week

reading/discussion topic*

assignment**

8/25

Introduction and Overview

What is Qualitative Research? Read Berg (1-3) deMarrais (Intro, 1 & 2]

Bring 5 postcards from NM to class next week; do puzzle task; write journal entry; begin log

9/1

No class (Labor Day)

Practice interview skills

Think about possible field sites

9/8

Inductive analysis

Designing Qualitative Research

Discuss Berg (1,2,3) and deMarrais [Intro, 1&2]

Begin search for exemplar

Observe public setting

9/15

Ethical issues (3); Perspectives on interviewing (4); data management

[demarrais 3]

Bring public setting notes to class

Do sensory inventory (SI)

Set up data management system

9/22

Interviewing techniques (4)

[deMarrais 4-5]

Bring SI from public setting observation

Begin observing site for “place” project

9/29

Field research, participant observation, ethnography (6) [6-7]

Review qual research methods text or ethnography

Code field notes (place project)

10/6

Field research (continued) [8]

Begin interview I exercise

10/13

Event analysis [9]

Identify site for event analysis (conduct when ready)

Code interview I notes

10/20

Focus groups; Action research (5,7) [10]

Submit draft of portfolio

10/27

Content Analysis (11)

[11-12]

Try out QDA software program

11/3

Unobtrusive measures, archival research (8) [13-14]

Begin interview II exercise

Discuss QDA findings

11/10

Oral History (9) [15-16]

Material culture project

Code interview II transcript

11/17

[17-18]

Report on material culture project

Data analysis, writing, portfolio preparation

11/24

Case studies (10)

Data analysis, writing, portfolio preparation

12/1

Writing-up Qualitative Research (12)

Data analysis, writing

Portfolio due

12/8

Evaluating Qualitative Research

Review and synthesis

Share project portfolio highlights