Qualitative Research Methodology - YMH552

• Title: Qualitative Research Methodology
• Guaranteed by: Programme Historical Sociology (24-HS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Humanities
• Actual: from 2024
• Semester: summer
• E-Credits: 5
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (5)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Is provided by: YBLS007
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: doc. PhDr. Marta Kolářová, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): doc. PhDr. Marta Kolářová, Ph.D.
• Class: Courses available to incoming students
• Incompatibility : YBAJ244, YMH052, YMH152
• Is incompatible with: YMH152, YMH052

Annotation

English

Do you want to try out qualitative research methods in the real world? Understand the differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods in Social Sciences? Learn how to conduct an interview, observation or a focus group? Understand and analyse the perception of other people? This introductory course has three primary aims: 1. It aims to give students a grounding in the theoretical and practical application of qualitative research methods in the social sciences. 2. The course will prepare students for the methodological part of the Final Exam. 3. Completing this course offers a first step towards the skills students need to design and conduct their own research.

Last update: Kolářová Marta, doc. PhDr., Ph.D. (10.12.2024)

Course completion requirements

Students are expected to attend at least 75% of sessions and actively participate in class.

Students will work individually and in small groups. 

The course work is designed as continuous; students practice specific techniques and submit 4 partial assignments (research questions, interview guide, field notes, data analysis) during the semester. 

Students are assigned to read methodological chapters (3 in semester).

Evaluation of tasks:

100-90 % = 1

89-75 % = 2

74-60 % = 3

less than 50 % = not pass

AI Usage Recommendations for Students:
AI’s possibilities and limitations for qualitative research will be discussed in this course. You are permitted to use AI tools under the teacher's supervision and for specific tasks. AI must never be used to analyze or interpret personal or sensitive data. Any use of AI in your assignments must be done ethically and responsibly, and explicitly declared in your written work including the tool name, prompts used, and how the output was verified.

Last update: Kolářová Marta, doc. PhDr., Ph.D. (05.02.2026)

Syllabus

(1) Introduction: What is meant by ‘social research’? Why do social research? Differences between qualitative and quantitative research, inductive and deductive reasoning

(2) Qualitative research in the social sciences: background, designs, approaches, techniques. The research process in qualitative research: relationship between data and theory, triangulation

(3) Research ethics

(4) Formulating the research question in qualitative research. Sampling

(5) Interviews: Conducting an in-depth, semistructured interview for qualitative research: types of questions and interview guide

(6) Analysing documents: media research, online research and qualitative content analysis

(7) Group interviews: focus groups, preparation, moderating discussion, analysis

(8) Observation: ethnography, participant observation, role of the observer, field notes, netnography

(9) Data analysis in qualitative research: brief introduction and practical examples. Data coding

(10) Using software in qualitative analysis (CAQDAS)

(11) Writing the final research report. Presentation of qualitative research

Last update: Kolářová Marta, doc. PhDr., Ph.D. (05.02.2026)

Learning resources

Bryman, A. 2012. Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Denzin, N. K.; Y. S. Lincoln (eds) 2018. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. London: Sage.

Schreier, M. 2014. “Qualitative Content Analysis”. In Flick U (ed.), The SAGE Handbook on Qualitative Data Analysis. London: Sage, 170-183.

Course in Moodle:

https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=16402

Last update: Kolářová Marta, doc. PhDr., Ph.D. (28.01.2026)