UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

MPH5215 Qualitative research methods

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

MPH5215 Qualitative research methods is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Alfred Hospital. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2026
Semester 2
Alfred Hospital
Assessment
No exam
3 tasks

This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

Before MPH5215

Prohibitions

You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.

After MPH5215

No unit lists MPH5215 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.

Overview

This unit provides an introduction to the research designs and methods used in qualitative research and is designed to help you develop the practical skills required in the design and assessment of a qualitative research project. The unit covers the six main qualitative research designs relevant to public health and health services research, data collection methods, analysis approaches and critical appraisal of qualitative studies. Ethical considerations and mixed methods approaches are also covered.

Offerings in 2026

Teaching periodCampusMode
Second semesterAlfred HospitalFlx blk

Assessment

  • Interview or focus group guide (1,800 words)Project
    30%
  • Critical appraisal (1,800 words)Written
    30%
  • Ethics application (1,000 words) including study protocol (2,400 words)Project
    40%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Match the research question to the appropriate qualitative research design (descriptive, phenomenology, action research, case study, ethnography and grounded theory);

  2. 2

    Develop qualitative data collection processes (interview and focus group guides, participant observation sheets);

  3. 3

    Describe principles of good research and ethical issues in qualitative research including recruitment, sampling, data collection and analysis approaches;

  4. 4

    Describe the main types of data analysis approaches for qualitative research (content analysis, thematic analysis, narrative analysis, discourse analysis and grounded theory);

  5. 5

    Apply thematic analysis coding techniques to an example transcript;

  6. 6

    Critique qualitative papers published in health services and public health literature;

  7. 7

    Describe how qualitative research can be used in mixed methods research designs.

Workload and teaching

  • Workshops15 hours

3 on campus block days.
6 hours per week of self-directed study.
Total per week = 8 hours

Contacts

Unit Coordinators
Associate Professor Darshini Ayton
Chief Examiners
Associate Professor Darshini Ayton

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for MPH5215?

MPH5215 has no prerequisites.

When is MPH5215 offered?

In 2026, MPH5215 runs in Semester 2 at Alfred Hospital.

Does MPH5215 have an exam?

No. MPH5215 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational unit
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 2
Study abroad
Not available
Handbook years
202220232024202520262027