2026
Methods and Techniques of Qualitative Research
Name: Methods and Techniques of Qualitative Research
Code: SOC10909D
8 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/224 hours
Scientific Area:
Sociologia e Ciências Sociais
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: B-learning
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
- To develop specific skills in the application of qualitative methods and research techniques in social sciences with focus on sociology.
- To empower students of epistemological, methodological, technical and ethical devices to allow them to know and to discuss potential and limits in the use of various methods and techniques for the collection, treatment and analysis of qualitative data.
- to discuss with process experiments and empirical research designs already developed or ongoing.
- To guide the students in the choice and use of methodologies and techniques most appropriate to their research objects, supporting them in building and planning of methodological strategy to be adopted in their research projects.
- To empower students of epistemological, methodological, technical and ethical devices to allow them to know and to discuss potential and limits in the use of various methods and techniques for the collection, treatment and analysis of qualitative data.
- to discuss with process experiments and empirical research designs already developed or ongoing.
- To guide the students in the choice and use of methodologies and techniques most appropriate to their research objects, supporting them in building and planning of methodological strategy to be adopted in their research projects.
Contents
. Epistemology and methodological pluralism in Sociology: the potential of qualitative methods
2. Ethnographic approach: observation on the ground and field diaries
3. Biographical Approach: life stories, personal and collective memory
4. Uses of oral history, archives and documental sources
5. Online research methodologies
6. Uses of image and visual technologies
7. Interviews and discussion groups: diversity of procedures
8. Participatory methodologies and research-action
9. Content analysis procedures
10. Case studies
2. Ethnographic approach: observation on the ground and field diaries
3. Biographical Approach: life stories, personal and collective memory
4. Uses of oral history, archives and documental sources
5. Online research methodologies
6. Uses of image and visual technologies
7. Interviews and discussion groups: diversity of procedures
8. Participatory methodologies and research-action
9. Content analysis procedures
10. Case studies
Teaching Methods
Teaching methodology
Sessions organized to raise the awareness of students about the relevance of qualitative methodologies in the research process,stimulating them to a critical comprehension of their use and the challenges they will meet in the context of their research projts.
The sequence of sessions, planned by the UC coordinator,aims at ensuring an integral approach of the main qualitative research methods, even if transversal topics emerge as those related to ethical protocolsThe first two session, are lectured by the coord, whereas the other ones will be largely lectured by invited researchers, invited to present and debate methodological strategies applied to concrete research contexts
Evaluation:a written text by the student, where he presents, justifies and debates the methodological strategy to be followed in his own PhD thesis; or,the elaboration of an essay focusing one of the methodological strategies explored during the semester,including an accurate state of the art
Sessions organized to raise the awareness of students about the relevance of qualitative methodologies in the research process,stimulating them to a critical comprehension of their use and the challenges they will meet in the context of their research projts.
The sequence of sessions, planned by the UC coordinator,aims at ensuring an integral approach of the main qualitative research methods, even if transversal topics emerge as those related to ethical protocolsThe first two session, are lectured by the coord, whereas the other ones will be largely lectured by invited researchers, invited to present and debate methodological strategies applied to concrete research contexts
Evaluation:a written text by the student, where he presents, justifies and debates the methodological strategy to be followed in his own PhD thesis; or,the elaboration of an essay focusing one of the methodological strategies explored during the semester,including an accurate state of the art
Teaching Staff (2025/2026 )
- Rosalina Maria Pisco Costa
- [responsible]
Accreditations and Certifications
