Additional course evaluations for LU0091

Academic year 2022/2023

The Process of Research: Qualitative Methods, Data Analysis and Academic Writing (LU0091-20064)

2022-11-01 - 2023-01-15

Academic year 2021/2022

The Process of Research: Qualitative Methods, Data Analysis and Academic Writing (LU0091-20131)

2021-11-02 - 2022-01-16

Academic year 2020/2021

The Process of Research: Qualitative Methods, Data Analysis and Academic Writing (LU0091-20131)

2020-11-02 - 2021-01-17

Academic year 2019/2020

The Process of Research: Qualitative Methods, Data Analysis and Academic Writing (LU0091-20040)

2019-11-01 - 2020-01-19

Academic year 2018/2019

The Process of Research: Qualitative Methods, Data Analysis and Academic Writing (LU0091-20106)

2018-11-06 - 2019-01-20

Academic year 2017/2018

The Process of Research: Qualitative Methods, Data Analysis and Academic Writing (LU0091-20029)

2017-10-31 - 2018-01-14

Print Syllabus

Syllabus

LU0091 The Process of Research: Qualitative Methods, Data Analysis and Academic Writing, 15.0 Credits

Forskningsprocessen: kvalitativa metoder, dataanalys och akademiskt skrivande

Subjects

Environmental Science Rural Development

Education cycle

Master’s level

Modules

Title	Credits	Code
Research design and process	5.0	0302
Methods for data collection	5.0	0303
Methods for analysis	5.0	0304

Advanced study in the main field

Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirementsMaster’s level (A1N)

Grading scale

Language

English

Prior knowledge

Equivalent to 120 credits within social, natural sciences or the humanities, of which 90 credits within a particular major. Knowledge equivalent to English B (Swedish educational system), English 550 or higher TOEFL or English 5,5 or higher IELTS.

Objectives

The aim of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to use relevant research methods and approaches to data analysis, so as to produce clearly structured academic research texts.



Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

- select relevant research methods in relation to a given research problem

- maintain a reflexive position in relation to the selected research methods and be able to apply these in specific contexts, taking important ethical aspects into consideration

- structure and write an academic research text

- present a research proposal for a research project on rural and/or environmental aspects, such as rural livelihoods, natural resources management or environmental issues, including a thematic and theoretical background

- present an analysis of published research texts, concerning rural and/or environmental aspects, such as rural livelihoods, natural resources management or environmental problems

Content

The course consists of lectures and individual and group seminar assignments.



The course prepares students with the skills for identifying and selecting methods in the planning execution of their master thesis. The research methods that the student may select cover qualitative research methods with a focus on primary data collection via for example ethnographic methods. Quantitative methods such as surveys will also be briefly covered. Emphasis is placed on training students to write analytically and academically.

Formats and requirements for examination

For successful completion of the course the student must participate in compulsory sessions and give in a portfolio that comprise approved exams and assignments. If a student fails a test, the examiner may give the student a supplementary assignment, provided this is possible and there is reason to do so.

If a student has been granted targeted study support because of a disability, the examiner has the right to offer the student an adapted test, or provide an alternative form of assessment.

If this course is discontinued, SLU will decide on transitional provisions for the examination of students admitted under this syllabus who have not yet been awarded a Pass grade.

For the assessment an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after  the deadline for submission.  For more information, please refer to the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

• If the student fails a test, the examiner may give the student a supplementary assignment, provided this is possible and there is reason to do so.
• If the student has been granted special educational support because of a disability, the examiner has the right to offer the student an adapted test, or provide an alternative assessment.
• If changes are made to this course syllabus, or if the course is closed, SLU shall decide on transitional rules for examination of students admitted under this syllabus but who have not yet passed the course.
• For the examination of a degree project (independent project), the examiner may also allow the student to add supplemental information after the deadline. For more information on this, please refer to the regulations for education at Bachelor's and Master's level.

Other information

The right to take part in teaching and/or supervision only applies to the course instance which the student has been admitted to and registered on.

If there are special reasons, the student may take part in course components that require compulsory attendance at a later date. For more information, please refer to the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Responsible department

Department of Urban and Rural Development

There are no Grading criteria posted for this course

Mandatory readings

Main course books

Creswell, John W., and J. David Creswell. (2018). 5th edition. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. The following chapters are mandatory: 4, 5, 6, 7, 9. The rest of the book is optional. Other editions are also fine, but please note that chapter numbers refer to the fifth edition.

Robson, Colin. (2002). Real world research: A resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers. Wiley-Blackwell. The following chapters are mandatory: Chapter 3 on Developing your ideas, Chapter 4 on General design issues, and Chapter 10 on Ethical and political considerations. The rest of the book is optional. Other editions are fine, but please note that chapter numbers refer to the fourth edition.

Other mandatory literature

Alvesson, M. (1999). Beyond Neo-Positivists, Romantics and Localists- A reflexive Approach to Interviews in Organisation Research. Institute of Economic Research Working Paper Series 28(1), 13-33.

