As a researcher, academic and/or practitioner, you know that you could fill every minute of your free time with readings/learning about specific topics if you wanted to.
You also know that more often than not you are using this continued reading and fine-tuning of your manuscript to procrastinate from submitting your work and enduring the comments from the dreaded “reviewer #2”.
As vulnerable as the process of engaging others in the review of your qualitative health research can be, it’s often what moves the work forward. When you do everything solo, it’s hard to reflect on what you did in your research process (especially about what made it unique).
Without publishable, shareable results, your qualitative research isn’t going to make a difference in practice, society or culture. That impact is only possible when your qualitative work is shared with others and your writing is made a priority.
I'm Ready To Take Action!
Conducting impactful qualitative health research begins and ends with the writing component. As a qualitative researcher, you’re constructing something without a clear end in sight.
However, There Is A Blueprint You Can Follow That Will Help You Succeed As A Writer.
STEP 1
It begins with an idea that becomes a research question and the researcher’s recognition of their “why” (aka their positionality in research).
STEP 2
Next comes your methodology, your methods of data collection, and your approach to data analysis.
STEP 3
Finally, you need to address your way/voice of presenting it all to the right audience. Building out all of these components is no small feat!
Breaking It Down Into Manageable Steps, Feels Much Easier!
Do you know what helps even more? Adding opportunities for you to ask questions, present your work and reflect on possible solutions.
By doing this, you can organize your thoughts into writing and begin to understand what’s holding you back (and what needs to be put at the forefront of your research). You reinforce what you know and feel inspired to move forward with your qualitative work (aka your writing)!
“Maira’s QRB course helped me so much as I designed my own research methods in preparation for ethics approval. I feel my confidence to conduct qualitative research has grown immensely!”
~ Kasia Babyn, MSc Student, University of Alberta
Qualitative Research Blueprint
Use this blueprint as a guide to move you from a place of doubt to a position of confidence so you can design and write qualitative health research that will truly make an impact!
Join QRB Today!I’ve Been Where You Are Now…
I’ve been a qualitative researcher for more than a decade now, but the confidence I have that we can be impactful and successful as qualitative researchers didn’t develop overnight.
In all honesty, the process of publishing my 100% qualitative Masters’ research was crushing and discouraging.
I had failed to do some things that were important for my qualitative project, and as a result I encountered problems when responding to reviewer’s comments and questions.
Maybe you can relate. Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed by the thought of writing your qualitative research at all, never mind writing it well.
Obviously I Didn’t Quit And I Did End Up Publishing My Master’s Research
Not only that, I was awarded the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (a prestigious doctoral award) with a graduate project that was 100% qualitative!
And since then I’ve authored and co-authored various publications and presented my work at dozens of local, national and international conferences.
My PhD program was a completely different experience (for the better)! This is what I want you to find inside QRB.
I created Qualitative Research Blueprint (QRB) so that I could help qualitative researchers like you avoid making the mistakes I did when I conducted my Masters’ research.
Together, we’ll strive to transform your strong qualitative research into something superb and that will make a meaningful contribution to your field!
“QRB was what I had been missing in my doctoral program with the guidance and support that I needed to pursue my interests in qualitative health research. Maira is an amazing instructor! She is knowledgeable, very approachable and has the ability to make complex content feel easy to digest and doable."
~ Mari-Anna Bergeron, PhD Candidate, Smith College School for Social Work
Gain A True Understanding of Rigor & What It Takes to Excel At Qualitative Health Research In Qualitative Research Blueprint!
Qualitative Research Blueprint will be live from September 20, 2021 - October 22, 2021 for you to follow along with. Or go at your own pace and watch the recordings - you've got lifetime access!
In module 1 we'll be talking about the researcher's worldview, starting with an introduction to qualitative foundations and why these matter for rigor in qualitative research.
- Build confidence in your knowledge of qualitative foundations.
- Discuss worldviews, ways of knowing and research paradigms → Postpositivist, Constructivist, Transformative, and Pragmatic.
