Qualitative Methods for Policy
PostgraduateMAQ-SOCX80352020
Previously MAQ-SOCX831
Course information for 2020 intake View information for 2025 course intake
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- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 18 weeks
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Qualitative Methods for Policy
About this subject
On successful completion, a student will be able to:
- Understand the nature of qualitative research procedures, what makes them distinctive and how they can be used to inform policy development.
- Understand and practically apply qualitative strategies of inquiry, research methods and data analysis techniques.
- Develop a critical appreciation of the ethical dimensions of research practice.
- Obtain first-hand experience in using qualitative research techniques to examine policy issues and problems.
- Develop a critical appreciation of the politics of research utilization in different policy contexts.
- Obtain skills in critically evaluating the robustness of different forms of data.
- Be able to combine qualitative and quantitative data as sources of evidence for policy.
- "A week-by-week guide to the topics you will explore in this subject will be provided in your study materials."
This subject was previously known as SOCX831 Qualitative Methods for Policy.
Social research is critical for evidence based policy making. This unit canvasses the use of qualitative research to inform public and social policy. Students will develop skills in conducting qualitative research and how it contributes to policy processes. This includes designing and conducting qualitative research and working with existing qualitative data to develop policy. The course will be structured around four modules. The first examines qualitative research designs for policy. The second introduces students to qualitative research methods and analysis, including qualitative analysis of policy documents. The third applies this knowledge to policy processes, including finding and using existing qualitative data sets; qualitative research as consultation; and the uses and misuses of citizen perspectives in policy processes. The unit concludes by considering how qualitative and quantitative data can be combined as policy evidence. Throughout, the unit will include expert speakers from the non-profit, government and academic sectors to provide insider perspectives on the use of qualitative data for policy making and to discuss the politics of research utilization. By undertaking this course, students will develop advanced skills in undertaking qualitative research and be able to apply these skills in a range of policy settings.
- Research Design (30%)
- Policy Report (40%)
- Participation (10%)
- Research presentation (20%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
MAQ-SOCX831-Qualitative Methods (no longer available)
Additional requirements
- Other requirements -
Students who have an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion under Macquarie University's Academic Progression Policy are not permitted to enrol in OUA units offered by Macquarie University. Students with an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion who have enrolled in units through OUA will be withdrawn.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.