What is the Qualitative Research Initiative?
The Qualitative Research Initiative (QRI) was developed to support and advance the use of qualitative and mixed methods in social and behavioral science. The QRI is a collaborative effort between the Center for Social & Behavioral Science and passionate social and behavioral scientists on our campus who use qualitative and mixed methods.
The vision for the Qualitative Research Initiative is three-fold:
1. Create an environment for deepening the understanding of qualitative research and facilitating conversations about qualitative and mixed methods data collection and analysis;
2. Bring together and build collaborations among social and behavioral science researchers from across campus who teach, employ, and develop qualitative research and inquiry;
3. Increase the visibility and awareness of qualitative research opportunities among the social and behavioral sciences.
QRI Leadership
The QRI is led by a passionate group of faculty and research professionals who are responsive to the needs of qualitative and mixed-methods researchers at Illinois.
Catherine Corr
Assistant Professor, Special Education
Chung-Yi Chiu
Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
Melissa Goodnight
Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology
Melissa Graebner
Director, Initiative for Qualitative Research in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IQRIE), Gies College of Business
Jess Hagman
Social Sciences Research Librarian, Social Sciences, Health, & Education Library
Kaylee Lukacena
Research Development Manager, Center for Social & Behavioral Science
Rachel Magee
Assistant Professor, School of Information Sciences
Ellen Moodie
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology
Melissa Ocepek
Assistant Professor, School of Information Sciences
Andrew Orta
Professor, Department of Anthropology
Saad Shehab
Head of Assessment and Research, Siebel Center for Design (SCD)
QRI E-Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to stay connected to the University of Illinois qualitative research community and stay in the loop on learning opportunities, news, and CSBS-sponsored events.
Qualitative Collaborator Directory
The Qualitative Collaborator Directory is a research tool that allows QRI members to locate other qualitative researchers open to collaboration opportunities. The purpose of this living contact list is to provide professional networking connections that will help QRI members advance their research agendas.
Please note that the directory is secure and only accessible through the University of Illinois system sign-on portal. If you are a University of Illinois affiliated member and you wish to view the directory list, make edits to your existing contact information, or add a contact entry, you must complete the sign-on prompt using your University of Illinois email credentials.
If you do not have a University of Illinois email account and would like to add or edit your contact information, please contact Kaylee Lukacena (lukacen2@illinois.edu) for further guidance and assistance.
Resources for Graduate Students
Courses in Qualitative Methods
| Department | Course | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising | ADV 582: Qualitative Research in Advertising | Treatment of basic research concepts and procedures in the social sciences with emphasis on advertising. Prerequisite: Consent of the department. |
| Art -- Education | ARTE 593: Survey: Qualitative Methodologies | An asynchronous online graduate level course dedicated to providing an overview and foundation [survey course] for informed understanding of the research process, including: definitions and examples of research; common issues such as the IRB, copyright and plagiarism; formulating a personal research guide book; and exploring various qualitative methodologies such as Case Study; Content Analysis; Historical Study; [Participatory] Action Research; Arts-based; A/r/t/ography; [Auto] Ethnography; Queer; Feminism; and Psychoanalysis. Substantive reading and writing is required. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: For graduate students only. |
| Educational Psychology | EPSY 575: Mixed Method Inquiry | This advanced course addresses the theory and practice of mixing inquiry methodologies in program evaluation and applied research. Topics include selected roots of mixed inquiry, various stances on mixing philosophical traditions while mixing methods, conceptualizations of mixed method design and analysis, and challenges of mixed method practice. Students should have basic familiarity with experimental or survey (quantitative) with and constructivist or interpretivist (qualitative) social science. Familiarity with other social science frameworks (e.g., critical theory, feminism, action science) is also highly desirable. Same as SPED 575. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Approved for Letter and S/U grading. Prerequisite: EPSY 574 or EPSY 580; EPSY 577 or EPSY 578; or equivalents; or consent of instructor. |
| Human Development and Family Studies | HDFS 591: Qualitative Methods | Qualitative methods in the social sciences: epistemological context; data collection and relationships with participants; data management, analysis and evaluation; writing strategies. Specific content emphasis alternates annually between field research and grounded theory. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours. |
| Kinesiology and Community Health | KIN 564: Qualitative Research Methods | Introduces students to qualitative methodology in the educational and health-related professions settings. Students will learn to interpret qualitative research, understand its theoretical underpinnings, acquire interviewing and observation skills, design and evaluate a community-based group research project, learn to collaborate with others, and critically assess the contributions to the project of self and peers. |