Qualitative Workshops, Spring 2024

Scroll further down the page for workshop descriptions and registration links.
 
  • Intro to NVivo (for Windows and Mac): Friday, February 16, 1:00–2:00 p.m. (online); Wednesday, March 6, 2:00-3:00 p.m. (in person on campus); and Wednesday April 10, 3:30-4:30 p.m. (in person on campus)
  • Managing and Storing Qualitative Data: Friday, March 29, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. (online)
  • Developing and Delivering Interview Questions: Thursday, April 18, 3:00-4:30 p.m. (in person on campus)
  • Preparing for Qualitative Data Analysis: Monday, April 22, 10:00–11:00 a.m. (online)

Intro to NVivo for Mac and Windows

We will explore the software using a variety of primary source materials including: interviews, focus groups, images, videos, surveys, and social media platforms. NVivo provides easy ways to code, analyze and visualize qualitative data. NVivo on the Windows operating system has somewhat different functionality than the version for the Mac, and we will address some of these differences.

Please bring your laptop. The software is available for download for Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) affiliates only. Faculty, students, staff, and researchers from other Harvard schools may download a 14-day trial here.


Managing and Storing Qualitative Data

This online workshop, co-taught by Harvard librarians with the director of the Harvard University Area IRB's Human Research Protection Program and the data privacy and information security officer at Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT), will guide you in managing, storing, and in some cases, sharing qualitative research data. You will learn about research ethics pertaining to qualitative data, best practices for handling data with different security levels in the Harvard context, data de-identification, file naming conventions, backup procedures, and options for secure data storage and/or sharing. Join us for this general introduction to qualitative data management to ensure your qualitative research practices comport with ethical guidelines where your data is concerned.


Developing and Delivering Interview Questions

Attend this workshop if you're beginning to draft a qualitative research interview guide, are ready to revise your first draft, or are poised to begin interviewing your participants. Together, we will explore the role of your purpose statement, central research question, review of the relevant literature, and theory questions to the development and operationalization of your interview questions. We will examine different types of questions and the kinds of responses they tend to elicit, as well as problematic question framing. Best practices for the interview conversation will also be introduced, including recommended literature on interviewing dynamics. Finally, you will experience a micro-interview from the perspective of both an interviewer and an interviewee.


Preparing for Qualitative Data Analysis

Digging into data analysis can be intimidating. There are key decisions to make: whether or not to use data analysis software, how to navigate the myriad of methodological and theoretical approaches, etc. There are best practices to consider: how to maintain alignment or realign your process in the context of relevant literature that informs your study. If you're new to coding data, creating a codebook, querying, visualizing, and themeing your data, or simply want to compare notes with other qualitative researchers, please join us. You will discover how specific library collections, services, and tools can help guide you on your data analysis journey.