINDINGS
Identification of main themes
Connecting the themes with the literature - exploring similarities and differences (looking at
history, culture, politics, geography agenda etc)
Using Network Diagrams
Using Matrices
Updating the Conceptual/Theoretical Framework

RESULTS/FINDINGS/CONCLUSIONS
Data Analysis and Management
Determining an appropriate Qualitative Analytical Framework
Identification and discussion of themes
Using Matrices and Network Diagrams
Identification and discussion on the core theme
Answering the Research Question
Connecting the findings to the literature
Use of Exemplars, Narratives and Vignettes
Presenting the final Conceptual/Theoretical Framework
Exploring the implications of the findings - to theory, practice, policy, the researchers and the
discipline
Recommendations


The study should utilize a variety of qualitative data from any or a combination of A and B.

A: Interviews, focus group session, or observation data (or a combination of these)

B: Letters, images or transcripts of radio, television or other types of digital media (or a
combination of these).


The final Report must be submitted along with the " GOVT6077 Peer Evaluation Form for Group
Work".


8
GROUPS
Group A
WILLIAMSON, Anisha
GRIFFIN, Shelley
ARNOLD, Stacy-Ann

Group B
HENRY, Anthonesha
PEARSON, Justin
GRAHAM WALTERS, Charmaine

Group C
YOUNG, Jermaine
SIMPSON - WICKHAM, Sophia
ROBINSON, Renesha

Group D
BREESE, Caribe
THOMAS, Shashion
BRANDON, Chesanne

Group E
COLBERT, Sashae
KELLY, Ornella
HARVEY, Leroy

Group F
MILLINGTON, Charmaine
ROYE, Youlanda
APPLEWHAITE, Carlos

Group G
FEANNY, Farah
DESOUZA, Nicholas


REQUIRED READING:

Prescribed Texts

Author: Pamela Maykut and Richard Morehouse
Year: 1994
Title: Beginning Qualitative Research: A Philosophic and Practical Guide
City: London
Publisher: RoutledgeFalmer

Author: Norman Denzin and Yvonna Lincoln
Year: 2005
Title: Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research
City: Thousand Oaks
Publisher: Sage Publication

Author: Alasuutari, Bickman and Brannen
Year: 2008
Title: The Sage Handbook of Social Research Methods
City: Thousand Oaks
Publisher: Sage Publication

9
Author: John W. Cresswell
Year: 1998
Title: Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Tradition
City: Thousand Oaks
Publisher: Sage Publication

Author: Uwi Flick
Year: 2006
Title: An Introduction to Qualitative Research
City: Thousand Oaks
Publisher: Sage Publication


Other Recommended Texts

Author: Crotty, M.
Year: 1994
Title: The Foundations of Social Research
City: London
Publisher: Sage

Author: John Cresswell
Year: 2001
Title: Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches
City: London


Author: Yvonna Lincoln and Norman Denzin
Year: 2003
Title: Turning Points in Qualitative Research
City: New York
Publisher: Altamira Press

Author: Piergiorgio Corbetta
Year: 2003
Title: Social Research: Theory and Technique
City: London
Publisher: Sage Publications

Author: David Silverman
Year: 2001
Title: Interpreting Qualitative Data: Methods for Analyzing, Talk, Texts and Interaction
City: London
Publisher: Sage Publications

Author: Matthew Miles and Michael Hubberman
Year: 1994
Title: Qualitative Data Analysis
City: London
Publisher: Sage Publications
10

Author: Norman Denzin and Yvonna Lincoln
Year: 2003a
Title: Strategies in Qualitative Inquiry
City: Thousand Oaks
Publisher: Sage Publication

Author: Norman Denzin and Yvonna Lincoln
Year: 2003b
Title: Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials
City: Thousand Oaks
Publisher: Sage Publication

NOTE: There are several Qualitative texts in the Main Library which cover many of the topics in the
prescribed and recommended texts (above). Students are required to explore and READ these
texts.

