Approaches to Cross-Disciplinary Qualitative Health Research

This is an advanced qualitative methods short course.  This course has been designed to provide a detailed theoretical and practical understanding of how to effectively use different qualitative methods and methodologies in the context of cross-disciplinary health research (whether that is in clinical or academic settings). Academics will draw on their research to navigate delegates through the complexities of high quality and sometimes high-risk/high-gain qualitative research.  To find out more about the course lecturers’ research, click on their profiles below.

The course will cover methodological issues from research design through to publication and will provide delegates with the advanced knowledge and skills they require to successfully undertake rigorous qualitative research in whichever setting they choose. It will combine theoretical and practical elements to ensure students are equipped with both understanding and ability when designing qualitative studies and undertaking qualitative analyses.

The course will run for one whole week across five consecutive days (Monday to Friday) from 9:30am to 16.30pm (GMT) each day.

Course content

Day 1: Introduction to Cross-Disciplinary Qualitative Health Research (examples of included lectures are: cross-disciplinary working; data collection; current controversies in qualitative practice and ethics; working with non-traditional data and healthcare records; and qualitative research in clinical trials).

Day 2: Thinking Critically about Cross-Disciplinary Qualitative Health Research (examples of included lectures are: engaging groups who find healthcare hard to access; diversity in qualitative health research; qualitative research in hospital and global health settings; and undertaking sensitive research).

Day 3: Deductive, Evaluative, and Policy-Driven Qualitative Methodologies for Cross-Disciplinary Health Research (examples of methodologies covered are: thematic framework analysis; template analysis; discourse analysis; content analysis; qualitative systematic reviews)

Day 4: Inductive and Interpretive Qualitative Methodologies for Cross-Disciplinary Health Research (examples of methodologies covered are: narrative inquiry; thematic analysis; interpretative phenomenological analysis; grounded theory; practical session on coding and developing theory)

Day 5: Innovations in Qualitative Health Research and Making an Impact (examples of included lectures are: innovations in qualitative research; integrating qualitative and quantitative research; taking risks with qualitative research; doing and writing impactful qualitative health research; making policy changes; creative dissemination)

N/B. Exact lecture content is subject to change, however the focus of each day is correct.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Confidently select the most appropriate data collection methods (e.g. interviewing, focus groups, textual data) and data-cleaning techniques (e.g. transcription, translation, and anonymisation) and competently execute them in future qualitative and mixed-methods studies.
• Appreciate the current controversies (e.g. ethics, reflexivity, positionality) surrounding the use of qualitative methods in cross-disciplinary health research and engage with these concepts on a personal level as well as in the context with local and international research.
• Understand the theoretical and applied nature of different qualitative methodologies, including Grounded Theory, Thematic Analysis, Thematic Framework Analysis, Discourse Analysis, Template Analysis, Narrative Inquiry, Content Analysis, and Qualitative Systematic Reviews.
• Critically appraise qualitative research using different methodologies and have a comprehensive understanding of rigour in cross-disciplinary health research studies.
• Approach and appreciate qualitative datasets in a rigorous, ethical, and knowledgeable way when undertaking future qualitative research.

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