Fundamentals of Qualitative Research

From Theory to Practice in Health and Social Research

What you'll learn
- Define qualitative research and explain its role and value in health sciences.
- Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative methods, recognising their respective strengths, limitations, and applications.
- Apply key qualitative methodologies (e.g., interviews, focus groups, observation) for data collection.
- Integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches by understanding the principles of mixed-methods research.

Requirements
- No prior experience in qualitative research is required.

Description
“This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.”

Fundamentals of Qualitative Researchis designed to introduce learners to the essential principles, methods, and applications of qualitative inquiry within the health sciences. Unlike purely quantitative approaches, qualitative research allows us to explore the richness of human experiences, patient perspectives, and the complex social and organisational processes in healthcare that cannot always be reduced to numbers alone.

This course provides a comprehensive yet practical foundation in qualitative methods. Learners will develop skills informulating well-structured research questions, purposeful sampling strategies, and diverse methods of data collection such as interviews, focus groups, and observation. A strong emphasis is placed onthematic analysis, which enables the identification of patterns and deeper meanings within narrative data. Through real-world examples and applied case studies, participants will see how qualitative approaches can uncover insights into issues such as patient–provider communication, health behaviour, and barriers to healthcare access.

The course also demonstrates the complementary relationship between qualitative and quantitative research. By highlighting the strengths and limitations of each approach, learners will be introduced tomixed-methods designs, which combine the two traditions to produce richer, more balanced findings.

By the end of the course, students will be able to critically evaluate qualitative research studies, design and conduct their own projects, and effectively translate findings into meaningful contributions for patient care, policy development, and academic scholarship.

This course is ideal for medical students, residents, and healthcare professionals who want to strengthen their research skills, as well as for early-career researchers, public health practitioners, and social scientists seeking to integrate qualitative inquiry into their work. With a balance of theory, methodology, and practical application,Fundamentals of Qualitative Researchequips learners to engage with the human side of medicine and to use evidence-based insights for positive change.

Disclaimer:

This course makes use of artificial intelligence tools to support the creation of some course materials (such as content/images/examples—customize as needed]). All content has been reviewed and curated by the instructor to ensure accuracy and quality.

Who this course is for:
- Medical students, residents, and healthcare professionals interested in learning qualitative research methods.
- Clinicians and health service providers who wish to better understand patient experiences, behaviours, and perspectives.
- Early-career scholars or postgraduate students preparing to conduct qualitative or mixed-methods research projects.
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