
Course Objective
- Describe the rationale for using qualitative research to answer a particular question or to study a phenomenon of interest
- Describe critical elements of each of the five main approaches to qualitative research
- Describe the four main types of qualitative data collection methods including the main procedures and challenges associated with each
- Select an appropriate data collection method(s) for a given study question or approach
- Discuss commonly used strategies to ensure validity and reliability in qualitative research
Date: December 14, 2018
Presenter:
New York City-Long Island-Lower Tri-County Public Health Training Center with revisions made by the Region 2 Public Health Training Center
Qualitative research is “an inquiry process of understanding whereby the researcher builds a complex, holistic picture, analyzes words, reports detailed views of informants, and conducts the study in a natural setting,” (Creswell 249). In ‘Introduction to Qualitative Research,’ learners follow along with two staff members from the Huntsville Department of Health as they discuss key concepts in qualitative research and decide how to examine an underutilized program using qualitative methods. Through interactive exercises and feedback, learners will explore the most common approaches to and data collection methods in qualitative research. The following discussion was based on John W. Creswell’s Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design, a text commonly used in qualitative research methods courses. Additional resources and suggested readings are provided for those who are interested in learning more about specific topics and concept introduced in this training.