Required in stage
Optional in stage
First term
Second term
Both terms
Not organised
This year
Next year
Alternating years
External
Prerequisites
Language of instruction
Duration
Identical coursesMethodology Seminar: Qualitative Research Methods (B-KUL-C00D4A)
Cannot be taken as part of an examination contract
Maesschalck Jeroen (coordinator) | Maesschalck Jeroen | Paoli Letizia Aims
General Aim
The course aims to support students in their effort to write a high quality master’s thesis based on the principles of qualitative research methods. Students will be assisted during the different phases of their research, and will be offered consultation for specific research problems.
Learning Goals
At the end of the course the students are expected:
• To know the different components of a research proposal (research goals, research questions, literature review, conceptual framework, methodology) and to develop these components in a proposal they themselves have to write for a research project on a criminologically relevant theme, foreseeing empirical qualitative methods and/or a literature review.
• To formulate research questions that are suitable for qualitative research (foreseeing empirical qualitative methods and/or a literature review).
• To make appropriate methodological choices (including those on data collection and data analysis) and to justify these choices in the above-mentioned research proposal (foreseeing empirical qualitative methods and/or a literature review)
• To formulate appropriate strategies to enhance the validity and reliability of scientific research and to justify these strategies in the above-mentioned research proposal (foreseeing empirical qualitative methods and/or a literature review)
• To adequately solve particular problems arising during the qualitative research process (foreseeing empirical qualitative methods and/or a literature review).
Learning Outcomes
• The student is able to analyze, contextualize and synthesize criminological and other social-scientific texts and assess their relevance and scientific value.
• The student has in-depth knowledge and understanding of qualitative research methodologies.
Previous knowledge
• Knowledge: knowledge of qualitative research methods (observation, interviewing, document analysis, …) and of the methodological aspects of qualitative research;
• Capacities: conducting a scientific research: from research question over data analysis to writing an academic report
• Attitude: being interested in scientific qualitative research
Order of Enrolment
Mixed prerequisite:
You may only take this course if you comply with the prerequisites. Prerequisites can be strict or flexible, or can imply simultaneity. A degree level can be also be a prerequisite.
Explanation:
STRICT: You may only take this course if you have passed or applied tolerance for the courses for which this condition is set.
FLEXIBLE: You may only take this course if you have previously taken the courses for which this condition is set.
SIMULTANEOUS: You may only take this course if you also take the courses for which this condition is set (or have taken them previously).
DEGREE: You may only take this course if you have obtained this degree level.
SIMULTANEOUS(C00D8A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(C01D3A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(C01D7A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(C02D2A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(C02D6A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(C03D0A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(C01J2A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(C02J2A)
The codes of the course units mentioned above correspond to the following course descriptions:
C00D8A : De Masterproef ifv. Pijler 'rechtshandhaving' (No longer offered this academic year)
C01D3A : De Masterproef ifv. Pijler 'criminaliteit en (on)veiligheid' (No longer offered this academic year)
C01D7A : De Masterproef ifv. Pijler 'persoons- en gemeenschapsgerichte criminologie' (No longer offered this academic year)
C02D2A : Master's thesis Law enforcement (No longer offered this academic year)
C02D6A : Master's thesis Criminality and (in)security (No longer offered this academic year)
C03D0A : Master's thesis Person and community oriented criminology (No longer offered this academic year)
C01J2A : Masterproef criminologische wetenschappen
C02J2A : Master's Thesis Master of Criminology
This course unit is a prerequisite for taking the following course units:
C01J2A : Masterproef criminologische wetenschappen
Is included in these courses of study
Activities
1.5 ects. Methodological Support and Feedback for Topic Selection and Exploration (B-KUL-C00D5a)
Content
The following lectures will take place in the first term:
- Introduction and research ethics
- Focusing your research: from topic to research questions
- Literature review – references
- Data collection: methods and instruments
- Sampling
- Some recommendations for policy evaluation research
- Quality in qualitative research
Students also have to submit an assignment by the end of the first semester in which they outline the definition of the central problem, the literature review, the conceptual framework and a preliminary research design for their own research project on a criminologically relevant theme, foreseeing empirical qualitative methods and/or a literature review. This assignment will be further improved and extended in the second semester.
