In this course, students will develop an advanced understanding of the principles and methods of qualitative research on government, politics, and society. These skills will enable students to critically evaluate the value of arguments made in published academic, policy, and journalistic research, and to produce original qualitative research of their own. The course is intended for those using qualitative research in their thesis or who wish to gain a better understanding of qualitative research methods. 

The course will concentrate on how qualitative data is collected and how it is analyzed. Qualitative data can be collected in a number of ways, each of which requires consideration of important theoretical and practical issues. Data sources for qualitative research include archives and other written sources, interviews, and ethnographic fieldwork. Students will learn the pros and cons of each method and the different ontologies and epistemologies underpinning them, read exemplary works, and apply the methods in assignments. The analysis of qualitative data also poses special challenges. Students will also gain exposure to various methods of data analysis including historical process tracing, discourse and narrative analysis, and content analysis.   

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Critically evaluate and present various methods of qualitative data collection in the political and social sciences;
2. Critically assess and defend the strengths and weaknesses of various methods of analyzing qualitative social science data;
3. Implement a wide range of methods of qualitative data collection and analysis;
4. Apply the principals of good research design, especially as regards qualitative data collection and analysis, in developing their own research.
5. Utilize qualitative data to communicate knowledgeably on range of topics within the area of government, politics, and society.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Seminar - Session 1: Ontology and Epistemology	For this session, no notes are due. However, please read the assigned texts prior to this session.
2	Seminar - Session 2: Research Design in Qualitative Research
3	Seminar - Session 3: Case Selection
4	Seminar - Session 4: Archival Sources	Public holiday; session will be rescheduled and recorded
5	Seminar - Session 5 : Ethics and Qualitative Research	Mandatory research proposal review for students whose work includes research with human subjects and who have to submit an ethics application
6	Seminar - Session 6 : Interviews: What is ‘Truth’, what is ‘Fiction’?	DUETuesday, March 25, 11:55 PMCritical Review Essay
7	Teaching Break
8	Teaching Break
9	Seminar - Session 7 : Ethnography: Practice
10	Seminar - Session 8: Qualitative Research and Causality I	Public holiday; session will be rescheduled and recorded
11	Seminar - Session 9 : Qualitative Research and Causality II
12	Seminar - Session 10: Content Analysis
13	Seminar - Session 11: Discourse Analysis
14	Seminar - Session 12: Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research: A Tale of Two Cultures?

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Seminar Preparation	5 %	*	1,2,5
Seminar Participation	10 %	*	1,2,5
Critical Review Essay	20 %	25/03/2025	1,2,4,5
Research Essay	65 %	10/06/2025	1,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Seminar Preparation

All students must prepare notes on required readings and submit them by email prior to class in preparation for discussion. These may consist of comments, critiques, questions, etc. arising from the readings. They may be in bullet format or full sentences. They must be at least one page, but no more than two pages long (12 points, single space).

Notes should not contain original quotes. While technical terms can be cited, the aim of the notes is to summarize brief reflections on the required reading in your own words. Notes prepare the seminar discussion: What did you learn? What did you find most surprising about the argument? Do you have any critical comments? Did you have difficulties understanding a specific point raised by the author? Which one and why?

Notes have to be submitted each week by 11.55 PM Sunday (at the very latest!) before the following Monday seminar.

They will be marked on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory scale.

Assessment Task 2

Seminar Participation

Participation in seminar discussion is expected of all students. A student's preparedness, as well as the reliability and quality of their contributions contribute to the final grade.

Assessment Task 3

Critical Review Essay

Students are required to submit a critical book review. They have the choice between Lee Ann Fujii’s book ‘Killing Neighbors. Webs of Violence in Rwanda’ and Philippe Bourgois's In Search of Respect.

The essay must reflect on the methodology of the book. This means that the review should concentrate on analyzing the research design of the book, assessing how well the design and evidence put forward addresses the book's research question. The essay must draw on additional literature to formulate these observations and arguments and this additional literature must be cited in the essay.

2000 words

Due March 25 at 11:55 PM

Must be submitted through Turnitin

Assessment Task 4

Research Essay

Students will write a research paper on a topic of their choice that relates to the theoretical material covered in the course. Please see "Final Essay Instructions" on Wattle for details.

Please note: Projects that involve human subjects have to be submitted for ethics review. Students cannot begin data collection prior to ethics approval. Students undertaking a project involving human subjects will get additional training in applying for ethics approval for their project. For these students only, there is a mandatory review of their research proposal in week 5 (in the week of March 17).

These students must schedule a 30 minute meeting with me in week 5 and submit their draft research proposal prior to this meeting.

The meetings of the Ethics Committee are listed here: https://services.anu.edu.au/research-support/ethics-integrity/human-ethics-committees-dates

Students are advised to consider how these deadlines affect their writing schedule when drafting the proposal. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that deadlines for ethics applications are met should the student’s research include human subjects.

If your research project for the final essay does not require ethics approval there is no mandatory proposal review. However, students are strongly encouraged to request oral feedback by sending me an email with their one-page proposal.

Meetings can be scheduled during my regular office hours. If those hours do not suit you, please contact me ahead of time to arrange for an alternative.

The Research Essay is due on Tuesday, June 10th, 11.55 PM

Must be submitted through Turnitin

4,500 words

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students