Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods in Disasters

Description of this course

About the course 

The course provides you with an introduction to qualitative research and how it can be used in evaluations of health care interventions in disasters.

You will learn how to use qualitative research and how to formulate research questions. You will also learn various methods of data collection, as well as how to plan evaluations of health care interventions in disasters using qualitative data, and how to report and communicate your findings. In addition, the course gives you an introduction to qualitative data analysis software and the practical application of coding, analysing, and interpreting qualitative data.

This is a free-standing course that is taught in conjunction with the Erasmus Mundus Master's programme Public Health in Disasters. That Master's programme has a global intake of students, which means that when you study this free-standing course, you also get the joy and benefit of learning with, and getting to know, fellow students from all over the world.

Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods in Disasters

Kvalitativ forskning och utvärderingsmetoder i katastrofer

Essential data

Course code: 2QA357
Course name: Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods in Disasters
Credits: 7.5
Form of Education: Higher education, study regulation of 2007
Main field of study: Public Health in Disasters
Level: Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Grading scale: Fail (F), fail (Fx), sufficient (E), satisfactory (D), good (C), very good (B) or excellent (A)
Department: Department of Global Public Health
Decided by: Finalized by: 2025-10-13, Utbildningsnämnden GPH
Decision date: 2025-10-13
Course syllabus valid from: Spring semester 2026

Specific entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree or a professional degree of at least 180 credits in Health, Management and Administration, Social or Technical sciences. In addition, proficiency in English equivalent to English B/English 6.

Outcomes

The aim of this course is to give the student tools for qualitative research that also enables planning and implementation of evaluations of health response in disasters and health crises.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

  • Describe the types of questions that qualitative research addresses.
  • Describe how to sample participants and collect qualitative data.
  • Describe central steps in an evaluation of health response in disasters.

Competence and skills

  • Plan an evaluation of a health response in disasters with a focus on qualitative method and link planned data collection methods to evaluation criteria.
  • Formulate a research question and interview guide for a qualitative study on health in disasters.
  • Apply interview techniques and qualitative data analysis methods.

Judgement and approach

  • Reflect on ethical considerations related to qualitative research and evaluations in connection to or after disasters.
  • Discuss and reflect on advantages, challenges and quality assurance trelated to qualitative data collection methods, with a specific focus on disasters.

Content

  • Introduction to qualitative research and its place in health efforts in disasters
  • Overview of important principles and approaches in qualitative research
  • Research design and ethics in qualitative research
  • Research questions and hypotheses for evaluation of disaster response
  • Ethical considerations and practice in the implementation of qualitative research in sensitive contexts
  • Inter-cultural skills
    *Disease perception and experiences; Participant stories about their everyday life
  • Practical considerations and challenges at data collection
  • Methods for data collection
    *Interviews,
    *Target groups
    *Participant observations
  • Theoretical frames for the analysis of qualitative data
  • Introduction to qualitative data analysis software
  • Practical exercises in encoding, thematic analysis and interpretation of qualitative data
  • Analysis of case studies in qualitative evaluation of health efforts in disasters
  • Criticism and discussion of methods that are used in published evaluations
  • Planning of evaluations of health response projects in disasters with a focus on qualitative methods
    *The most common steps in an evaluation process
    *Evaluation criteria
    *Data collection, analysis and interpretation, based on evaluation criteria 
  • Reporting and communication of results
  • Development of reports and recommendations for stakeholders in disaster response
  • Triangulating different data sources

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures, group assignments, practical exercises and compulsory discussion seminars.

Examination

The course is examined through a written assignment and an individual written examination.

The course also has compulsory components, where attendance and active participation are required. To pass the course, the student must have fulfilled established criteria for the different compulsory components.

The student receives a final grade for the whole course: A-F. The final grade is an assessment of the results of the individual assignment and the examination

To pass the course, it is required that the student receives the grade E on the written assignment and the written examination and have fulfilled established criteria for the compulsory components.

Compulsory participation
The examiner assesses if, and in that case how, absence can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence in accordance with the examiner's instructions, the student's results for respective part will not be registered. Absence from a compulsory activity may result in that the student cannot compensate the absence until the next time the course is given.

Limitation of number of occasions to write the exam
If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination is given. The student has the right to write the exam six times. If the student has not passed the exam after four participations he/she is encouraged to visit the study advisor. Each occasion the student participates in the same test counts as an examination. Submission of a blank exam paper is regarded as an examination. In case a student is registered for an examination but does not attend, this is not regarded as an examination.

If there are special grounds, or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the syllabus's regulations on the examination form, the number of examination opportunities, the possibility of supplementation or exemptions from the compulsory section/s of the course etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities may not be changed, removed or reduced.

Transitional provisions

Examination will be provided during a time of two years after a possible cancellation of the course. Examination can take place according to an earlier literature list during a time of one year after the date when a major renewal of the literature list has been made.

Other directives

The course is offered in English.

Course evaluation will be carried out according to the guidelines that are established by the Committee for education of basic and second cycle.

Literature and other teaching aids

Mandatory literatur