This course explores what is qualitative research, when qualitative research is a good fit and how to conduct ethical and culturally responsive qualitative research. This includes how to develop a research question, choose appropriate methods and analyze data and write up one’s findings. An emphasis will be placed on creating equitable partnerships that encourage participatory processes that reflect a commitment to relational integrity, cultural humility, accountability, and trustworthiness. We will also speak to the importance of translating findings into meaningful action.
By the end of this course, scholar-practitioners will be able to:
Discussion Boards (Weekly)
Each week includes targeted discussion board activities designed to:
Build research questions (Weeks 1, 4, 5)
Explore methods and sampling (Weeks 4–5)
Reflect on interview experiences (Week 6)
Analyze qualitative data (Weeks 7–9)
Evaluate dissemination strategies (Week 10)
CITI Training Certificate (Week 2)
Students must complete the Social & Behavioral Research Investigators Course and submit a completion certificate to meet ethical research standards.
Reflective Journal Entries (Weeks 3 & 10)
Week 3: Reflect on the alignment between the CITI training, NASW Code of Ethics, and culturally responsive practices.
Week 10: Outline a dissemination plan for their own research project, including audiences, goals, strategies, and ethical considerations.
Partner & Group Work (Weeks 3, 6, 8)
Week 3: Paired discussion on culturally responsive research and ethical considerations.
Week 6: Conduct and transcribe peer interviews using a collaboratively developed guide.
Week 8: Reconcile group coding differences and identify provisional themes in a group data analysis project.
Collaborative Interview Guide (Week 5)
Class co-constructs an interview guide on interprofessional leadership; students develop and vote on questions to be used in Week 6 interviews.
Thematic Analysis Project Using Dedoose (Weeks 7–8)
Students individually code transcripts using Dedoose in Week 7, then meet in small groups to compare and synthesize findings in Week 8.
AI & Qualitative Research Exploration (Week 9)
Students replicate AI-assisted coding using ChatGPT, compare the results with those from Dedoose, and discuss the ethical and methodological implications of AI in research.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
| Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement | 2 points |
| Weekly Discussions | 48 points (7 at 2 pts each, 1 at 12 pts, 1 at 15 pts, and 1 at 7 points) |
| Reflection Journals | 20 points (2 at 10 pts each) |
| Week 2: CITI Training | 15 points |
| Week 5 Assignment: Interview Guide | 5 points |
| Week 6 Assignment: Interprofessional Leadership Interview Project | 10 Points |
| Total | 100 points |
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Course weeks run from 12:00 AM ET on Monday through 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, with the exception of Week 1, which starts on Wednesday.
Week 1: Wednesday – Sunday
Week 2: Monday – Sunday
Week 3: Monday – Sunday
Week 4: Monday – Sunday
Week 5: Monday – Sunday
Week 6: Monday – Sunday
Week 7: Monday – Sunday
Week 8: Monday – Sunday
Spring Break: Monday – Sunday
Week 9: Monday – Sunday
Week 10: Monday – Sunday
The University of New England is on Spring Break this week. Enjoy your time off or use this week to catch up or work ahead.
Assignment
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Questions? Visit the Student Support Social Work page
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ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
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The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Please review the essential academic and technical standards of the University of New England School Social Work (SSW): https://online.une.edu/social-work/academic-and-technical-standards-une-online-ssw/
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Student and faculty participation in this course will be governed by standards in the NASW Code of Ethics relating to confidentiality in sharing information from their placement sites and practice experiences. Students should be aware that personal information they choose to share in class, class assignments or conversations with faculty does not have the status of privileged information.
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
6- to 8-week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
10+ -week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
Please contact your Enrollment and Retention Counselor if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. Tuition charges may still apply. Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.