- Course code: MET5010
- Credits: 10
- Semester: Spring
- Language: Norwegian
Qualitative research methods MET5010
MET5010 aims to make students able to critically understand and discuss the choices involved in conducting qualitative research, and help them in designing their own master thesis. The course addresses issues of research design, research methods, qualitative data collection and analysis, research ethics and criteria for evaluating research quality. The course will be taught in English in spring semester unless there are only Norwegian students participating in the course, and in Norwegian in autumn semester.
Study requirements
To be qualified for final assessment, the student must:
- be present at 75% of the teaching
- answer a number of questions related to a series of short video lectures in Canvas
- read a former master thesis within your field and present its findings to a general public
- participate in a course in searching databases (not for students who have passed SAM5030)
- register topic for the master thesis (100-300 words)
- submit and have approved a project description for the master thesis (ca 1500-2000 words)
- write a digital contract with a supervisor
- participate in the electronic evaluation of the course if such evaluation is stipulated in the relevant term
Registration lists will be made available in Canvas if there is more than one course offered in the course in searching databases.
When course requirements are not fulfilled, this will count as one examination attempt, unless the student withdraws before the set deadline (1 May/November).
Final assessment/Exam
The final assessment of MET5010 is an essay of 3500-4500 words. The essay should be in the form of a short research report based on a mini research project that the students will work on throughout the semester. The essay will be assessed by grades A - F.
Exam dates
- Submission date:
- 5. June 2024
- Submission deadline:
- 12:00
- Final deadline to withdraw from examination:
- 1. May 2024
- Release date for results:
- 25. June 2024
Individual essay - Ordinary
- Submission date:
- 12. August 2024
- Submission deadline:
- 12:00
- Final deadline to withdraw from examination:
- 28. July 2024
- Release date for results:
- 26. August 2024
Individual essay - New/deferred N.B. Own rules for access
Learning outcome
Knowledge
The candidate has:
- a thorough knowledge of the relations between research design, research questions and research methods
- a thorough knowledge of different qualitative research methods and their possibilities and limitations
- a thorough knowledge of ethical and methodological challenges in qualitative research involving people
- a good knowledge of strategies for qualitative data analysis
- a good knowledge of criteria for evaluating research quality
Skills
The candidate can:
- identify research questions, research methods and theoretical perspectives in an empirical study and critically discuss how methodological and theoretical choices influence the knowledge produced
- design a research project such as a master thesis, including formulating research questions, selecting suitable research methods and justifying the methodological choices made
- find and review academic literature relevant to one's own research project
- critically reflect on the ethical aspects of doing qualitative research
- critically discuss methodological challenges in research involving people, including issues of power relations and positionality
- carry out a small research project, including formulating a research question, collecting and analyzing empirical data and writing a research report based on the project’s findings
Overlapping courses
Parts of MET5010 Empirical research methods overlap with MET508 Research Methodology. Because of this overlap, students who have already completed MET508, will receive 6 credit points (ECTS) for MET5010 on their transcript of records or diploma.
Reading list
Here you can find the reading list for this course.
Part of the literature will be available digitally, while other parts might only be available in paper format. Some of the literature will be available as compendiums, which you can find via the course room in Canvas.
You will automatically get access to literature that is available digitally when you are sitting at MF, otherwise you can get access by using Oria or by using "External access" in the library's list of databases.
Note that it will take some time before link to the reading list is updated. Please make sure that you are looking at the correct semester's reading list.