This graduate program is designed to prepare students of environmental studies to develop and conduct original research. Students will learn about the basics of the theory and practice of qualitative research in the social sciences and apply this learning to produce scholarship in their field of inquiry. The class will begin with an introduction to theoretical perspectives crucial to understanding and conducting such research, including topics such as epistemology, power dynamics in cross-cultural contexts, research ethics, and rigor. Students will gain practice in qualitative content analysis, interviewing, and focus groups. Students will subsequently develop and carry out a qualitative research project of appropriate scope utilizing relevant research methods of their choice, building on a recently completed literature review. Work in this program will include preparing a research proposal with clearly articulated research question, proposed methodology, a Human Subjects Review application, data collection, transcribing, coding, writing, and oral presentations of research proposal and analysis. The process of publishing in peer-reviewed journals will also be discussed.
Online Class Format: This course is offered fully online. There will be no in-person attendance expectations and classes will be held remotely on zoom. Students can expect to engage with one another through breakout rooms, online discussion boards and other collaborative online methods.
This course will be taught entirely via Canvas and Zoom, with synchronous class sessions at the start and end, weeks 1- 3 and 8-10, with the weeks in between, 4-7, dedicated to asynchronous independent work focused on data collection, with weekly individual check-ins with faculty via Zoom during scheduled class time.
CLASS SCHEDULE: Wednesday nights, 6pm-10pm