Key points
- This course provides graduate students as well as researchers alike with a solid foundation in qualitative data analysis
- The course combines theory of qualitative analysis, applied exercises in one’s research and demos in NVivo
- The course can be taken alone or in conjunction with Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis, which I’ll teach from 14:00 – 17:30 from 29 June to 3 July 2026.
Description
Are you planning to conduct interviews, focus groups or an open-ended survey as part of your data collection? Or collect policy papers, do non-participatory observation or scrape data from Instagram, X, or LinkedIn? After you collect your data, you’ll soon or later have to confront the mass of material you have. But will you know how? This course provides a solid foundation and practical skills for conducting qualitative data analysis (QDA) in one’s research. The course opens the “black box” of QDA and challenges the prejudices of subjectivity, bias, and anecdotalism associated with qualitative research by teaching participants that qualitative analysis can be systematic, transparent, and traceable, and that it has unique value to the social sciences. The course addresses central issues often omitted from mainstream qualitative research textbooks and postgraduate seminars, such as: What role do my ontology and epistemology play in choosing a QDA method? How should this choice be coherent with my overall research design? Should I code my data using a theory-driven or data-driven approach? What strategy should I use to transform my data into findings? Which visualisations would best present my results? The course blends lectures, group work, and hands-on exercises in NVivo software, allowing participants to put theory into practice.
Objectives
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Choose the right QDA method for their study based on their research question, data and context
- Code qualitative data using a theory-led (deductive) or data-led (inductive) approach, or a mix of both
- Apply best practices, and avoid key mistakes, when managing a coding scheme
- Use a range of techniques to transform qualitative data in findings
- Present their results using evocative clear visualisations
- Provide a clear and transparent audit trail of the analysis process.
Prerequisites
This course assumes no previous knowledge of qualitative data analysis or NVivo, but requires a basic understanding of qualitative research. Only the basic features of NVivo are taught. If you wish to become proficient with NVivo, consider enrolling in an NVivo course.
Schedule
The course is taught from 9:00-12:30 SGT from 29 June to 3 July 2026.
Location
This is an onsite course taught at the University of Singapore, in Singapore.
Enrolment
To enrol on the course, click here.
Fee
Early-bid (10% discount) and regular course fees are available here.
Combining courses
This course precedes Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis which I’ll teach in the same week from 14.00-17:30. For further information, see the course details here.
Key readings
- Bazeley, P. (2009). Analysing Qualitative Data: More Than Identifying Themes. Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research, 2(2), 6-22. Retrieved from http://www.researchsupport.com.au/Bazeley_MJQR_2009.pdf
- Coffey, A., & Atkinson, P. (1996). Making Sense of Qualitative Data: Complementary Research Strategies. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
- Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
- Ritchie, C., Lewis, J., McNaughton Nicholls, C., & Ormston, R. (Eds.). (2014). Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. London: Sage.
- Tesch, R. (1990). Qualitative Research: Analysis Types and Software Tools. New York: Falmer Press.
Courses in qualitative research designs
This course was taught at
As a qualitative research consultant, I am on a mission to open the black box of qualitative analysis and challenge the prejudices surrounding subjectivity, bias, and anecdotalism of qualitative research. As you will learn if you work with me, qualitative analysis is systematic, transparent, and traceable, and can yield unique knowledge and insights that quantitative research can't. I train research teams and faculty staff, provide one-on-one coaching to researchers, and teach doctoral-level courses in method schools. I consult for humanitarian aid agencies worldwide in decolonising research and participatory methodologies.
