Research and Qualitative Inquiry in Geography

Catalog description

This course examines the theory and practice of research in geography, with particular emphasis on qualitative inquiry commonly used by human as well as environment-society geographers. Students will explore fundamental debates regarding methods and knowledge claims that underlie the research process. Students will also gain hands-on experience developing research questions and using secondary scholarly literature and primary data to explore their question(s) in written and oral formats. Particular emphasis will be paid to the ethics and practices associated with qualitative methods, including the approaches taken by geographers in the collection and analysis of interview, observational, and textual data. Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes By the end of this course students will be able to: - Explain and compare models of knowledge underlying distinct methodological approaches in Geography - Describe research design principles commonly used in qualitative research - Evaluate the appropriate use of interview, observational and textual sources of primary data - Employ qualitative data collection methods to collect interview, observational and textual data. - Explain the ethical dimensions of qualitative research and assess strategies to navigate these constraints both practically and ethically - Find and appraise scholarly, peer-reviewed literature in relation to the student's research topic - Develop a research question, justify it in relation to scholarly literature, and mobilize primary data to provide evidence for your analysis of the question. - Communicate research and analysis in written and oral formats.