Lahore University of Management Sciences

ANTH320QualitativeResearchMethods
Fall20152016

Instructor AliKhan
RoomNo. NewSSWing
OfficeHours TBA
Email akhan@lums.edu.pk;
Telephone

COURSEDESCRIPTION
Qualitativeresearchhasanextensiveandprominenthistoryinthesocialsciences.FromtheresearchoftheChicago
school in the 1920s and 1930s to the more recent criticalethnography, qualitative research methods provide
essentialtoolstostudythesocialworld.

Throughoutthecoursewewilldiscussandexplore thewayssocialscientists employqualitativeresearchtoidentify,

documentandcriticallyanalysecomplexsocialphenomenaandpatternsandpracticesofinteraction,aswellastrack
andanalyzetheir changes overtime.Fieldworkallowssocialscientists to examinethesymbolic,religious,gendered,
socioeconomic,politicalandhistoricalforcesandcontextsthatunderlieandmotivatebeliefs,ideologies,practicesand
change.

Thecoursedealsfirstofallwiththedevelopmentoffieldworkasadefiningfeatureofanthropologyasadiscipline.It
thengoesontodiscussresearchdesignandthemajormethodsofgatheringfieldinformationinanthropology.These
include the process of gaining access to a field site, participant observation, the unstructured interview and life
histories. Dilemmas of reflexivity and voice, approaches to the analysis of qualitative evidence, oral and written
presentationof,andevaluationanddisseminationofqualitativeresearchwillbeexamined.Howtokeepdetailedfield
notesandadiscussionofethicsarisingfromfieldworkwillalsobecovered,aswellassometechniquesofdataanalysis
andsomeobservationsaboutthewritingupprocess.

Emphasiswillbeplacedonequippingstudentstogainthepracticalskillsnecessarytoconductasmallfieldworkproject
usingtheoreticallyinformed,collaborative,actionorientedandethicalmethods.Coursereadingswillbedrawnfrom
socioculturalanthropologyanditsrelateddisciplines.

Studentswillbeexpectedtodoagroupprojectinvolvingfieldwork.Eachgroupwillconsistof5members.Thesefield
projects will be the culmination of what has been taught throughout the course. This will then be presented to the
entireclassattheendofthecoursesothatstudentsarebestabletolearnfromeachothersvaryingexperiences.

Inadditiontoacademicresearchqualitativeresearchmethodscanbeappliedtosocialmarketing,programdesignand
policyformation,andalsobeusedtomonitorandevaluatechangesovertime.Participatoryandappliedqualitative
methodspermitresearchersinawidevarietyofdisciplinary,institutionalandorganizationalsettingstoaddresspower
differentialsastheyoccurintheprocessofinvestigationorinformsocialandpoliticalchange.

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COURSEOBJECTIVES
Bytheendofthecourse,studentswillhavegained:

1. Knowledgeofawiderangeofqualitative(ethnographic)researchmethods;
2. Thecapacitytocriticallyidentifyresearchquestionsthatareofrelevancetothepeoplesandcontext
studied;
3. Theabilitytoconducttheprefieldworkpreparatoryresearchandliteraturereviewsrequiredforproject
proposals;
4. Themethodsrequiredtowritesuccessful,theorydrivenresearchproposalsandResearchEthicsBoard
(REB;InstitutionalReviewBoard)applications;
5. Theskillsrequiredtoinitiate,conduct,writeupandpresentasmallethnographicfieldworkproject,and;
6. Competenceinapplyingqualitativeresearchmethodstoadiversearrayofinterdisciplinaryandextra
institutionalsettingsandprojects

LUMShasalwayshadatraditionofprovidingitsstudentsampleopportunitytoundertakefieldwork.Butmany
studentsundertakefieldworkwithoutbeingsuitablyequippedwiththetoolstoundertakethatfieldwork.Thiscourseis
designedtofillthatgapandallowstudentstohonetheirresearchskillswithacoursethatisbothpracticaland
theoretical.

Itishoped,therefore,thatthecoursewillprovidestudentswithasoundunderstandingofhowqualitativeresearchis
undertakenintheclassicanthropologicaltraditionandhowthesemethodshavesincebeenadaptedandappliedto
situationswellbeyondtheanthropologicalfield.

