Advanced Methodology and Statistics Seminars (AMASS)

Thursday, November 17 | 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Presented by:
Anna C. Revette, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Survey and Qualitative Methods Core, Division of Population Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Instructor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Participants earn 4 continuing education credits

Anna Revette is a sociologist with extensive experience in developing, conducting, and analyzing qualitative and mixed methods research. She is highly experienced in traditional and novel approaches to qualitative data collection and analysis, incorporating the critical voices of patients and caregivers into our understanding of health and medicine. She earned her MA and PhD in Sociology from Northeastern University and currently works as a Qualitative Research Scientist for the Survey and Qualitative Methods Core at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is an Instructor at the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health

Long-term Goal: This training session will enable participants to understand and appreciated the need for qualitative inquiry and the unique ways it can further our understanding of the lived experience of health and medicine.

Abstract: This session introduces participants to qualitative research and helps them understand the underlying assumptions of a qualitative approach while also providing practical considerations for conducting qualitative research. Participants will learn about the qualitative research process and the main methodological approaches of qualitative research. Participants will be introduced to iterative and reflexive nature of qualitative research and emphasis will be placed on the production of quality and trustworthy research through a systematic approach to qualitative data collection and analysis. We will examine meaningful ways to present and disseminate qualitative findings and how to describe the analysis process to various audiences, including funding sources. This session will have a primary focus on interviews as a data collection method and introduce participants to thematic analysis supported by  qualitative software program. Examples related to mental health/psychology will be incorporated into the training, and participants will be encouraged to bring questions and examples from their own research into the discussions.

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

1) Discuss theoretical underpinnings, principles, and procedures of qualitative research.
2) Define the association between their research questions and the appropriate qualitative approach and data collection method.
3) List qualitative software programs and their application in coding and analysis of qualitative data.
4) Critically appraise qualitative research.
5) Recite diverse strategies for sharing qualitative research results with a range of audiences.

Session Outline

• Introduce participants to qualitative research and help them understand the underlying assumptions of a qualitative approach while also providing practical considerations for conducting qualitative research
• Explore the qualitative research process and the main methodological approaches of qualitative research, including the iterative and reflexive nature of qualitative research and the production of quality and trustworthy research through a systematic approach to qualitative data collection and analysis
• Examine meaningful ways to present and disseminate qualitative findings and how to describe the analysis process to various audiences
• Examples related to mental health/psychology will be incorporated into the training, and participants will be encouraged to bring questions and examples from their own research into the discussions.

Recommended Readings:

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners. sage.

Ramanadhan, S., Revette, A. C., Lee, R. M., & Aveling, E. L. (2021). Pragmatic approaches to analyzing qualitative data for implementation science: an introduction. Implementation Science Communications, 2(1), 1-10.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications

Spates, K., Evans, N. T. M., Watts, B. C., Abubakar, N., & James, T. (2020). Keeping ourselves sane: A qualitative exploration of Black women’s coping strategies for gendered racism. Sex Roles, 82(9), 513-524.