COURSE OUTLINE
 

Course Leader

Coordinator Name: Dr Maria Hadjielia
Email: maria.hadjielia@cut.ac.cy
Office: TBC
Office Hours: TBC

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Building upon the foundational knowledge established in MGT881 (Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods), this advanced course is designed to equip doctoral candidates with the sophisticated analytical skills necessary for conducting rigorous and innovative qualitative research. The course focuses on the practical application of advanced analytical frameworks, the integration of technology for complex data management, and the development of a critical researcher reflexivity. Its purpose is to transition candidates from understanding qualitative design to mastering the intricacies of qualitative analysis and interpretation.

COURSE AIMS

 
The aim of this course are to:

• Develop advanced analytical proficiency by providing in-depth, hands-on experience with complex analytical strategies such as grounded theory, narrative inquiry, discourse analysis, and visual analysis, moving beyond foundational coding techniques.
• Integrate technology with analytical rigor by training candidates in the advanced use of Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS), specifically NVivo, for managing, coding, visualizing, and theorizing from large-scale qualitative datasets.
• Cultivate theoretical sophistication in analysis by exploring the interplay between inductive and abductive reasoning, and by teaching candidates how to systematically build or refine theory from qualitative data.
• Enhance critical writing and dissemination skills by focusing on the craft of writing up complex qualitative findings for top-tier academic journals, including addressing issues of transparency, trustworthiness, and the presentation of a coherent theoretical contribution.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Successful completion of the course will enable students to achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Critically evaluate and select an advanced qualitative analytical strategy (e.g., constructivist grounded theory, critical discourse analysis) that aligns with their research questions and epistemological stance.
• Demonstrate advanced proficiency in using NVivo to manage, code, query, and visualize complex qualitative data (e.g., interview transcripts, field notes, documents, multimedia) to support rigorous analysis and theory development.
• Apply inductive and abductive reasoning to move systematically from data coding to the construction of meaningful themes, concepts, and substantive theories.
• Synthesize and interpret complex qualitative findings, articulating their theoretical, practical, and societal implications with a high degree of critical reflexivity.
• Construct a methodologically sophisticated and publication-ready

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching methodology is highly interactive and practice-oriented, employing a hybrid model that combines face-to-face sessions with online resources.

Theoretical Lectures: To introduce and critically discuss advanced analytical frameworks and the logic of inquiry.

Hands-on NVivo Workshops: Guided computer lab sessions where students work directly with their own or provided datasets to apply techniques learned in lectures. These workshops focus on "learning by doing."

Data Analysis Clinics: Dedicated sessions where students present their coding structures, analytical memos, and preliminary findings for group discussion and feedback.

Journal Article Clinics: In-depth analysis of published qualitative articles to deconstruct their analytical strategies and writing styles.

Peer Review & Feedback: Structured peer-review activities to develop critical evaluation skills and refine students' own written work.

The Moodle platform will be used to disseminate course materials, access NVivo tutorials, facilitate discussion forums for peer support, and submit assignments.

PROGRAMME AND CONTENT

Over a period of 13 weeks, the course will focus on the following core topics

ASSESSMENT

The grading system is numerical, ranging from 0 to 10 in increments of 0.5. The minimum passing grade is 5.

Assignment 1: Advanced NVivo Portfolio (30%)

Description: An individual assignment where students will document their advanced use of NVivo on a provided dataset. The portfolio will include screenshots and critical reflections on their coding structure, the use of analytical memos, the application of advanced queries, and the creation of models to explore relationships.

Length: 2,000 words (plus visual portfolio elements)

Purpose: To demonstrate mastery of the software as a tool for rigorous analysis, not just data management.

Assignment 2: Final Analytical Paper (70%)

Description: An individual research paper that applies the course's core principles. Students can analyze their own qualitative dataset (collected previously or for this course) or use a provided dataset. The paper must:

• Justify the chosen advanced analytical framework (e.g., grounded theory, narrative analysis).
• Systematically present the analytical process, demonstrating a clear chain of evidence from data to findings.
• Present findings as a coherent and theoretically integrated argument, not just a list of themes.
• Discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.
• Adhere to the structure and conventions of a journal article ready for submission.

Length: 5,000 – 6,000 words

Purpose: To synthesize learning by completing a full cycle of advanced analysis and writing, demonstrating readiness to conduct independent qualitative research at the doctoral level.

INDICATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Core:

• Saldana, J. (2021). The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. SAGE.
• Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory. SAGE.
• Jackson, K., & Bazeley, P. (2019). Qualitative data analysis with NVivo.

Supplementary:

• Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2017). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. SAGE Publications.
• Fairclough, N. (2013). Critical Discourse analysis: The Critical Study of Language. Routledge.
• Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the Human Sciences. SAGE.

Relevant articles from journals such as Qualitative Inquiry, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, and field-specific top-tier journals (e.g., Tourism Management, Annals of Tourism Research) will be assigned weekly.