What is qualitative research and when is it the right approach? · Philosophical foundations: ontology, epistemology, and paradigms (positivism, interpretivism, constructivism) · Qualitative research designs: phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, case study, and narrative inquiry · Comparing qualitative and quantitative: when to use each and when to mix · Rigour in qualitative research: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability · Ethics in qualitative research: informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, and power dynamics · Writing a qualitative research proposal: problem statement, questions, design, and rationale

Interview types: structured, semi-structured, and unstructured interviews · Designing an interview guide: open questions, probes, and sensitive topic handling · Recruiting participants: purposive, snowball, and maximum variation sampling · Conducting in-depth interviews: building rapport, active listening, and managing silence · Focus Group Discussion (FGD) design: group composition, guide structure, and facilitation roles · FGD facilitation skills: managing dominant participants, drawing out quieter voices, and handling conflict · Recording and transcribing: audio recording, note-taking, and transcription conventions · Observation and field notes: participant observation and reflexive memo writing · Real case: FGD facilitation at IITA Cassava Survey training — 43 professionals, Benue State

Preparing data for analysis: transcription, anonymisation, and organising files · Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke 6-step framework): familiarisation, coding, theme development · Inductive vs deductive coding: bottom-up vs theory-driven approaches · Content analysis: manifest and latent content, coding frames, and frequency analysis · Discourse analysis: examining language, power, and social context · Narrative analysis: story structure, identity, and meaning-making · Framework analysis: structured approach for applied and policy research · Intercoder reliability: testing and improving consistency between coders · Writing analytical memos: documenting your interpretive thinking throughout analysis

Introduction to NVivo: interface, projects, sources, and nodes · Importing data into NVivo: transcripts, PDFs, survey responses, audio, video, and social media · Creating and organising nodes (codes): free nodes, tree nodes, and case nodes · Coding in NVivo: highlighting and coding text, audio, and video data · Node queries: exploring coding patterns, word frequency, and text search · Matrix coding queries: cross-tabulating codes with case attributes (gender, location, etc.) · Visualisations in NVivo: word clouds, tree maps, cluster analysis, and mind maps · Case classification: organising participants by demographic attributes for comparison · Exporting NVivo outputs: coding summaries, matrices, and charts to Word and Excel · Hands-on lab: code a provided interview transcript in NVivo and produce a thematic summary report

What is mixed methods research and when should you use it? · Mixed methods designs: explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, convergent parallel, and embedded · Integration strategies: connecting, merging, and embedding qualitative and quantitative data · Using qualitative findings to explain quantitative results (and vice versa) · Joint displays: matrices and figures that integrate qualitative and quantitative findings · Rigour in mixed methods: validity threats and how to address them · Writing up mixed methods research: structure, integration, and transparency · Real example: integrating FGD findings with household survey data in agricultural research

Structure of a qualitative findings chapter: themes, subthemes, and illustrative quotes · Using quotes effectively: selecting, introducing, and discussing participant voices · Reflexivity statement: acknowledging the researcher’s position and influence · Writing the qualitative methods section: design, sampling, data collection, and analysis · COREQ and SRQR checklists: ensuring complete and transparent reporting · Responding to qualitative peer review: common critiques and how to address them · Capstone project: conduct a mini qualitative analysis of a provided dataset in NVivo — produce a coded project, a thematic summary, and an 800-word findings write-up

Design and conduct qualitative research studies across multiple traditions and paradigms · Facilitate in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions to professional standards · Apply thematic, content, and framework analysis to real qualitative datasets · Use NVivo to manage, code, query, and visualise qualitative data · Write up qualitative findings to academic publication and dissertation standards · Achieve a credential aligned to APA, COREQ, SRQR, and NVivo international standards

Complete all 6 modules, pass a proctored examination (minimum 75%), submit a coded NVivo project file, and write up qualitative findings of at least 800 words from a provided dataset.

Qualitative Researcher, Research Analyst, Programme Evaluator, Social Scientist, Public Health Researcher, Policy Analyst, Academic Lecturer. Average starting salary: $45,000–$80,000 USD.