Moreover,thecourseshoulddirectlyimpactthequalityofmanyseniorprojectsaswellasimprovethequalityof
researchpapersbasedonfieldworkforothercourses.

COURSEEVALUATION
ResearchDesign(tobehandedinatsession10)15%

Theresearchdesignprojectwillbepreparedbyeachgroupandshouldreflecttheworkthatwillbeundertakenforthe
finalpresentation.Itwillbebasedontheinstrumentslearntinsessions58.

Presentations30%andFieldNotes25%(tobehandedinonpresentationday)

Duringthecourseofthelecturesstudentswillbetaughthowtoundertakefieldwork.Theywillthenhavetodoapiece
ofresearchaspartoftheircoursework.Thepresentationwillincludeadescriptionofhowfieldworkwasundertaken,
issuesfacedduringfieldwork,andresults.Fieldnoteskeptduringfieldworkwillalsobemarked.Thisformsthecrucial
practicalelementofthecourse.

AssignmentonEthics10%

YouwillbeaskedtoreflectupontheethicsofresearchbyfillingoutanIRBform.Detailsofthisassignmentwillbe
giventoyouinclass.

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ClassParticipation10%

Theseminarsandlecturesareplannedasinteractivesessionsandthereforestudentfeedbackandquestionsbasedon
lecturematerialandthereadingswillaccountforclassparticipation.

Assignmentontheinterviewingprocess10%

Youwillbegivenataskrelatedtotheinterviewingprocess.Detailsofthisassignmentwillbegiventoyouinclass.

Summary

ResearchDesign(tobehandedinatsession10)15%
Presentations30%
FieldNotes25%
AssignmentonEthics10%
ClassParticipation10%
Assignmentontheinterviewingprocess10%

COURSEETHICS
Thestrengthoftheuniversitydependsonacademicandpersonalintegrity.Studentsareexpectedtoabidebytherules
ofacademicandpersonalhonesty.Seriousethicalviolationsincludecheating,plagiarism,reuseofessays,improper
useoftheinternetandelectronicservices,unauthorizedcollaboration,alterationofgradedessays,forgery,lying,
andunfaircompetition.Formoreinformationonethics,pleaserefertothestudenthandbookandtheplagiarism
documentdistributedbytheDepartmentofHumanitiesandSocialSciences.Specificinstructionsfortheessayand
theprojectswillbecirculatedpriortothesubmission.

Plagiarism&CheatingPolicy

Itrustintheintegrityofeachandeveryoneofyou,yetifImconvincedofacaseofplagiarismthematterwillbe
immediatelyreferredtotheDisciplinarycommittee.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregardinghowtocitematerialinyour
work,askmeBEFOREtheworkisdue.

Plagiarism

Whatisit?

Plagiarismisdefinedastherepresentationofanotherswords,ideasopinions,orotherproductsofworkasonesown
eitherovertlyorbyfailingtoattributethemtotheirtruesource.1Inotherwords,itisdrawinguponotherpeoples
workwithoutgivingthemcreditforit.

Plagiarismistheusewithoutcitationof:
anotherpersonswrittenwords
aparaphraseofanotherpersonswrittenwords

AvoidingPlagiarism

1
SyracuseUniversityRulesandRegulations,Section1.0
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Inordertoavoidplagiarism,makesurethatyouacknowledgethesourceofyourideas:
Youmustusequotationmarksaroundallmaterialthatyouarequotingexactly,andimmediatelyfollowitwitha
citationtothesourceinyourtext.
Youmustciteallideasandmaterialsfromotherauthors(includingwebpages)thatyouareparaphrasingor
referringtoinyouwork.

ACommonMistaketoAvoid

Sometimesstudentsputdowntheoriginaltext,butsubstitutessimilarorequivalenttermsthroughout.Youshould
insteadwritetheideascompletelyinyourownwords/format,andthencitethesourcefromwhichyouderivedthe
ideas

CitingSources

Citingsourcesinyourtextmeansprovidingthereaderwith

theauthorslastname,
theyearofpublicationofhisorherwork,
andthepagenumberfromwhichthequoteistaken(incaseofaquote)

Bibliography

YourbibliographymustfolloweithertheAPA,MLAorTheChicagoManualofStyle.Whateverstyleyouuse,makesure
youuseitcorrectlyandconsistently.Donothavemorethanonestyleinabibliography.

