Applying Qualitative Research to Randomised Controlled Trials

This course will demonstrate how qualitative research can be used to address particular trial design and conduct issues, enhance understanding of how qualitative methods can be integrated at various stages of a trial, show how a range of qualitative methods can be used within trials, and facilitate greater confidence in including qualitative research in grant applications for randomised trials. It is not a course of how to do qualitative research but rather a course on how to appreciate its value within trials.

Dates 2 June 2025
Fee £220
Format Online
Audience Open to all applicants

Course profile

This course aims to illustrate how qualitative research can be used to optimise the design and conduct of randomised trials, particularly pragmatic trials of complex interventions.

Please click on the sections below for more information. 

This 1-day course will run online using Blackboard Collaborate, with a mix of live presentations and small group work.

By the end of the course participants should:

  1. appreciate how qualitative research can be used to address particular randomised trial design and conduct issues (particularly in pragmatic trials of complex interventions);
  2. be aware how qualitative research can be of value at various stages of the trial process;
  3. realise the range of qualitative methods that can be used within a trial; and
  4. be better equipped to include qualitative research in grant applications for randomised trials.

This course is intended for researchers and health professionals who have a reasonable knowledge of the process of conducting randomised trials within a health service context, and who are interested in how qualitative methods can optimise the design and conduct of a trial; and qualitative researchers who wish to consider how they could apply their skills to optimise the design and conduct of randomised trials.

The course will cover:

  1. using qualitative research to address particular randomised trial design and conduct issues;
  2. integrating qualitative research at various stages of the development and running of a trial;
  3. how a range of qualitative methods can be used within a trial; and
  4. incorporating qualitative research in grant applications for randomised trials.

The course co-leads are Dr Marcus Jepson and Dr Sophie Rees.

Before booking this course, please make sure you read the information provided above about the target audience. It is important that you have access to the relevant IT resources needed for the course 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 How to pay your short course fees..

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

Bookings close two weeks before the start of each course. Once all courses have finished for the current academic year we close the booking system for updates, and re-open again in the Autumn. To be notified about our timescales for opening annual registrations and bookings sign up to our mailing list.

 

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 2025.

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

"Enjoyed the interactive sessions especially (grant writing and applying methods to case examples). I thought the pre-recorded session on feasibility and pilots was incredible." - Course feedback, June 2025.

"Nice, concise course. Good balance of live sessions and recordings, with occasional "rest breaks". I really enjoyed it...and found it a lot more relevant to me than I had anticipated." - Course feedback, June 2025.

"Very informative, engaging presenters, the interactive aspects were useful." - Course feedback, June 2025.

"Really good real life examples / case studies which made the sessions engaging." - Course feedback, June 2025.

"I really enjoyed the content of this course and the range of topics covered within the day. The moderators and speakers were all excellent." - Course feedback, June 2025.

"Well organised course, nice to have the Padlet page, friendly organisers and lovely that they responded to people's Padlet intros, good opportunities to ask questions." - Course feedback, June 2025.