Corsi di Studio del Dipartimento di Culture, Politica e Società

This laboratory is designed to help students achieve the goals of the International Science, Development, and Cooperation degree program by introducing them to qualitative applied research. Specifically, it aims to provide the necessary concepts and instruments to conduct qualitative interviews and focus groups.

The laboratory is structured so as to encourage students to develop relevant transferable skills.

At the end of the laboratory, students will delelop the following learning outcomes:

• Knowledge and Understanding: Students will gain an understanding of the main features of qualitative interviews and focus groups, as well as the basic issues involved in recruiting participants, conducting interviews, and analyzing data.
• Applying Knowledge and Understanding: Students will be able to create an outline for an interview or focus group, and apply the concepts learned through the development of soft skills such as analysis and synthesis, collaboration, and a results-oriented approach.
• Making Judgments: Students will be able to read and accurately interpret the content of scientific publications and research reports that are based on qualitative interviews and focus groups. They will also be able to assess whether the type of interview or focus group used is congruent with the research question at hand.
• Communication Skills: Students will learn how to effectively communicate knowledge, ideas, problems, and solutions related to conducting interviews and focus groups, using appropriate language and through the application of soft skills such as organization of knowledge, argumentative writing, and effective communication techniques.

 

The main topics covered are the following:

• Theoretical and practical elements on the qualitative interview
• Types of qualitative interview
• Theoretical and practical elements on the focus group
• Realization of interview and focus group guide
• Recruitment of participants
• Conducting interviews and focus groups
• Essential elements on qualitative analysis
• Research experiences in a comparative perspective

The laboratory consists of formal lectures, group discussions and practical exercises. 

It will be held at Campus "L. Einaudi".

Students’ attendance and active participation are an integral part of the learning experience in the laboratory. Students are expected to attend the laboratory regularly.

To attend, registration on the Campusnet website is required.

Online access to slides and materials will be provide through the Moodle page of the Laboratory.

The course will last for 18 hours, consisting of 9 classes that are each 2 hours long.

Students will be asked to write a brief report on the class activities.

There will be two modes of evaluation: pass or fail.

In order to pass the exam, the paper should be written in the appropriate methodological language. The report must include a research question, an ideal field of study and sample, an outline for conducting an interview or a focus group to address the research question, along with the reasons and advantages of choosing the particular research instrument. Additionally, two bibliographic references from the ones provided by the teacher in the lab and on Moodle must be included. During the lab, it will be possible to present the initial content of the paper and discuss it in groups.

Since the course is practical in nature, reading materials will consist in lectures notes, slides, and other material provided by the teacher.

Class schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 12:00 AM - 2:00 PM (room F4, CLE).

The Lab will start on Monday 30th October. 

Maximum number of students: 50 (once this number of registered students has been reached, it will no longer be possible to register for this laboratory)

Erasmus students can prepare the paper in Italian or English.