Qualitative journeys
A resource for University of Melbourne students conducting qualitative research
This resource aims to assist you, as a novice qualitative researcher, to develop an understanding of how to conduct qualitative research. It aims to help you “speak qual” (or quoll).
This resource is designed for students undertaking a qualitative research project for the first time. It is suitable for students at all levels (PhD, undergraduate, postgraduate, minor thesis and coursework). You will meet three students (Cameron, Nabreesa, and Leonie) and you can track their journey over four phases until their completion:
☞ Phase one: Getting started - developing a research question
☞ Phase two: Designing the research and submitting the ethics application
☞ Phase three: Analysing the data
☞ Phase four: Bringing it all together and looking back.
Each phase of the research experience raises particular challenges. You can listen to the brief video interview, hear about their challenges and then access resources and ideas which relate specifically to these common experiences and challenges encountered by novice qualitative researchers.
The students encounter many challenges in common and some which are unique to their research question, past experience and circumstances. Each challenge raised is addressed by links to resources.
Cameron's research project uses survey methodology to explore the professional development needs of clinician-teachers who come from a clinical background with limited clinical education expertise and who teach medical students using use simulation-based methods. Cameron is keen to find out what challenges they encounter and what type of education support would assist them to develop expertise in simulation-based education.
Nabreesa trained and worked in emergency medicine for five years, and was aware how of socio-economic factors also influence an individual’s health. Qualitative research allowed her to mix her passion for women’s health with patient contact to explore women’s experiences with long-acting reversible contraception.
Leonie's research interest is in how veterinarians make ethical decisions. Veterinarians face ethically complex situations every day and Leonie plans to explore these challenges with veterinarians including obtaining data on how they make decisions. The research will then inform future veterinary education.