In addition to this, students are required to READ journal articles on subject areas covered in this
course.
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GOVT6077Peer Evaluation Form for Group Work

Your ID#____________________________________________________

Write the name of each of your group members in a separate column. For each person, indicate the extent to which you agree with the statement
on the left, using a scale of 1-4 (1=strongly disagree; 2=disagree; 3=agree; 4=strongly agree). Total the numbers in each column.

Evaluation Criteria Group member:


Group member:

Group member: Group member:
Attends group meetings regularly
and arrives on time.


Contributes meaningfully to group
discussions.


Completes group assignments on
time.


Prepares work in a quality manner.


Demonstrates a cooperative and
supportive attitude.


Contributes significantly to the
success of the project.


TOTALS








12
Feedback on team dynamics:

1. How effectively did your group work?








2. Were the behaviors of any of your team members particularly valuable or detrimental to the team? Explain.









3. What did you learn about working in a group from this project that you will carry into your next group experience?













13
SEMINAR PRESENTATION ASSESSMENT FORM
Research Paper Presentations



Name of Group: __________________________________________________________


Date:___________________________________________________________________


Assessment Criteria Score
1. Was the Background (and Personal Motivation) of the study outlined?
/10%
2. Was the Statement of the Problem adequately described and justified?
/10%
3. Were the Objectives or Purpose of the study clearly defined, adequately
described and justified?

/10%
4. Is the qualitative approach justified?
/10%
5. Are the research questions clearly defined?
/10%
6. Are the key terms clearly conceptualized?
/10%
7. Is the Rationale for the Study clearly stated?
/10%
8. Is the Conceptual Framework for the study adequately explained?
/10%
9. Are the Limitations of the study stated?
/10%
10. Are the Delimitations of the study stated?
/10%


TOTAL


/100%









Evaluator ID#: _________________________________________




14


SEMINAR PRESENTATION ASSESSMENT FORM
Literature Review Presentations



Name of Group: __________________________________________________________


Date:___________________________________________________________________


Assessment Criteria Score
1. Was the Literature Review well organized?


/10%
2. Did the group identify the dominant views on the subject matter being
explored?

/20%
3. Did the group identify alternative views regarding the subject matter
being explored?


/20%
4. Were the main influencing sources identified and a rationale provided for
their selection?

/20%
5. Did the group provide a critical analysis of the scholarly literature?
/10%
6. Did the group locate the literature within the Theoretical/Conceptual
Framework?

/10%
7. Was the type of Literature Review identified and a justification provided
for this type of review?

/10%


TOTAL


/100%
















Evaluator ID#: _________________________________________
15


SEMINAR PRESENTATION ASSESSMENT FORM
Research Design Presentations



Name of Group: __________________________________________________________


Date:___________________________________________________________________


Assessment Criteria Score
1. Was the Research Design 'Type' or 'Types' identified, defined and justified?


/10%
2. Was an appropriate Research Methodology or Methodologies used for the
study (and was this methodology clearly defined, explored and justified?

/20%
3. Was an appropriate Sampling Strategy identified, defined and justified?
/20%
4. Did the group outline and justify their data collection strategy?
/20%
5. Were the proposed data analytical tool discussed and justified?
/10%
6. Were the critical ethical issues explored?
/20%


TOTAL


/100%

















Evaluator ID#: _________________________________________


16
SEMINAR PRESENTATION ASSESSMENT FORM
Results/Findings Presentations



Name of Group: __________________________________________________________


Date:___________________________________________________________________


Assessment Criteria Score
1. Did the group outline a 'Trustworthy' Data Analysis and Management
procedure?

/10%
2. Did the group present an appropriate Qualitative Analytical Framework
for the study being undertaken?


/10%
3. Did the group adequately answer the Research Question(s)?

/10%
4. Did the group present and discuss the themes that emerged from the data
analysis procedures (using network diagrams and/or matrices to show
connections)?



/10%
5. Did the group identify the core theme?

/10%
6. Were Exemplars, Narratives and Vignettes used to explain the findings?
/10%
7. Did the group demonstrate the connection between the findings and the
literature?


/10%
8. Were the implications of the study discussed?

/10%
9. Did the group present substantive recommendations

/10%
10. Were the ethical issues discussed?

/10%


TOTAL


/100%


Evaluator ID#: _________________________________________
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