College of Management of Technology

Chair MIR Management of Network Industries

Prof. Matthias Finger
PhD Course MGT-603 Qualitative research methods
Spring semester 2013

Qualitative Research Methods

PhD course
Abstract
This course aims at offering an introduction to qualitative research methods for engineers.
Participants will learn about the usefulness of qualitative research methods, the philosophical and
theoretical underpinnings of this type of research, the various approaches and schools of thought, as
well as about particular research methods. Finally, the course will also place qualitative approaches
and methods within the broader research design, i.e., in the case of engineers, often as a complement
to quantitative research. But most of all, the course will help the participants to make progress in the
formulation of their problem statement, their research design, qualitative data collection, and analysis
of qualitative data.

Course objectives
Even the most quantitative research endeavor will make a minimal use of qualitative research
methods, be it only to frame the problem, define the hypotheses, or to analyze complementary
qualitative data. In some cases, a PhD will be entirely based on qualitative research methods,
something which is not unusual in management research. The purpose of this course is to
foster an understanding among the participants that qualitative research is often equally
important as quantitative research, that qualitative research can be complementary to
qualitative research, and that quantitative research must and can be conducted with the same
intellectual and methodological rigor as is quantitative research. But most of all, the course is
practical in nature, as it will help the participants to apply qualitative research methods to
their personal PhD project.
This is a course aimed at the generic PhD student, even if the portion of qualitative research is
limited within his/her PhD. Indeed, qualitative research has solid epistemological and
theoretical foundations in philosophy (phenomenology, hermeneutics), is composed of
various schools of thought notably grounded theory, ethnomethodology, etc. , and leads
to very concrete research methods, such as various forms of interviews, participant
observation methods, focus groups, and many others more. Analysis of qualitative data
follows equally rigorous steps, and can actually even be quantified. Finally, like quantitative
research, qualitative research must follow a coherent research design.

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Consequently, the participants may expect the following outcomes from this course:

Understand the epistemological and theoretical foundations of qualitative research,

Become knowledgeable about the various qualitative research methods, such as
interviews, focus groups, and case studies.
Learn about the analysis/interpretation of qualitative data, as well as about writing
up cases.
Apply qualitative research methods to various stages of the participants research
process, such as problem statement formulation, research design, data collection,
and data analysis.

Pedagogical approach
Our pedagogical approach is based on adult learning, with a strong focus on the participants.
The participants are therefore expected to come to the course with their respective qualitative
research problems, regardless of the stage they are in in their PhD process, i.e., formulation of
the research question, design of the research steps and the methodology, devising of their
precise qualitative methodology or analysis and interpretation of qualitative data.
As part of the first day, we will identify the various contributions of the participants and
inbuild them within the course so as to make best use for all the participants.
In order for participants to prepare themselves and in order to optimize the working sessions,
participants are invited to read the texts provided. These are introductory texts aimed at
providing the participants with the basic concepts and questions related to the different topics.
Further course preparation: participants are expected to come to the course with the
following preparatory work:
1. A half-page description of their problem-statement for their PhD,
2. A one-page graphic presentation of their research design (if available),
3. A short description of the type of qualitative data collection method (to be) used
(if available), and
4. Available qualitative data for analysis and interpretation (e.g., written up cases,
synthesized interviews, monographies, biographies) (if available).
Assignments for Blocks 2 and 3 will be individual for each participant and will be defined
with the professor during the first and the second block.
The course is structured into 3 blocks, namely a first block (March 12-13, 2013) during which
the participants are introduced to the foundations of qualitative research methods; a second
block, one month later (April 8-9, 2013), during which the participants learn about qualitative
data collection; and a third block (May 6-7, 2013), during which the participants learn how to
analyze and interpret qualitative data and link them back to their research/PhD project. In
between, the participants will work on their own concrete qualitative research, so as to be able
to bring it to the table each time one month later. April 10th and 11th, 2013 are reserved for
individual meetings with the PhD students; each PhD student will have at least a 45 personal
meeting with the professor on one of these two days.

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Requirements and Evaluation

Participants are required to prepare themselves for the working sessions by reading the texts
provided for that purpose. Participants will be assessed according to their active participation
as well as on the basis of a paper they will hand in after the end of the course. This paper
counts as the final exam. The paper will be defined individually together with the professor
and will be approximately 30 pages long. It will pertain to the particular qualitative research
problem of the participant. The paper must be handed in at the latest on June 10th 2013
midnight.
There is a reading for each of the three blocks. Participants should read these texts, which are
available online on http//moodle.epfl.ch.

