COURSE OUTLINE
 

Course Coordinator

Coordinator Name: Dr. Prokopis Christou
Email: prokopis.christou@cut.ac.cy

Office: 3rd Floor, School of Tourism Management, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Building, Paphos

Telephone: 25002117
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods is designed to cultivate an advanced and critical scientific orientation in qualitative inquiry, in a way that enhances the production of original knowledge and promotes independence in research. By engaging deeply with theoretical and methodological issues, the course enables doctoral candidates to design, conduct, analyze, and disseminate original qualitative research that meets the highest standards of academic integrity, theoretical coherence, and scientific innovation.

COURSE AIMS

 The course aims to:

• Deepen theoretical and methodological foundations of qualitative research, emphasizing methodological validity, research ethics, and the critical appraisal of complex research questions, theoretical approaches, and findings.
• Develop the capacity for advanced research design and analysis, through the creative and reflective use of theoretical frameworks, research tools, technology, and artificial intelligence, in order to generate new knowledge.
• Strengthen research autonomy and contribution to the international scientific community, by ensuring the scientifically substantiated and methodologically robust presentation and dissemination of qualitative findings in academic journals and international conferences.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the course, the doctoral candidate will be able to:

• Critically analyze and evaluate the theoretical and methodological foundations of qualitative research, demonstrating methodological validity, and ethical responsibility.
• Design and implement original research studies, applying appropriate sampling strategies, and qualitative research tools, with the aim of producing new knowledge.
• Apply appropriate strategies for the analysis of qualitative data, making effective use of technological tools and artificial intelligence, in order to achieve in-depth understanding and scientifically substantiated presentation of research findings.
• Synthesize and interpret qualitative findings within both theoretical and practical contexts, highlighting their research and societal implications and proposing innovative directions for future investigation.
• Disseminate their research in a scientifically rigorous manner, through publications in academic journals and participation in scientific conferences, thereby contributing substantially at a practical and theoretical level.

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching methodology of the course follows a hybrid model, which combines face-to-face and online sessions, with the aim of developing advanced research skills, cultivating critical dialogue, and strengthening the research autonomy of doctoral candidates. Through the scheduled sessions, students are introduced to high-level theoretical lectures, the analysis of case studies, and the discussion of complex research issues that situate qualitative inquiry within both theoretical and methodological debates. The prescribed academic workload (in terms of hours), beyond the scheduled meetings, is covered through guided independent study, which includes in-depth critical engagement with international literature, the elaboration of research questions, and the preparation of written assignments. In this way, systematic engagement with the subject is ensured and the development of capacities for original research within the field of qualitative inquiry is fostered, along with meaningful scientific contribution at the doctoral level. For this reason, the University’s Moodle platform is systematically utilized for the provision of supporting materials, the submission of assignments, the posting of announcements, and the organization of presentations, thereby reinforcing interaction, engagement, and continuous feedback. Assessment is based on two assignments that encourage the integration of theory and practice: (a) the preparation of a research proposal that reflects the design of a qualitative study with theoretical grounding and methodological validity, and (b) the implementation of a small-scale research project based on primary qualitative data, which focuses on the critical analysis and presentation of findings.