Alvesson, Mats, and Dan Kärreman. (2007). Constructing mystery: Empirical matters in theory development." Academy of management review 32(4), 1265-1281.

Bowen, Glenn A. (2006). Grounded theory and sensitizing concepts. International journal of qualitative methods 5(3), 12-23.

Long, J. W., Ballard, H. L., Fisher, L. A., & Belsky, J. M. (2016). Questions that won't go away in participatory research. Society & Natural Resources, 29(2), 250-263.

Moon, Katie, and Deborah Blackman. (2014). A guide to understanding social science research for natural scientists. Conservation Biology 28(5), 1167-1177.

Prowse, M. (2010). Integrating reflexivity into livelihoods research. Progress in Development Studies, 10(3), 211-231.

Strang, Veronica. (2009). Integrating the social and natural sciences in environmental research: a discussion paper. Environment, Development and Sustainability 11(1), 1-18.

Swedberg, Richard. (2014). The Art of Social Theory. Princeton; Oxford: Princeton University Press. (pages 1 to 97 are mandatory, the rest of the book is optional)

Optional

Bourdieu, P. et al. (1999). "The Weight of the World: Social Suffering in Contemporary Society." Stanford, CA. Stanford University Press. Pages 1-13.

Chambers, R. (1994). The Origins and Practice of Participatory Rural Appraisal. World Development, 22(7), 953-969. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(94)90141-4

Fahy, Frances, and Henrike Rau, eds. (2013). Methods of sustainability research in the social sciences. Sage. Chapter 1: Sustainability Research in the Social Sciences – Concepts, Methodologies and the Challenge of Interdisciplinarity

Fischer, K., Schulz, K., & Chenais, E. (2020). Can we agree on that? Plurality, power and language in participatory research. Preventive veterinary medicine, 180 (July 2020), 104991.

Graeber, David. (2012). Dead zones of the imagination: On violence, bureaucracy, and interpretive labor: The Malinowski Memorial Lecture, 2006. HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory 2(2), 105-128 https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.14318/hau2.2.007

Jacobs, Sue-Ellen and Cassell, Joan. (1987). Handbook on ethical issues in anthropology. Introduction, chapter 1 and chapter 3. Found here: https://www.americananthro.org/LearnAndTeach/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=12895&navItemNumber=731

Jacobs, T., & Tschötschel, R. (2019). Topic models meet discourse analysis: a quantitative tool for a qualitative approach. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 22(5), 469-485. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2019.1576317

Jacobson, K. (2013). From Betterment to Bt maize: Agricultural Development and the Introduction of Genetically Modified Maize to South African Smallholders (PhD Doctoral theisis). Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala. Section 2.2. as an example of literature review

Jørgensen, Marianne W., and Louise J. Phillips. (2002). Discourse analysis as theory and method. Sage. Chapter 1, introduction

Katz, Jack. From How to Why: On Luminous Description and Causal Inference in Ethnography (Part I). Ethnography. 2001;2(4):443-473. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/146613801002004001

Koot, S., & Fletcher, R. (2020). Popular Philanthrocapitalism? The Potential and Pitfalls of Online Empowerment in ‘Free’ Nature 2.0 Initiatives. Environmental Communication A: Journal of Nature and Culture 14, 287–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2019.1649707

Kozinets, R., Dolbec, P. & Earley, A. (2014). Netnographic analysis: understanding culture through social media data. In Flick, U.* (ed)* The SAGE handbook of qualitative data analysis (pp. 262-276). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Madden, Raymond (2017). Being ethnographic: a guide to the theory and practice of ethnography. Los Angeles: SAGE (Read chapter 1 & 2)

Marquardt, Kristina, Adam Pain, and Dil Bahadur Khatri. (2020). Re-reading Nepalese landscapes: labour, water, farming patches and trees. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods 29(4), 238-259.

Mayr, P., & Weller, K. (2017). Think before you collect: Setting up a data collection approach for social media studies. In Mayr, P and Weller, K. The SAGE handbook of social media research methods, 108-124. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781473983847.n8

Piazza, Roberta & Wodak, Ruth. (2021). DCA - Critical Discourse Analysis. (Will be available on Canvas)

Sandelowski, Margarete. (2000). Focus on research methods: Whatever happened to qualitative description Research in Nursing & Health, 2000, 23, 334-340.

Sköllerhorn, E. (1998). Habermas and nature: The theory of communicative action for studying environmental policy. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 41(5), 555–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640569811452 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09640569811452?needAccess=true

Tribe, J. and M. Mkono (2017). Not such smart tourism? The concept of e-lienation. Annals of Tourism Research 66, 105-115.

Venturini, T., Bounegru, L., Gray, J., & Rogers, R. (2018). A reality check(list) for digital methods. New Media & Society, 20(11), 4195–4217. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444818769236