GRADINGGUIDELINES2
Gradingforthecoursewillberelative.

LetterGrade GradeDefinition
Excellent:Strongevidenceoforiginalthinking;goodorganization;capacitytoanalyzeandsynthesize;
A+ superior grasp of subject matter with sound critical evaluations; evidence of extensive knowledge
base.
A Excellent
A Excellent

2
TakenfromtheUniversityofToronto,FacultyofArtsandScience,GradingPolicies
http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/newstudents/transition/academic/grading
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Good: Evidence of grasp of subject matter; some evidence of critical capacity and analytic ability;
B+
reasonableunderstandingofrelevantissues;evidenceoffamiliaritywithliterature.
B Good
B Good
Adequate:Studentwhoisprofitingfromhis/heruniversityexperience;understandingofthesubject
C+
matter;abilitytodevelopsolutionstosimpleproblemsinthematerial.
C Adequate
C Adequate
Marginal: Some evidence of familiarity with subject matter and some evidence that critical and
D+
analyticskillshavebeendeveloped.
D Marginal
D Marginal
Inadequate:Littleevidenceofevensuperficialunderstandingofsubjectmatter;weaknessincritical
F
andanalyticskills;withlimitedorirrelevantuseofliterature.

COURSEOUTLINE
Session1:Introductiontothecoursegrading,expectations,topicstobecovered,etc.

NoReadings

Session2:IntroductiontoQualitativeMethods:Anthropology,EthnographyandFieldwork

1. Hammersley, M., Atkins, P. (1995) What is ethnography?: Principles in Practice (chapter 1) London:
Routledge,pp.122.
2. Denzin,N.K.,Lincoln,Y.S.(2005).Introduction:TheDisciplineandPracticeofQualitativeResearch.TheSage
HandbookofQualitativeResearch:ThirdEdition.(NormanK.Denzin,YvonnaS.Lincoln:Editors)London:Sage
Publications,pp.132.

Session3:Thedevelopmentoffieldworkinanthropology:fromarmchairtofieldresearch

1. Wax,Murray.(1972).TentingwithMalinowski,AmericanSociologicalReviewvol37,1
2. Urry, James (1972). Notes and Queries on Anthropology and the Development of Field Methods in British
Anthropology,ProceedingsoftheRoyalAnthropologicalInstituteofGreatBritainandIreland,No.1972

Session4:TheChangingNatureofFieldwork

1. AlMakhamreh, S., LewandoHundt, G. (2008). Researching at Home as an Insider/Outsider: Gender and

CultureinanEthnographicStudyofSocialWorkPracticeinanArabSociety.QualitativeSocialWork,7(1):9
23.
2. Narayan,K.(1993).HowNativeisaNativeAnthropologist?AmericanAnthropologist,N.S.,95(3):671686.
3. Chawla,D.(2006).SubjectivityandtheNativeEthnographer:ResearcherEligibilityinanEthnographicStudyof
 Lahore University of Management Sciences
Urban Indian Women in Hindu Arranged Marriages. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5 (4): 13
pages.

Session5and6:DesigningaResearchProject

1. Blaikie,N.(2000)DesigningSocialResearch,inDesigningSocialResearch,London:Polity
2. Blaikie,N.(2000).SampleResearchDesigns,inDesigningSocialResearch,London:Polity
3. Blaikie,N.(2000)ResearchQuestionsandobjectives,inDesigningSocialResearch,London:Polity
4. Hammersley, M., Atkinson, P. Research Design. Ethnography: Principles in Practice. (Chapter 2) London:
Routledge,pp.2353.
5. Creswell, J.W. (2007) Designing a Qualitative Study. Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design. (Chapter 3)
London:SagePublications,pp.3552.
6. Creswell,J.W.(2007).IntroducingandFocusingtheStudy.QualitativeInquiry&ResearchDesign.(Chapter4)
London:SagePublications,pp.101115.

Session7StartingResearchandGainingAccess

1. Pons, Valdo (1982). Launching a Neighbourhood Study in an African Town, Chapter 5 in Field Research: A
sourcebookandFieldManual,Burgess,R,(1982).AllenandUnwin.
2. Burgess,R(1987).IntheFieldChapter2StartingResearchandGainingAccess,AllenandUnwin.

