Qualitative Research Practice in Health PG (9583.4)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Qualitative Research Practice in Health PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Intensive
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Health
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Faculty Of Health Post Graduate Level Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This unit introduces the students to all stages of qualitative research practice that focus on the following aspects:
The theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research;
Research design; Data collection, analysis, and presentation;
Validity and trustworthiness;
Reflexive thinking; and
Ethical and safety considerations in qualitative research practice.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Critically analyse the ontological and epistemological theories underpinning qualitative research;
2. Critically evaluate relevant common qualitative methodologies and their application;
3. Reflect on ways to evaluate and assure validity and trustworthiness of qualitative research;
4. Engage in critical reflection and evaluation of ethical issues in qualitative research; and
5. Apply specific theories in practical application of qualitative data analysis, using a range of tools or software and reflect on strengths and weaknesses of those tools.



Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

Being a postgraduate level course, it is expected that students who enrol for this course would have critical reasoning and writing abilities expected at this level. No other prior knowledge is expected of a student enrolling for this course.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 Intensive Dr Petra Buergelt
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 Intensive Dr Petra Buergelt
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Required textbook

Flick, U. (2023). Introduction to qualitative research (7th ed.). New York: Sage.

This best selling book is the definitive guide to the full qualitative research process, from design to dissemination, this is everything you need to understand how good quality research is produced, and how to use and enrich your own work with it.

There is a free online version available at the library web page, https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781529785524, find University of Canberra, and set up an account. A link to this copy will be provided on the CANVAS site.

If you pruchase this textbook, it comes with a lot of resources. For details see: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/an-introduction-to-qualitative-research/book261109 

This book is available has hard cover (~ $ 70) and ebook (~ $ 50).

UC library also holds copies of the the 6th (2018) & 5th edition (2014). 

Additional readings

Readings to further expand and deepen your knowledges will be provided on the CANVAS site.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Artificial intelligence

Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit.

GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:

  1. the Unit Convener has authorised GenAI use for that assessment
  2. the student uses GenAI in the way that the assessment instructions allow
  3. the student fully acknowledges their use of GenAI, with proper citations, references and a GenAI Acknowledgement Statement in line with the assessment instructions.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not permitted for that assessment. Students must still provide the required GenAI Acknowledgement Statement to indicate whether GenAI has or has not been used in the preparation of the assessment. If unsure, students should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

The GenAI for Students Links to an external site. Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.

 

Moderation

Moderation is undertaken in line with the Faculty of Health Moderation Guidelines.

Moderation of assessment items:

All assessment items, including exams, are internally reviewed and moderated before they are published in unit outlines, listed on canvas, or printed out for the final exam period. This review of assessment items is performed by another academic within the same field who has a good understanding of the subject matter and is be done as part of the unit curriculum review.  

Moderation of marking: 

A random selection of assessment items will be cross-marked, including all failed assignments. The moderation of passing assessment items is based on a sample chosen randomly, on a percentage basis at different grade levels or the full range of submitted assignments to develop a common view about performance.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

As this a post-graduate unit, I listen you big and accordingly expect that you are indepently organising your learning to in order to get the most learning out of this unit to further enhance the quality of your honours, MA or PhD research project. At the same time, I designed the unit in a way that requires you to stay engage each week in terms of workshops and assessment items to assist you to stay on top of your independent studies. 

High qualitative reserach is inherently participatory, emancipatory, transformative and empowering for both researchers and participants as they together share two-way to learn from each other and co-construct knowledges that empowers both for the mutual benefit of both and their respective communities. Conscequently, I strongly encourage you to travel through the journey of exploring and discovering qualitative research together as a team. I will create a safe space for this team work, but it is up to you whether you use this opporunity to co-create knowledges with and learn from the deep wisdom each student brings to this unit.

As always: what you put in you get out... 

Participation requirements

You get the most learning out of this unit if you actively participate in the:

  • weekly online workshops, CANVAS modules and critical reflections tasks, questions and riddles and 
  • assessment tasks

I trust that the research projects you choose to persue and the difference you want to make with them in the world  will guide you to commit to actively participating.

Required IT skills

This unit involves using Canvas as an online learning platform and the intuitive qualitative software analysis package ATLAS.ti.

Work placement, internships or practicums

N/A

Next step

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