Qualitative Research Methods and Research Writing

By Prof. Aradhna Malik | IIT Kharagpur

Learners enrolled: 3394 | Exam registration: 1255

ABOUT THE COURSE : Qualitative research methods serve to explore the grey areas that remain outside the confines of quantitative predictive research in human behavior. Training in qualitative research is absolutely essential to understand and explore the dynamic nature of the society in which we function.This course introduces students to qualitative research and helps them understand how qualitative research supplements quantitative inquiry in human behavior and the social sciences.

INTENDED AUDIENCE : Interested Students

PRE REQUISITE : Bachelors Degree

INDUSTRY SUPPORT : Education.

Summary

Course Status :	Ongoing
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Multidisciplinary Faculty Domain for Experienced
Credit Points :	3
Level :	Postgraduate
Start Date :	20 Jan 2025
End Date :	11 Apr 2025
Enrollment Ends :	03 Feb 2025
Exam Registration Ends :	28 Feb 2025
Exam Date :	27 Apr 2025 IST

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1: Introduction to qualitative research,Introduction,The Qualitative Researcher,Quantitative vs. qualitative research, History of qualitative research,The process of qualitative research
Week 2:Major paradigms & perspectives,Dominant paradigms of qualitative research,Interpretivist thinking,Verstehen,Constructivism,Properties of constructions,Constructivism: Sub paradigms,Criticisms of interpretivism & constructivism

Week 3: Major paradigms & perspectives (Contd.),Critical theory,Characteristics of critical theory,Critiques of critical theory

Week 4: Strategies of inquiry,Introduction to qualitative inquiry, Qualitative research design, Ethnography, Autoethnography, Case studies, Analyzing interpretive practice

Week 5: Strategies of inquiry (Contd.),Grounded Theory, Participatory Action Research

Week 6: Methods of collecting & analyzing empirical materials, Observations,Interviewing, Interpretation of documents & material culture, Images & visual methods Autoethnography, personal narrative & reflexivity

Week 7: Methods of collecting & analyzing empirical materials (Contd.),Analyzing talk & text,Data management & analysis methods,Software & qualitative research

Week 8: Interpretation, evaluation & presentation,The problem of criteria,Interpretation,Writing,Evaluation and social programs,Qualitative research and social policy Conclusion

Week 9: What, why and how of technical and research writing.

Week 10: Literature review.

Week 11: Writing about methods, results, and discussion of results.

Week 12: Referencing, academic integrity, and writing for different types of readers (Research proposals, Dissertations, Journal articles, Magazine articles)Final Examination Pattern: Multiple Choice Questions (Just like the weekly quizzes)

Books and references

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2000). Handbook of qualitative research (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Instructor bio

Prof. Aradhna Malik

IIT Kharagpur

Prof.Aradhna Malik earned her Masters in Child Development from Panjab University, Chandigarh, India and PhD from University of Denver, USA. She has been serving Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur as faculty in the School of Management since 2008. Aradhna teaches intercultural communication, business ethics and organizational behavior to Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral level students. Her research and academic interests include, ageing, orality, human technology interaction, intercultural communication, communication disorders, management of public health and neuro linguistic programming (NLP).

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.

The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).

Date and Time of Exams: April 27, 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.

Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.

The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.

Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.

Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Kharagpur .It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team