Qualitative Research Methods (Fall 2018)
This course is for PhD Students only who are enrolled in a PhD Program at an Institute for Higher Learning
OVERVIEW
The objectives of this seminar are to help students understand and apply the methods of qualitative research to investigate business problems. The course will combine substantive materials on various topics (see below) with analysis of published research using these various qualitative research methods in business settings. As the course is designed to be a primer on these methods, it will start from the very basics. By the end of the 10 sessions, which are taught over 12 weeks, students are expected to develop a research proposal for a project using qualitative research methods in a B2B context that could be submitted to ISBM for funding consideration. Specific topics include:
- Why and when to use qualitative methods
- Constructing grounded theory
- Strategies of Inquiry
- Ethnography
- Participant observation
- Case research
- Action research
- Clinical research
- Interpretive research
- Doing the research
- Finding the sample
- Writing the instrument
- Analyzing qualitative data
- Data analysis software
- Getting published
- Demonstrating rigor and validity
- Writing up
OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of this seminar are to help students understand and apply the methods of qualitative research to investigate business problems. The course will combine substantive materials on various topics (see below) with analysis of published research using these various qualitative research methods in business settings. As the course is designed to be a primer on these methods, it will start from the very basics.
The major assignment for the course is a 10-15 page research proposal using qualitative research methods, which is due on Monday, December 10.
Required Purchases:
- David Silverman, Doing Qualitative Research, Fifth Edition, 2018, Sage Publications: London, UK
- Robert K. Yin, Case Study Research, Design and Methods, Third Edition, 2002 Sage Publications: London, UK
- A notebook that you will use over the semester as a research diary (see Chapter 2 of Silverman).
All articles and lecture notes can be found in the dropbox folder titled “Qualitative Research Methods,” to which all students will be invited. All materials will be available 1 week prior to the class.
Students are to submit all written assignments to the dropbox folder prior to the start of class, in the appropriate sub-folder for that assignment.
INSTRUCTOR:
Abbie Griffin, Royal L. Garff Presidential Chair in Marketing, The University of Utah
