Course Syllabus

Community-based, Participative Qualitative Research is an innovative course that builds on qualitative research to add a community focus that can engage organizations and people meaningfully as partners in research projects that are of interest and significance to them. The community partners add their ideas to the research design and collaborate with the student or academic researchers to develop a project that will be of use to both. In many cases such research may be for a graduate student’s research project or a degree, a faculty member’s community project work and may add to a community organization’s knowledge about how to carry out evaluation of programs and services or to assess needs for new or better services. The course will not enable students to go beyond developing an idea for a research project but it will provide information on how community-based qualitative research could be useful and applied in community projects. Often such projects can also be stimulating and empowering for those who participate.  

There will be some short class lectures, video clips, small group and class discussions and experiential activities during each of the class sessions. 

The course is aimed at students who have prior knowledge of qualitative research. It is suitable for students who are completing their intermediate studies, or doing advanced or PhD studies.

Assignments:

1) Short paper of 5 pages thoughtfully and critically discussing two readings (assigned articles or others related to students’ research interest and the course content) community-based, participatory qualitative research methods and issues related to implementation. Include a brief summary of what each reading is about and say how the research was enhanced or limited by a community-based and/or qualitative approach. Also give your opinion on what might have been done differently for a better outcome.  (50 points).

2) Group presentation consisting of an outline and short description of a community-based, participatory qualitative research project your group might be interested in carrying out. This presentation will be given with your group on the last day of the course. Describe why the research would be useful, what it would show and how a community-based participatory approach could be more successful and promising. Also mention some possible ethical or other challenges and how you would manage these in carrying out this research project (35 points). 

3) Five to three page paper describing what you learned about conducting a community-based project, including the challenges and rewards that you might experience (15 points).

Students need to attend each session as course learning is heavily weighted toward group and classroom discussions, which cannot be substituted through other work outside the classroom. The total possible grade for completion of the course and assignments is 5 ECTs.