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Department of Political and Social Change · ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
In this course, students will develop an advanced understanding of the principles and methods of qualitative research on government, politics, and society. These skills will enable students to critically evaluate the value of arguments made in published academic, policy, and journalistic research. Students will also be able to use these skills to conduct original qualitative research of their own. The course will concentrate on how qualitative data is collected and how it is analyzed. Qualitative data can be collected in a number of ways, each of which requires consideration of important theoretical and practical issues. Data sources for qualitative research include archives and other written sources, interviews, and ethnographic fieldwork. Students will learn the pros and cons of each method and the different ontologies and epistemologies underpinning them, read exemplary works, and apply the methods in assignments. The analysis of qualitative data also poses special challenges. Students will gain exposure to various methods of data analysis including historical process tracing, discourse and narrative analysis, and content analysis.
Critical Discussion
Learning outcomes 1, 2
Reading response papers
Learning outcomes 1, 2
Data collection/field notes project
Learning outcomes 3
Research Proposal/Paper
Learning outcomes 4, 5
This course comprises some 130 hours of activity over 12 weeks, including some 24 hours of lectures or an equivalent activity and some 12 hours of tutorials or equivalent activity. The course comprises a maximum of 6k words of assessment or the equivalent. Please note this is a general guide, averaged over the semester and the final hours ultimately depend on the individual's ability in reading and writing.
Non listed