Interpretive Methodologies
| Module title | Interpretive Methodologies |
|---|---|
| Module code | ERPM001 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor Alexandra Allan (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Through this module you will develop a critical understanding of interpretive research, and competence in the planning and execution of such research. In the formative work you will be required to work collaboratively to discuss matters of interpretive research design and analysis; to conduct your own piece of small-scale interpretive research and to keep an academic field journal. The one summative assignment involves you assessing the lessons that you have learnt from conducting a piece of small-scale interpretive research.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module focuses on the nature, planning and execution of interpretive research. It requires students to confront questions of methodology while attending, also, to those of method: research design, data collection, analysis and generation of theory. It aims to ensure that students develop a keen awareness of the centrality of the researcher in the processes of research design, data collection and analysis, and of ethical issues in interpretive enquiry. While the module aims to enable students to acquire a high level of competence in working with qualitative data in particular, it will require, also, that they become familiar with the ways in which other forms of data can serve interpretive research. The module also aims to enable students to develop understanding of and to make informed evaluation of relevant computer software for data analysis.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate a knowledge of a range of interpretive methodologies and approaches to research design;
- 2. demonstrate a knowledge of a range of methods of data collection, analysis and theory generation;
- 3. demonstrate critical awareness of the criteria of judgment which may be used in interpretive research;
- 4. demonstrate a critical awareness of the place of qualitative and quantitative data in interpretive research;
- 5. demonstrate a critical awareness of the central place of the researcher in interpretive research, and notions of subjectivity and reflexivity;
- 6. identify the ethical and political concerns in different interpretive approaches;
- 7. demonstrate awareness of relevant computer software for data analysis;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. design and conduct a research project with due regard to the opportunities and limitations afforded by methodologies and the complexities of given situations and be able to justify their designs;
- 9. demonstrate understanding of methodological principles through choice of appropriate research techniques in the light of complex problems;
- 10. read, understand and produce a critique of research papers and reports that have used qualitative approaches;
- 11. critically reflect on and evaluate your own research in order to improve it;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 12. demonstrate skills in self-management - in particular the management of time, tasks and evaluation of own learning;
- 13. demonstrate skills in personal judgement - particularly in respect of ethically sensitive issues;
- 14. demonstrate the ability to work independently and collaboratively;
- 15. demonstrate the ability to communicate and present ideas when writing and speaking and to listen effectively and persuade rationally;
- 16. demonstrate the ability to problem solve - to think logically, laterally, strategically, analyzing and evaluating;
- 17. demonstrate the ability to handle date effectively; and
- 18. demonstrate the ability to use ICT effectively - the use of electronic data bases in the library, email, word processing, the internet.
Syllabus plan
Methodology and ethics:
- Interpretive methodologies and their location within research paradigms
- Approaches to research design including case study, ethnography and action research
- Criteria of judgment in interpretive research such as credibility, confirmability, coherence, completeness, trustworthiness and transferability
- The place of qualitative and quantitative data in interpretive research
- The central place of the researcher in interpretive research, and notions of subjectivity and reflexivity
- Ethical and political concerns in different interpretive approaches
Techniques and sources:
- Interviewing – ways of asking, listening and recording
- Observation – ways of looking, seeing and recording
- Visual methods – ways of seeing, viewing, creating and recording
- The reflective field journal
Analysis and critique:
- Approaches to the comparative analysis and coding of qualitative data
- Methods of with-in case and cross-case analysis of qualitative data
- Different approaches to qualitative data analysis, including grounded theory, discourse analysis, narrative analysis and thematic analysis
- Processes of theory generation
- Uses and limitations of data analysis software such as NVivo
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 30 | 10x3 hour teaching sessions (lectures, workshops and seminars), including on campus teaching and recorded sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 70 | Collaborative group work |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Reading and assignment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Writing summative assignment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set exercise - research question, interview schedule and analysis tasks | Equivalent to 1,000 words | 2-3, 5, 9-18 | Written, verbal and peer feedback |
| Reflective journal entry and critical commentary | Equivalent to 1,500 words, including a 500 word journal entry and 1,000 word critical commentary | 1-3, 5-6, 8-16, 18 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Assignment: Reflective journal and essay | 100 | 5,000 words in total, 3,500 word essay and reflective journal equivalent to 1,500 words | 1-19 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Assignment | Written Assignment: Reflective journal and essay (As above) | 1-18 | 6 weeks from notification of failure or re-entry onto programme |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Cohen, l., Manion, M. and Morrison, K. (eds) (2011) Research Methods in Education, London Routledge
Cresswell, J.W. (2005) Educational Research: planning, conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (2nd edition), Upper Saddle River,NJ, Pearson.
Cresswell, J.W. (2007) Qualitative Enquiry and Research design: choosing among five approaches, London, Sage.
Cresswell, J.W. (2008) Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Approaches, London, Sage.
Denzin, N. K., Lincoln, Y. S. (eds) (2011) The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. 4th edition, Thousand Oaks, Sage.
Denzin, N. K., Lincoln, Y. S. (2003) Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials. London, Sage.
Flick, U. (2009) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, London, Sage 4th edition.
Haw, K. & Hadfield, M. (2011) Video in social science research, functions and forms. London, Routledge
Heath, S., Brooks, R., Cleaver, E. & Ireland, E. (2009) Researching Young Peoples’ Lives, London, Sage.
Klein, H.K & Myers, M.D. (1999) A set of principles for conducting and evaluating interpretive field studies in information systems. MIS Quarterly Vol. 23 No. 1, p.67-94.
Peshkin, A. (2000) ‘The Nature of Interpretation in Qualitative Research, Educational Researcher 29 (9) pp 5-9.
Silverman, D. (2004) (Ed.) Qualitiative Research: theory, method and practice. 2nd edition, London, Sage.
Silverman, D. (2009) Doing Qualitative Research: a practical handbook. 3rd edition, London, Sage.
Silverman, D. (2006) Interpreting Qualitiative Data. 3rd edition, London, Sage.
Thomson, P. (2008) (Ed) Doing Visual Research with Children and Young People, London, Routledge.
Urquhart, C. (2009) Understanding and Using Grounded Theory, London, Sage.
Weber, R (2004) The rhetoric of positivism vs interpretivism MIS Quarterly Vol 28, No. 1 piii-xii.
Wellington, J. (2000) Educational Research: Contemporary Issues and Practical Approaches, London, Continuum.
Whitehead, J. And McNiff, J. (2006) Action Reseach Living Theory, London, Sage.
Wolcott, H. (2009) Writing up Qualitative Research, Sage Publications. (2nd edition).
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ftp://ftp.qualisresearch.com/pub/qda.pdf
http://ebn.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/3/3/68
http://www.analytictech.com/borgatti/qualqua.htm
http://onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/Intro_QDA/what_is_qda.php
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3161
http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3162
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 31/08/11 |
| Last revision date | 06/11/12 |
