Unit details

ANTH4101 Advanced Qualitative Methods: Interviews and Focus Groups

Credit

6 points

Offering
(see Timetable)

If this unit does not have an online alternative, then students who are presently unable to enter Western Australia and whose studies would be delayed by an inability to complete this unit, should contact the unit coordinator (details given on this page) to ascertain, on an individual case-by-case basis, if alternate arrangements can be made to support their study in this unit.

Availability	Location	Mode
Semester 2	UWA (Perth)	Face to face Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.

Details for undergraduate courses

• Honours core unit in Anthropology and Sociology [Bachelor of Arts (Honours)]
• Honours option in Asian Studies [Bachelor of Arts (Honours)]

Content

In this unit, students explore, research and practice advanced qualitative research methods. We engage with a range of practical dilemmas and ethical challenges and examine in detail how knowledge is produced in qualitative interview methodologies, with a particular focus on how these methods are applied in research settings and professional practice. Students participate in a class research project and collaborate on joint research tasks as well as undertake their own individual research to contribute to the joint project. Social Science graduates increasingly find employment 'outside' the Academy and there is a growing demand for social scientists in a diverse range of settings. Therefore, a key aim of this unit is for students to learn about, and gain experience, practising as a professional social scientist to develop an in-depth understanding of qualitative interview methods. Students gain experience in formulating research questions and interview schedules, conducting and transcribing focus-group interviews, coding and data analysis (including using qualitative software tools), and presenting research findings in oral and written form, including preparing a poster presentation and project report. This unit won the 2016 Teaching Award: program enhancing student learning. For examples of student work from previous years, visit the unit website: https://blogs.uwa.edu.au/lorettabaldassar/home/iah/

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate a coherent and advanced knowledge of a range of epistomologies; a comprehensive understanding of qualitative interview methods and focus groups, their strengths and limitations and their role in research; (2) demonstrate the ability to develop an appropriate research question for a project based on qualitative interview and focus groups data collection; discuss their research question and design with clarity and receptivity to constructive criticism; and understand the importance of an evidence-based explanation, not mere description; (3) critically analyse research projects that utilise qualitative interview and focus groups data collection to understand its underlying assumptions and epistomologies and the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the approach; and (4) demonstrate the ability to prepare the ethics application, Information Sheet and interview shedule for their research question; a comprehensive understanding ethical implications of this method.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) seminar participation and (2) written and oral assessments. Further information is available in the unit outline.

Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Associate Professor Loretta Baldassar

Unit rules

Incompatibility:

ANTH7481 Honours Seminar 1 (Anthropology)

Contact hours

seminars: 2 hours per week for up to 10 weeks