Methods for Conducting Qualitative Research in Diverse Settings – Part Two: Discussion and Lab (Online)

This one-day course will be offered online only. Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.

This one-day course will be offered online only. Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded. Knowing how to develop qualitative research studies to respond to complex research and community priorities is rewarding, but it can also be daunting. This short course is the 2nd part of a two-part series to provide students practical skills for conducting various types of qualitative research in U.S. and international settings. While last semester’s Part I course used a didactic approach, this Part II short course relies on a discussion- and lab-based approach. There will be four modules. In the 1st module, students will critique and discuss published studies involving different types of qualitative methods, such as interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and social media data. We will examine how these studies balanced methodological and ethical nuances in carrying out their chosen qualitative approach. In the 2nd module, students will critique and discuss various styles for presenting qualitative research, such as using illustrative quotations, visual displays, or quantified qualitative results. Students will learn about the inherent advantages and disadvantages of these styles when presenting their own qualitative findings. In the 3rd module, students will focus on developing a mock qualitative study by drafting an interview guide for a topic selected by the instructor and piloting their guide and various interviewing techniques with a class mate during the short course’s virtual lab. Students will have an opportunity to obtain focused feedback on their guide and interviewing style, in addition to experiencing a qualitative interview as a study participant. In the last module, students will read one qualitative transcript and work in small groups to develop an abbreviated codebook and assign codes to a test transcript. We will discuss techniques relating to coding and data analysis as a class. This course is designed to provide new knowledge for both introductory and intermediate students.

This course will count as 6.0 CSS short course credits.

Instructor: Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson

Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson, PhD MHS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Department of Maternal and Child Health at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is a sexual and reproductive health behavioral scientist with methodological skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, and qualitative science.

Dr. Jennings Mayo-Wilson’s research focuses on improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH), including HIV prevention, in vulnerable adolescents and young adults in the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, she is interested in: (i) design and evaluation of economic-strengthening interventions to reduce inequities in HIV/SRH, including microenterprise, cash transfers, savings, and financial incentives; (ii) analysis of economic and structural causes of disparities in HIV/SRH, and (iii) use of mobile health technologies to improve implementation and evaluation of HIV/SRH interventions. Her research also examines socio-economic influences on maternal health care-seeking and uptake of assisted reproductive technologies. As part of this work, Dr. Jennings Mayo-Wilson is a faculty fellow at the Carolina Population Center, a research fellow at the Cecil. G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the UNC School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Registration fees:

• UNC Chapel Hill Students: $0, with a $35 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)
• UNC Chapel Hill Faculty/Staff/Postdoc/Resident/Visiting Scholars: $80
• University (Non UNC Chapel Hill) Student/Employee (must have active university email): $105
• Government/Non-Profit/Corporate: $130

Additional course information:

• Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within the 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
• Zoom link will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 1 day prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.

For questions regarding this class, please contact Jill Stevens at jill_stevens@unc.edu