SS2023:04
Qualitative Methods
Townsville, Cairns
Inadmissable Subject Combination: BH3004 BH3023
26 lectures, 26 hours practicals. First semester.
Available to any undergraduate student. It is relevant to students in any social science or humanities discipline and is a core subject for sociology students.
Staff: Dr R Wilkinson and other Sociology staff.
This subject teaches a variety of qualitative methods, discusses the appropriate application of these methods, reviews the benefits and problems associated with each and introduces students to important research issues. Students will be asked to conduct exercises applying the skills learned in the class. Topics in the subject will include: the role of qualitative research, interviewing, focus groups, observation and participant observation, sampling, reliability and validity, confidentiality, ethics and analysis.
Learning Objectives:
- understand qualitative research including its advantages and disadvantages as well as its relationship to sociological theory;
- learn the appropriate applications of a range of qualitative methods including their benefits and limitations;
- acquire important skills necessary for a range of qualitative methods, including listening, observing, role-playing and professionalism;
- become trained social science interviewers;
- understand the ethical issues of social science research in general and qualitative methods in particular;
- gain respect for human subjects as an invaluable source of information for social science researchers;
- recognise the importance of protecting the confidentiality of respondents.
Assessment is based on a series of exercises, a major project, participation in class discussion and practicals and/or a comprehensive examination at the conclusion of the semester.
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