For teachers and supervisors

Many of our free online resources are used by people teaching qualitative (and mixed) methods courses in universities and colleges, as well as by people supervising PhD students.

This page is a selection of our resources which have proved particularly popular as teaching resources.

Using method "X"

For a "real life" introduction to the practical side of using particular qualitative research methods, see our toolkits:

• Toolkit 18: Using diaries in research with people with dementia 

• Toolkit 17: using participatory visual methods
• Toolkit 16: Using self interviews
• Toolkit 14: Using phone interviews
• Toolkit 13: Using walking interviews
• Toolkit 10: Using blog analysis
• Toolkit 09: Using email interviews
• Toolkit 07: Using music elicitation to research people’s relationship with music
• Toolkit 04: Participant produced video
• Toolkit 03: Participatory mapping: An innovative sociological method 

Facet methodology and mixed methods

Facet methodology is a new model for mixed method research, developed at the Morgan Centre, which combines different methodological/substantive 'facets' to cast light on a topic or question.

• More information and key resources on facet methodology

Older, but still popular, resources on mixed methods include:

• Working paper 4: Six strategies for mixing methods and linking data
• Working paper 2: Combining data, enhancing explanation
• Toolkit 12: What to do with contradictory data? 

Writing with your data

A particularly tricky part of any project. These resources might be useful:

• Working paper 13: Disciplined writing: On the problem of writing sociologically 
  
• The Emotional Challenges of Writing - video clip discussing why academic writing is so hard!

The 'coal face' of qualitative research

Some resources on the practical aspects of social research often missing from more formal literature!

• Toolkit 08: Transcribing your own qualitative data - tips on planning your transcribing, and how to do your transcription in the most efficient way. Includes a spreadsheet to calculate for working how long it will take.
• Working paper 5: Anonymising data working paper 
• Toolkit 05: Door knocking as a method of recruiting a sample
• Toolkit 01: Informed consent in visual research - deals with negotiating consent to use visual data (in this case, family photographs

Other publications and resources

Some key methodological publications which aren't available for free from this website, but might be accessible through your institution's library 

• Mason, J and Dale, A (2011) Understanding Social Research: Thinking Creatively About Method (Sage: London) - You can preview most of the introductory chapter via the link above.
• Mason, J and Davies, K (2009) 'Coming to our senses?: A critical approach to sensory methodology. Qualitative Research, 9 (5). pp. 587-603.
• Smart, C (2009) 'Shifting Horizons: Reflections on qualitative methods. Feminist Theory, 10 (3). pp. 295-308.
• Mason, J, (2008) 'Tangible Affinities and the Real Life Fascination of Kinship' Sociology, 42 (29) pp 29-45.