Structure of the course

The course is structure into 3 blocks of altogether 6 days (2+2+2), plus two days of personal
tutoring (April 10-11, 2013). Each block is structured into 6 sessions, two of which are always
devoted to participants input.
Block 1 (March 12-13, 2013): the history, context and usefulness of qualitative research
- Session 1.1.: Introduction to qualitative research, overview
- Session 1.2.: The origins of qualitative research
- Session 1.3.: Participants input on research questions
- Session 1.4.: Epistemological questions
- Session 1.5.: The different approaches to qualitative research
- Session 1.6.: Participants input on research design
Block 2 (April 8-9, 2013): data collections and preparation; plus two days (April 10-11, 2013)
of personal tutoring
- Session 2.1.: The different approaches to qualitative research II
- Session 2.2.: Research design
- Session 2.3.: Participants input on data collection
- Session 2.4.: Participants input on data collection
- Session 2.5.: Data collection methods
- Session 2.6.: Data preparation methods
Block 3 (May 6-7, 2013): analysis and interpretation of qualitative data
- Session 3.1.: Data coding methods
- Session 3.2.: Ethnographic case methods
- Session 3.3.: Participants input on data analysis and interpretation
- Session 3.4.: Participants input on data analysis and interpretation
- Session 3.5.: Data analysis
- Session 3.6.: Grounded theory methods

Readings

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The following readings have been uploaded and should be read by the participants prior to
each of the three blocks:
Readings for Block No.1:
Reading No.1: Miles, M. & M. Huberman (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. London:
Sage, chapter 1 Introduction, pp.1-15; chapter 2 Focusing and bounding the
collection of data, pp.16-39; chapter 3 Focusing and bounding the collection of data,
further design issues, pp.40-49.
Reading No.2: Schwartzmann, H.B. (1993). Ethnography in organisations. London:
Sage, pp.1-76
Readings for Block No.2:
Reading No.3: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of
qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 2 Research interviews,
philosophical dialogues, and therapeutic interviews, pp. 23-46.
Reading No.4: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of
qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 3 Epistemological issues of
interviewing, pp.47-60.
Reading No.5: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of
qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 4 Ethical issues of
interviewing, pp.61-79.
Reading No.6: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of
qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 6 Thematizing and
designing an interview study, pp. 99-121.
Reading No.7: Patton, M. (1980). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods.
London: Sage, chapter 5 Designing qualitative studies, pp. 145-198; chapter 6
Fieldwork strategies and observation methods, pp. 199-276.
Reading No.8: Patton, M. (1980). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods.
London: Sage, chapter 7 Qualitative interviewing, pp. 277-367.
Reading No.9: Kvale, S. & S. Brinkmann (2009). Interviews. Learning the craft of
qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage, chapter 10 Transcribing
interviews, pp. 177-187.
Readings for Block No.3:
Reading No.10: Miles, M. & M. Huberman 1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. London,
Sage, chapter 4 Early steps in analysis, pp. 50-89.
Reading No.11: Gibbs, G. (2007): Analyzing qualitative data. London: Sage, chapter 4
Thematic coding and categorizing, pp. 38-55.
Reading No.12: Buchanan, D. & A. Bryman (eds.) (2009). Organizational research
methods. London: Sage; chapter 35 Ethnography in organizational settings, pp. 602619.
Reading No.13: Yin, R. (2003). Case study research. Design and methods. London:
Sage; 3rd edition; chapter 2 Designing cases studies, pp. 19-56.
Reading No.14: Yin, R. (2003). Case study research. Design and methods. London:
Sage; 3rd edition; chapter 4 Conducting case studies: collecting the evidence, pp. 83108.
Reading No.15: Yin, R. (2003). Case study research. Design and methods. London:
Sage; 3rd edition; chapter 6 reporting case studies, pp.141-169.

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Reading No.16: Gibbs, G. (2007): Analyzing qualitative data. London: Sage, chapter 6
Comparative analysis, pp. 73-89.
Reading No.17: Miles, M. & M. Huberman 1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. London,
Sage, chapter 5 Within case displays: exploring and describing, pp.90-142.
Reading No.18: Buchanan, D. & A. Bryman (eds.) (2009). Organizational research
methods. London: Sage; chapter 22 Grounded theory perspectives in organizational
research, pp.381-394.
Reading No.19: Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory. A practical guide
through qualitative analysis. London: Sage; chapter 6 Reconstructing theory in
grounded theory studies, pp. 123-150.
Reading No.20: Glaser, B. & A. Strauss (1967). The discovery of grounded theory:
strategies for qualitative research. New York: Aldine de Gruyter; chapter II
Generating theory, pp. 21-43.
Reading No.21: Glaser, B. & A. Strauss (1967). The discovery of grounded theory:
strategies for qualitative research. New York: Aldine de Gruyter; Chapter X
Applying grounded theory, pp. 237-250.

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Websites
http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-eng.htm
http://kerlins.net/bobbi/research/qualresearch/
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ihcs/rescqr.html
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/iiqm/
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/index.html
http://www.coe.uga.edu/leap/qual/index.html
http://www.ualberta.ca/~ijqm/english/engframeset.html
http://www.aqr.org.uk/homepage.shtmljournal dedicated to qualitative research since 1990