The workshop was based around the following book:
Lyons, R. & McAllister, L. (2019). Qualitative research in communication disorders: An introduction for students and clinicians. Guildford, UK: J&R Press.
The facilitators of this workshop were editors and chapter authors of the book: Professor Lindy McAllister, Dr. Rena Lyons, Dr. Marie Atherton, Dr. Jane Bickford, Dr. Felicity Bright, Dr. Bronwyn Davidson, Dr. Abby Foster, Associate Professor Deborah Hersh, Professor Sharynne McLeod, Dr. Robyn O’Halloran, Dr. Samantha Siyambalapitiya, Dr. Sarah Verdon, and Professor Linda Worrall
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| Lindy McAllister, Rena Lyons, Sharynne McLeod at SPA2019 |
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| Chapter authors at the workshop in Brisbane |
Overview
Qualitative research is a useful paradigm for researchers who wish to explore the practice of speech pathology as well as the lived experiences of people with communication disorders, their families, and those who interact and work with them. Qualitative research can complement evidence gathered using quantitative research.
Target audience
Honours, Masters and PhD students. Early, mid and late career qualitative and quantitative researchers. Speech pathology clinicians interested in in learning more about using qualitative research approaches to explore clinical questions
Aim of the workshop
The aim of this workshop is to provide speech and language therapy students and clinicians with an overview of qualitative research, the different methodologies and methods within it, and how it can be used to answer important questions in clinical and professional practice in speech and language therapy. We also aim to demystify qualitative research and reduce confusion about terms used in discussing and writing about qualitative research methodologies and methods. We will provide an overview of qualitative research to enable participants to begin to design a qualitative study.
First, we provide a plenary overview of key qualitative methodologies. We will then facilitate small group discussions, focusing on designing a research project using one of the qualitative methodologies. We will provide an overview of key qualitative methods and then return to small group discussions to further develop the research designs and consider methods of sampling, data collection and analyses aligned with the design. The small-group discussions will be facilitated by speech pathologists who have experience of using these approaches. We aim to focus on all aspects of the research process from writing a research question, planning data collection and analysis, ensuring rigour in qualitative research, and ethical considerations. This workshop is introductory and assumes no previous knowledge of qualitative research.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Describe qualitative research and its potential use in speech pathology;
2. Outline the main methodologies and methods within the qualitative research paradigm;
3. Begin to plan and design a small-scale qualitative research project.