Session8SamplingandSelectionStrategies

1. Blaikie,N.(2000)SourcesandSelectionofData,inDesigningSocialResearch,London:Polity
2. Burgess,R(1982).ElementsofSamplinginFieldResearch(Chapter11)inFieldResearch:ASourcebookand
FieldManual,RobertG.Burgess,AllenandUnwinandotherBurgess.
3. John J. Honigmann. Sampling in Ethnographic Fieldwork (Chapter 12) in Field Research : A Sourcebook and
FieldManual,RobertG.Burgess,AllenandUnwinandotherBurgess.

Session9and10:TheEthicsofApproach:AnthropologicalEthicsandEthnographicFieldwork

1. American Anthropological Association. (2009). Code of Ethics of the American Anthropological Association.
(Approved February 9; http://www.aaanet.org/issues/policyadvocacy/upload/AAAEthicsCode2009.pdf; 8
pages.)
2. Goodwin,D.,etal.(2003).EthicsandEthnography:AnExperientialAccount.QualitativeHealthResearch,13:
567577.
3. Gregor, T.A., Gross, D.R. (2004). Guilt by Association: The Culture of Accusation and the American
AnthropologicalAssociationsInvestigationofDarknessinElDorado.AmericanAnthropologist,106(4):687
698.
4. (SR)AmericanAnthropologicalAssociation(2007).AAACommissionontheEngagementofAnthropologywith
theUSSecurityandIntelligenceCommunities.FinalReport(Nov4):62pages.6
5. (SR)Calvey,D.(2008).TheArtandPoliticsofCovertResearch:DoingSituatedEthicsintheField.Sociology,
42(5):905918.
6. Burgess,R1987.Chapter8Ethics,AllenandUnwin.

Session11and12:ParticipantObservation

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1. Frankenberg,Ronald(1982).ParticipantObserversChapter7inFieldResearch:AsourcebookandFieldManual,
Burgess,R,1982.AllenandUnwin.
2. Gans,Herbert(1982).TheParticipantObserverasHumanBeingChapter8inFieldResearchinFieldResearch:
AsourcebookandFieldManual,Burgess,R,1982.AllenandUnwin.
3. Easterday,Lois(1982).TheMakingofAFemaleResearcherChapter9inFieldResearch:AsourcebookandField
Manual,Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
4. Burgess,R(1987).IntheFieldChapter4MethodsofFieldResearch:ParticipantObservation,AllenandUnwin.
5. Burgess,R(1987).IntheFieldChapter8RecordingandAnalysingData,AllenandUnwin.

Session13and14:Feedbackonresearchdesignassignment

Session15and16MethodsofFieldResearch:Interviews

1. Burgess, Robert (1982). The Unstructured Interview as a Conversation. Chapter 15 in Field Research: A
sourcebookandFieldManual,Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
2. Whyte,WilliamFoote,(1982).InterviewinginFieldResearch.Chapter16inFieldResearch:Asourcebookand
FieldManual,Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
3. Schensul,Stephen(1999)IndepthopenendedInterviewing,inEssentialEthnographicMethod.London:Sage
Publications

Session17and18:FocusGroupsandLifeHistoriesandPersonalDocuments.

1. Yow,Valerie(1994)VarietiesofOralHistoryProjects,inRecordingOralHistory.ChapelHill:SagePublications
2. Haeri,Shahla(2002)ExcerptsfromNoShamefortheSun.Syracuse:SyracuseUniversityPress.
3. Hollander,J.(2004)TheSocialContextsofFocusGroups,inJournalofContemporaryEthnography,vol.33.
4. Burgess,Robert(1982).PersonalDocuments,OralSourcesandLifeHistories.Chapter18inFieldResearch:A
sourcebookandFieldManual,Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
5. Samuel,Ralph.LocalHistoryandOralHistory.Chapter19inFieldResearch: AsourcebookandField Manual,
Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
6. Mandelbaum,DavidG.TheStudyofLifeHistory.Chapter20inFieldResearch:AsourcebookandFieldManual,
Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
7. Thompson, E.P. Anthropology and the Discipline of Historical Context. Chapter 21 in Field Research: A
sourcebookandFieldManual,Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
8. Burgess,Robert(1987).IntheField.Chapter9.UsingPersonalDocuments.AllenandUnwin.

