Taught over 5 consecutive full days. The course will run online. It will comprise a series of live and pre-recorded lectures/materials, complemented by informal small and large group practical activities and discussions.

By the end of the course participants should be able to:

1. appreciate the importance of qualitative research methods in the study of health, illness, and health services and systems;
2. understand how to identify when a research topic requires qualitative research methods, and be able to select the most appropriate methods to answer the particular research question;
3. practise the skills required to conduct in-depth interviews, facilitate focus groups, and undertake observation and/or ethnographic research;
4. begin to analyse qualitative data; and
5. know how to employ qualitative research methods alongside other methods in health research.

The course is open to anyone who would like to understand the use of these methods or begin to learn how to use them.

Attendees do not need to have any previous background in or knowledge of qualitative research methods, although some experience of or ideas for a health-related research project using qualitative approaches would make the course more relevant.

This course is intended to give an overview and hands-on introduction to qualitative research methods, as used in the social sciences and health-related research. Methods introduced include individual interviews, focus groups and participant observation, as well as research design, ethical issues, data analysis, mixing qualitative and quantitative methods and writing up findings for publication.

Day 1 introduces qualitative research and interviewing techniques.

Day 2 covers study design (including qualitative sampling) and focus groups.

Day 3 focuses on ethnographic and observational methods.

Day 4 covers data analysis (including coding, thematic analysis and computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software).

Day 5 covers mixing and integrating methods and writing up research findings for publication. Students will also have the opportunity to plan a qualitative project of their choice through a structured workshop.

This course is taught by:

Dr Christie Cabral, Senior Lecturer.
Research Interests: Anthropology and Primary Care Research

Dr Jon Banks, Senior Research Fellow.
Research Interests: Sociology and applied health research

Dr Katie Whale, Research Fellow.
Research Interests: Health Psychology and intervention design

To make sure the course is suitable for you and you will benefit from attending, please ensure you meet the following prerequisites before booking:

Before booking this course, please make sure you read the information provided above about the target audience and prerequisites. It is important that you have access to the relevant IT resources needed for the course and meet the knowledge prerequisites to ensure you can get the most from the course.

Bookings are taken via our online booking system, for which you must register an account. To check if you are eligible for free or discounted courses please see our fees and voucher packs page. All bookings are subject to our terms & conditions, which can be read in full here.

For help and support with booking a course refer to our booking information page, FAQs or feel free to contact us directly. For available payment options please see: How to pay your short course fees.

Participants are granted access to our virtual learning platform (Blackboard) 1 to 2 weeks in advance of the course. This allows time for any pre-course work to be completed and to familiarise with the platform.

To gain the most from the course, we recommend that you attend in full and participate in all interactive components. We endeavour to record all live lecture sessions and upload these to the online learning environment within 24 hours. This allows course participants to review these sessions at leisure and revisit them multiple times. Please note that we do not record breakout sessions.

All course participants retain access to the online learning materials and recordings for 3 months after the course. 

University of Bristol staff and postgraduate students who do not wish to attend the full course may instead register for access to the 'Materials & Recordings' version of this course: Further information and bookings.

100% of attendees recommend this course*.
*Attendee feedback from 2022-2023.

Here is a sample of feedback from the last run of the course:

"Comprehensive and well presented information and useful practical exercises to put that learning into practice."
Course feedback, June 2023

"All aspects of the course were great! Really enjoyed the opportunity to practise some of the methods in role plays, and discussion facilitated by moderators in small groups. Good use of live and pre-recorded content."
Course feedback, June 2023

"Great range of topics and facilitating. Very useful materials."
Course feedback, June 2023

"Lots of opportunities to try things out, good mix of lectures vs practical elements."
Course feedback, June 2023

"The course was well-organized and had a clear structure. The instructors' extensive knowledge and experience in qualitative research were truly inspiring and provided valuable guidance for my own project plans. As someone with no prior experience in qualitative research, this course equipped me with the necessary skills and insights to confidently embark on my own project."
Course feedback, June 2023