- Conceptualize ontology, epistomology, and axiology within different research paradigms
This module answers the questions- What is rigor? How do qualitative scholars approach rigor? What does embracing rigor mean in qualitative research? How are standards such as validity, reliability, and generalizability redefined within qualitative inquiry?
- Learn separate terms for rigor, the assumption behind them, and their definition.
- Discuss ethical validity and what you can learn from Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR).
- Embrace rigor as THE thing that makes publishable, impactful and useful qualitative research possible.
Inside Module 3 you will learn about being rigorous. We discuss verification strategies that are linked to the researchers’, participants’ and reviewers’ lens, and how they can be operationalized.
- Discuss reflexivity in writing and researcher’s responsiveness.
- Learn about participant feedback (aka member checking), prolonged engagement, and collaboration with participants as participant-focused rigor strategies.
- Learn about external audit, peer review, and rich, thick description (i.e., final written results) as reader/reviewer-focused rigor strategies.
The content in module 4 is an introduction to various but not all qualitative methodologies. I go more in-depth into the ones that are more commonly used in qualitative health research.
- Ethnography
- Mixed-methods research
- Qualitative description
- Phenomenology, Grounded Theory, and Photovoice
- Community-Based & Patient-Engaged Research
In module 5, we cover the process of conducting interviews and focus groups in qualitative research as well as the many types, kinds and approaches that exist.
- Interviewer types, interview approaches and planning
How to become a more prolific interviewer - Understand the definition of focus groups, possibilities & misconceptions, setting focus groups and capturing interaction
Sampling & recruitment (what's what?) - Ethical considerations in sampling
Module 6 of QRB is all about analyzing and writing data. We cover the purpose of qualitative data analysis; inductive, deductive and abductive approaches to data analysis; and coding, theming and interpreting.
- Key steps when planning your qualitative data analysis (no matter the approach)
- Three methods of qualitative data analysis, including content analysis, thematic analysis and constant comparison
- What "usable" qualitative health research means
- Three strategies to move forward with your qualitative writing and the “writing mindset”
“Consultation and looking up all this information would have been much more in terms of time and cost. QRB is a great investment because it provides a one-stop place to get lots of information about qualitative methods and research. Invest in yourself!”
~ Carolyn Mak
In this live, interactive class we discuss the Realize Path© and the four pillars that can support qualitative researchers in fulfilling their research and career potential.
We take some time to understand who each researcher in the group is and how they can best learn and grow as qualitative researchers!
QRB is NOT a one-size-fits-all online course. We want to understand the nuances of each researcher and qualitative research project represented inside the course. This is why we foster communication and community in our weekly meetings.
Qualitative research is highly relational, and almost always requires working with other people (and it seems quite often those people have little to no experience with qualitative research).
So, what can we do to get closer to teamwork that leads to publishable qualitative health research? Dr. Maria Mayan will be sharing with us her experience and expertise in fostering teamwork with peers and students!
A team from Edified Projects will be speaking to us about engaging and working with Indigenous communities through research and beyond.
“I have never done a live meeting as part of coursework, that made a HUGE difference. The weekly CommuniQ Chat is community building! And how incredibly rewarding these live Zooms were!”
~ Ami Stearns, Assistant Professor, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Money Back Guarantee
QRB is more than just a course, it’s an opportunity.
An opportunity to strengthen your knowledge of qualitative foundations.
An opportunity to build relationships and develop connections with other qualitative researchers.
An opportunity to ask questions and feel supported as you move through your research project.
We want you to feel comfortable saying YES to this opportunity, and that’s why we offer a money-back guarantee.
If you don’t feel totally confident and motivated by what you learn inside this course, simply reach out within the first 15 days and we will refund your full investment.
I’m interested, but I don’t have time for another course right now. Can I join later?
My funding won’t cover a course like this and I don’t feel ready to pay for it out of my own pocket.
If I don’t complete the course by the end of the final week, do I lose access to the materials?
My department provides funding for these types of courses. Will you provide the information they require in order for me to be reimbursed?
How much time should I expect to spend on course work each week during QRB?
" My only regret is that I didn't have access to taking this course sooner.”
~ Mari-Anna Bergeron, PhD Candidate, Smith College School for Social Work