Course material
- Silverman, D. (most recent version). Doing qualitative research: A practical handbook. Sage.
Students conducting a literature review for their dissertation are advised to read the following book:
- Jesson, J., Matheson, L., & Lacey, F.M. (2011). Doing your literature review: traditional and systematic techniques. Sage.
Format: more information
This course consists of a number of lectures, feedback sessions, individual consultations and assignments to support students who have opted for qualitative research on the methodological aspects of their individual master’s thesis. During the lectures, the qualitative research topics discussed in the bachelor are explained more profoundly. The contents of the lectures are adjusted to specific research problems students may encounter. Students can ask questions during the lectures, on the Toledo forum and during the individual consultations. In addition, students receive collective feedback on the assignments.
The students carry out two compulsory assignments, of which there are two versions each time; one for the students conducting a qualitative empirical research project and one for students conducting a literature review.
The first assignment is submitted in the first semester. The collective feedback session will address the most common mistakes and concerns. An additional individual consultation is provided on a voluntary basis.
1.5 ects. Methodological Support and Feedback for Compiling, Processing and Reporting (B-KUL-C00D6a)
Content
The following lectures will take place in the second term:
• Data analysis
• Writing your dissertation
Additionally, the students have to submit a second assignment by the end of the second semester: a fully elaborated research proposal. The second assignment roughly contains the same components as the first assignment, but in a more elaborated manner. In doing so, attention is particularly paid to the research design.
Course material
- Silverman, D. (most recent version). Doing qualitative research: A practical handbook. Sage.
Students performing a literature study for the Masters thesis are also advised to purchase the following textbook (available at Acco):
- Jesson, J., Matheson, L., & Lacey, F.M. (2011). Doing your literature review: traditional and systematic techniques. Sage.
Format: more information
This course consists of a number of lectures, feedback sessions, individual consultations and assignments to collectively support students who have opted for qualitative research on the methodological aspects of their individual master thesis. During the lectures, the qualitative research topics discussed in the bachelor are explained more profoundly. The contents of these lectures are adjusted to specific research problems students may encounter. Students can ask questions during the lectures, on the Toledo forum and during the optional individual consultations. In addition, students receive collective feedback on the assignments.
The students carry out two compulsory assignments, of which there are two versions each time; one for the students conducting a qualitative empirical research project and one for students conducting a literature review.
The second assignment, which is a further improved and extended version of the first assignment, is submitted in the second semester. First, a provisional and then a final version of the assignment is submitted. The collective feedback session, which is organized in the period between the deadlines of the provisional and the final versions, will address the most common mistakes and concerns. An additional individual consultation is provided on a voluntary basis.
Evaluation
Evaluation: Methodology Seminar: Qualitative Research Methods (B-KUL-C20D4a)
Explanation
Students are expected to write a research proposal, preferably related to the subject of their master’s thesis. Of this research proposal, a first assignment (assignment 1) is submitted in the first semester (counting for 4 out of 20 marks), followed by collective feedback and optional individual consultations. Assignment 2 is submitted in the second semester (counting for the remaining 16 out of 20 marks). Of assignment 2, a provisional and final version are submitted. After the submission of the provisional assignment, a collective feedback session and optional individual consultations are organized. Subsequently, the final version is submitted, whereupon the final evaluation follows.
Students who don’t hand in assignment 1, will get a 0 mark for this part of the evaluation.
Students who don’t hand in assignment 2, will get an NA mark for the whole course ('Not taken' / ‘Niet afgelegd’).
Information about retaking exams
Students can find all the information about the retake in the course guidelines on Toledo.