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Advanced Qualitative Methods

Key information

  • Module code:

    7YYDN028

  • Level:

    7

  • Semester:

      Spring

  • Credit value:

    15

Module description

 

Qualitative methods are ubiquitous in development research – partly out of conviction, partly for a lack of reliable quantitative data. Either way, qualitative studies can arguably be done well or poorly. Unfortunately, it is often not so easy to say which is which. That’s why this module is a little different from the methods courses you may have taken in your undergraduate studies. While it does cover the same familiar areas of research design as well as different kinds of qualitative material and analytical strategies, its aim is not primarily to teach you how to conduct qualitative research, but to enable you to evaluate the quality in qualitative research.

 

After taking this module, you will be able to tell whether the case selection in that last paper that you read was any good – even if you don’t conduct case study research yourself. You will be able to read an ethnographic account of development policy and judge whether it is up to standard, methodologically speaking – even if you are not qualitatively trained. You will also better understand the ethics of fieldwork, have developed a yardstick to assess the quality of interviews, and know how scholars might in principle attempt to make sense of what they experienced. And perhaps you will have even developed a new perspective on the methodological aspects of your own work, for instance in preparing for your dissertation.

 

To that end, you will adopt the role of a scientific peer reviewer in between classes and evaluate in writing the methodology of a published piece of research that works with the material, analytical approach, etc. that was introduced that week. These reports will, in sum, also make up the assessment for this module, replacing the standard essay. Your reports will be submitted online during the week, and you will be tasked to comment on each other’s reports to improve everybody’s writing. The next class then begins by jointly working through common issues you encountered and revisiting whatever we discussed the week before moving on to the next topic.

Assessment details

6 written peer review reports of 500 words each  (100%)

 

Please note, this assessment information is subject to change for 2025/26

Educational aims & objectives

 

  • Develop students' understanding of qualitative research methods relevant to development studies, including the foundations of research (design and ethical considerations), different kind of qualitative material, and major analytical strategies
  • Enable students to judge the quality of qualitative research, and familiarize them with key epistemological debates about how this can be done
  • Encourage students to adopt the perspective of a scientific peer reviewer, so that they get to understand academic knowledge production as a discursive and collaborative rather than unilateral and authoritative
  • Develop students' writing skills, with special emphasis on iterative writing processes
  • The latter two aims directly feed into students' preparation for their dissertations, in which they will be expected to join a discourse of scholars, to write iteratively – and which will be examined from a perspective similar to that of scientific peer review.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module students are expected to:

  • Understand the design principles and ethical considerations of qualitative research
  • Understand the similarities and differences between different kinds of qualitative research material, in terms of how they are compiled as well as analysed
  • Be able to write short, evaluative peer review reports (a rhetoric format used both within academia and in a lot of development practice)
  • Be equipped to adopt a critical perspective (an 'examiner's view') on their own (methodological) plans for the dissertation

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.