Kursusinformation

Description: This course will outline theory and practice of qualitative research methods within Science, Engineering, Health and Medicine. A variety of methodological approaches will be introduced. There will be a special focus within video observation and ethnographic studies. Qualitative research has expanded within natural science, typically in a mix method strategy, and often with use of some kind of video observation. The complex interaction of users in different contexts is found in a broad range of fields in modern life and is studied in a number of different scientific fields. Qualitative research methods are important tools for approaching the understanding and interpretation of these phenomena.
The course will take both a theoretical and a practical approach. The theoretical approach by relevant theories and methods for conceptualizing the design, data collection, data analysis and reporting. The practical approach by some hands-on within video observation and data analysis.

Course content:
The course will present new methods and the underlying theories such as a general understanding of interviews, video-ethnographic methods, probes, self-provided photo safaris, interactive video footage sessions, card sorting, projective techniques, data analysis with use of software. The participants will work with own cases during the PhD course, and will use relevant qualitative research methods.

Purpose of the course:
To demonstrate the opportunities of qualitative methods (especially video observations) in science, engineering, health and medicine.

Format:
Lectures with presentation of different methodological overviews. Workshop where participants will work in groups with using video observational methods. The groups set-up own theoretical focus.

During the course each individual has to write an 8 – 10 pages paper with focus on qualitative methods, preferable with implementation of observational data. Participants can choose using the data from the workshop or from their own research.

Exam:
The examination consists of three parts:

1. Participation all three days;
2. Individual paper (8-10 pages);
3. Presentation and discussion of paper

The examination is based on a weighting of each part (participation/paper/ presentation). The precise details on how the final assessment is calculated will be presented at course start. The exam ends with pass or no-pass.

Programme, Wednesday, September 16:
10.00: Registration and coffee, the, light breakfast

10.15: Welcome and presentation. Participants present their background/ interest in the field (2 min. each).
10.45. Lecture 1: Thomas Bjørner: Introduction to qualitative methods and ethnographic approaches.
12.15: Lunch (Food can be bought in our canteen).
13.05 – 16.00: Lecture 2: Jose A. Torralba: How to organize observational studies technically and theoretically: tools, theories and practice. Includes breaks and work groups where the groups set-up a focus for the hands-on workshop.
16.00: End of today

Programme, Thursday, September, 17:
09.15: Lecture 7: Bent Egberg Mikkelsen and Lise Justesen: How to analyze data, publications in natural science and validity.
10.30: Break
10.45: Ready, Steady, Cook and Capture in FoodScape Lab.
12.15: Lunch
13.15: Analyzing the data in groups.
16.00: End of today

Programme, Monday, October 10
10.00: Lecture 7: Lise Busk Kofoed: Recap, reflections and reporting.
11.00: Presentation and group discussion of papers
12.00 Lunch
12.50: Presentation and group discussion of papers
16.00: End of today

Preparation
Participants have to hand-in a paper (use specific template) with use of methods from the course. The case can be both from the course (from the foodscapelab) or own case. Deadline for submission: October 4, 2014.
Literature
Mandatory reading:
Sarah Pink (2007): Doing Visual Ethnography, 2nd. Edition: Sage.
Raymond Gold (1958): Roles in Sociological Field Observations. Social Forces 36(3), pp. 217-223: Oxford University Press. Online, Moodle, Course, Day1.
Ylirisku, S. P. & Buur, J. (2007). Designing with Video. Focusing the user-centred design process. Springer. Online, Moodle, Course, Day 1.
Derry, S.J., Edt. (2007). Guidelines for Video Research in Education: University of Chicago.

Supplementary reading:
Harper, D. (2012). Visual Sociology: Routledge
Pink, S., Edt. (2012). Advances in visual methodology: Sage Publications.
Pauwels, L. (2010). Visual Sociology Reframed: An Analytical Synthesis and Discussion of Visual Methods. Sociological Methods & Research, 38(4), 545-581.
Larsen J. (2008) ‘Practices and Flows of Digital Photography: an Ethnographic Framework’ Mobilities 3(1):141-160
Larsen, J. (2011) ‘Readings of Tourist Photographs’, in: Rakić, T. & Chambers, D. (Eds.). Visual Methods in Tourism. London: Routledge.
Bødker M. (2011) Using EgoCentric Point-of-View video to Understand Tourist Place Making, in Bødker, M. Nawaz, A, Petersen, G. (eds.) 2011. Proceedings of the 11th Danish Human-Computer Interaction Research Symposium, Copenhagen Business School, Dept. of IT-Management Communications, 2011/2
Dourish, P. 2001. Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction.Cambridge: MIT Press.
Johns N. and Clarke, V. (2001) Mythological analysis of boating tourism Annals of Tourism Research, Volume 28, Issue 2, 2001, Pages 334–359.
Andersson C. E. (2004) The Use of Photo-elicitation in Tourism Research – Framing the Backpacker Experience. Scandinavian Journal of Tourism and Hospitality. Vol 4, Nr 3
Pat Thompson (2008): Children and young people: voices in visual research, I Thompson, Pat (ed)(2008): Doing visual research with children and young people, Routledge, London
Bruselius-Jensen, Maria (in review): Visualiseringer af det gode skolemåltid, Rasmussen, Kim (ed.) (in review): Syn sans og socialitet – visuelle metoder i det pædagogiske arbejde, Forlaget Kliim

Organizer: Thomas Bjørner , Associate Professor, email: tbj@create.aau.dk and Co-organizers: Bent Egberg Mikkelsen and Lise Busk Kofoed

Lecturers: Thomas Bjørner, Associate Professor

ECTS: 3

Time: 16-17 September and 10 October, 2014

Place: Aalborg University, Copenhagen

Zip code: 2450

City: Copenhagen

Number of seats: 18

Deadline: 30 june, 2014