Session19:NoteTaking

1. Burgess,R(1987).IntheFieldChapter8RecordingandAnalysingData,AllenandUnwin.
2. Webb,Beatrice(1982).TheArtofNoteTakingChapter26inFieldResearchinFieldResearch:Asourcebook
andFieldManual,Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
3. Malinowski, B(1982). TheDiaryofanAnthropologistChapter 27inField Research:AsourcebookandField
Manual,Burgess,R,1982,AllenandUnwin.
4. Emerson, R.M., Fretz, R.I., Shaw, L.L. (1995). Fieldnotes in Ethnographic Research. Writing Ethnographic
Fieldnotes.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,pp.116.
5. Emerson,R.M.,Fretz,R.I.,Shaw,L.L.(1995).IntheField:Participating,ObservingandJottingNotes.Writing
EthnographicFieldnotes.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,pp.1738.
6. Emerson,R.M.,Fretz,R.I.,Shaw,L.L.(1995).WritingUpFieldNotesWritingEthnographicFieldnotes.Chicago:
 Lahore University of Management Sciences
UniversityofChicagoPress,pp.3966.

Session20:IncorporatingtheEthnographicSelf:ReflexivityandAutoEthnography

1. Finlay, L. (2002). Negotiating the swamp: The opportunity and challenge of reflexivity in research practice.
QualitativeResearch,2(2):209230.
2. Hage,G.(2009).HatingIsraelintheField:Onethnographyandpoliticalemotions.AnthropologicalTheory,9:
5979.
3. Salzman,P.C.(2002).OnReflexivity.AmericanAnthropologist,104(3):805813.
4. (SR)Anderson,L.(2006).AnalyticAutoethnography.JournalofContemporaryEthnography,35(4):373395.
5. (SR)Ellingson,L.L.(1998).ThenYouKnowHowIFeel:Empathy,Identification,andReflexivityinFieldwork.
QualitativeInquiry,4(4):492514.
6. (SR) Jones, S.H. (2005). Autoethnography: Making the Personal Political. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative
Research:ThirdEdition.(NormanK.Denzin,YvonnaS.Lincoln:Editors)London:SagePublications,pp.763791.
7. (SR) Mauthner, N.S., Doucet, A. (2003). Reflexive Accounts and Accounts of Reflexivity in Qualitative Data
Analysis.Sociology,37(3):413431.

Session21and22:

Session23:FieldworkRisks:ResearchinUnstableSettings

1. Brennan, D. (2005). Methodological Challenges in Research with Trafficked Persons: Tales from the Field.
InternationalMigration,43(1/2):3554.
2. KovatsBernat, J.C. (2002). Negotiating Dangerous Fields: Pragmatic Strategies for Fieldwork Amid Violence
andTerror.AmericanAnthropologist,104(1):208222.
3. Sluka, J.A. (1995). Reflections on Managing Danger in Fieldwork: Dangerous Anthropology in Belfast.
Fieldwork Under Fire: Contemporary Studies of Violence and Survival. (Carolyn Nordstrom, Antonius C.G.M.
Robben:Editors)Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,pp.276294.
4. Anthropology Matters, Vol 11, No 2 (2009),The other side of fieldwork: experiences and challenges of
conductingresearchintheborderareaofRwanda/easternCongo,ByLarissaR.Begley(UniversityofSussex)

Session24:WritingEthnography:Genres,TextsandRepresentation

1. Emerson, R.M., Fretz, R.I., Shaw, L.L. (1995). Writing Up Fieldnotes II: Creating Scenes on a Page. Writing
EthnographicFieldnotes.(Chapter4)Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,pp.66107.
2. Emerson, R.M., Fretz, R.I., Shaw, L.L. (1995). Writing an Ethnography. (Chapter 7) Writing Ethnographic
Fieldnotes.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,pp.169210.
3. (SR) Geertz, C. (1973). Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture.
http://www.unca.edu/sociology/docs%20for%20faculty/haas_docs/SOC%20225/Thick%20Description.pdf;
accessedOct29,2009),22pages.

Session25:GuestSeminar

Sessions2628PresentationofFieldwork

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