Overview
This intermediate level course offers a hands-on introduction to creative approaches to doing qualitative research. The course is taught by an expert team based in The University of Manchester’s Sociology Department, all members of the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives.
The various stages of research will be covered, from data collection and analysis through to writing with qualitative data.
We begin by introducing what we mean by doing qualitative research creatively and discussing facet methodology. Course participants will also provide short introductions of their research projects. Participants will be given a practical and hands-on introduction to object interviews, creative ways of researching memory, mobile methods and sensory elicitation. The course will also cover creative ways of analysing qualitative data and practical and intellectual strategies for writing with qualitative data.
The course includes workshop exercises involving creating qualitative data and data analysis. Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss methodological issues related to their ongoing research projects.
Course objectives
At the core of the week’s course is helping to develop an inventive orientation that puts the researcher’s creativity and imagination at the heart of methodological practice. This will include:
- Introducing participants to creative methods both as an approach, and as a means of generating social science research data
- Providing an introduction to and some practical experience in the use of a range of creative methods of data collection
- Introducing participants to creative analytical strategies
- Offering participants opportunities to think about how they could use creative approaches in their own research
- Introducing participants to strategies for writing with qualitative data
Course requirements
This is an intermediate course for participants with reasonable-to-good knowledge of the principles of qualitative research methods and attendees should have some experience of qualitative data collection and analysis. No prior knowledge of creative qualitative methods is expected.
Participants will be asked to discuss their research projects and to bring their own data for analysis – therefore, in order to take part, it is essential that participants have data they can bring along to the course. Participants are required to bring their own laptop.
Who is this course for?
The course will primarily suit PhD students (Year 2 and above i.e. students who have collected their data) and postdoctoral researchers who are interested in extending their knowledge of qualitative methods. However, other qualitative researcher who are keen to learn more about creative methods are also encouraged to apply.
Course timetable
26 June – 28 June 2023
The course will start at 9am on Monday, 26 June 2023
Monday, 26 June 2023
Morning: Introduction
Afternoon: Facet Methodology / Methods surgery
Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Morning: Creative Methods I - Material, visual and sensory elicitations
Afternoon: Creative Methods II - Mobile methods / Methods surgery
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Morning: Creative Methods III - Memory and drawing methods
Afternoon: Analysis and writing
Course leaders
The course is run by a team based at the Morgan Centre, University of Manchester. You can find out more about the team by clicking on their research profiles below.
Recommended reading
- Holmes, Helen and Hall, Sarah Marie (eds.) (2020) Mundane Methods: Innovative Ways to Research the Everyday, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
- Mason, J. (2018) Qualitative Researching (3rd edn), Sage: London.
- Mason, J. (2011) ‘Facet methodology: The case for an inventive research orientation’, Methodological Innovations Online 6(3): 75-92.
- Pink, S., 2015. Doing Sensory Ethnography (2nd edn), Sage, London.
- Woodward, Sophie. 2020. Material Methods: Researching and Thinking with Things. London: Sage.
Cost
£675 - Full Price
£450 - Discounted rate for PGRs
Book your place
Registration is available through our eStore.
Bursaries for PGR students
If you are a PGR student you are entitled to apply for a bursary. These are competitive, limited in number, and may be offered on a full and part fee-waiver basis. If you would like to apply for one of these bursaries please complete our bursary application form and you will be notified as soon as possible.
Thanks Fiona Del Puppo for use of her PhD study illustrations in this promotional material.