Qualitative Research in Psychology
Learn about the foundations of qualitative inquiry, common research traditions like phenomenology and ethnography, and methods such as interviewing.
Learn about the foundations of qualitative inquiry, common research traditions like phenomenology and ethnography, and methods such as interviewing.
This comprehensive course introduces the foundations and applications of qualitative research in psychology. Students will explore how qualitative inquiry differs from quantitative approaches while examining how both complement each other in psychological research. The curriculum traces the historical and cross-disciplinary foundations of qualitative methods, grounding theoretical concepts with contemporary examples across various psychology fields. Through naturalistic inquiry, students learn to investigate human experiences as they occur in real-world settings, exploring beliefs, behaviors, routines, cultures, and other facets of human experience. The course covers major qualitative traditions including phenomenology, narrative inquiry, constructivist grounded theory, ethnographic inquiry, and case studies. Students will gain practical experience with essential research methods such as interviewing, focus groups, and observation techniques, while also developing skills in qualitative data analysis, coding, interpretation, and representation. Through interactive tools, illustrations, and self-assessments, participants will examine their own research predilections while gaining the competence and confidence to plan their own qualitative studies. By course completion, students will understand how qualitative research adds depth, character, and nuance to psychological investigations, revealing dimensions of human experience that might otherwise remain hidden.
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What you'll learn
Describe the philosophical and interpretive foundations of qualitative research Differentiate qualitative approaches from quantitative methods in psychology Evaluate the major qualitative traditions including phenomenology and ethnography Apply interviewing techniques to gather rich qualitative data Design effective observational studies for psychological research Conduct narrative inquiry to explore how people construct meaning Implement constructivist grounded theory approaches to build understanding Perform qualitative data analysis through read-throughs and coding Develop interpretive frameworks for qualitative findings Create a preliminary plan for a qualitative study in psychology
Skills you'll gain
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There are 4 modules in this course
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to qualitative research methods in psychology, examining how these approaches allow researchers to explore the depth and nuance of human experience. Beginning with philosophical and interpretive foundations, students learn how qualitative inquiry differs from and complements quantitative research. The curriculum covers major qualitative traditions including phenomenology, which studies lived experiences; narrative inquiry, which examines how people construct meaning through stories; constructivist grounded theory, which builds theoretical understanding from data; ethnographic inquiry, which investigates cultural patterns; and case studies, which provide in-depth analysis of specific instances. Students gain practical experience with key research methods including interviewing techniques, focus groups, and observational approaches. The course also addresses analytical techniques such as coding, interpretation, and representation of findings. Throughout, students learn to apply standards of rigor specific to qualitative research, including trustworthiness, credibility, and transparency. By the end's conclusion, participants will have the foundation needed to plan and conduct their own qualitative studies in psychological research.
What is Qualitative Research?
Module 1
Interviewing Methods
Module 2
Observational Methods
Module 3
Qualitative Data Analysis
Module 4
Fee Structure
Payment options
Financial Aid
Instructor
Senior Content Manager
Mike Stadler is a Senior Content Manager at the American Psychological Association (APA). Before coming to APA, he earned a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Purdue University in 1989, after which he was on the psychology faculty at Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri.
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4.6 course rating
12 ratings
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