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Table 1 – “Carrying out qualitative research: an opportunity for health professionals” syllabus (excerpt)

From: Health professionals learning qualitative research in their workplace: a focused ethnography

#Phase and month

Content

Activity

Didactic method

Expected output

#1month 1

Introduction to qualitative research and GT, along with the value of the research question

Teachers explain how to define a GT research question and trainees write a possible one

Lecture

Drafting a research question

#2month 1

Is my research question new?

Every trainee performs a literature search

Individual work

Redefinition of the research question

#2month 1

The research question in GT

Teachers discuss each research question, and choose the three that are correct and most feasible

Class discussion, guided by teachers

Formation of three research groups and definition of the PI

#2month 2

The groups’ research questions

Each group, guided by PI, re-defines the research question

Group discussion without teachers

Reaching an agreement

#2month 2

The groups’ research questions

Each group PI explains and discusses the final version of the research question

Class discussion, guided by teachers

Redefinition of the research question

#2month 2

Writing a GT research protocol for the EC

Teachers explain how to write a GT research protocol and the local EC requests

Lecture

Definition of the protocol contents

#2month 2

The qualitative interview

Every trainee studies material about qualitative interviewing and keeps writing the research protocol

Individual work

Drafting possible themes for the interview

#2month 3

The qualitative interview guide

Teachers counsel each group regarding the proposed interviews

Group discussion with teachers

Shared definition of the interview guide

#2month 3

Open coding

Teachers explain what GT coding is and invite each group to open code an interview sample

Class work, tutored by teachers

Completion of the interview open coding

#2month 3

Focused coding and the inter-coders’ agreement

Teachers invite each group to reach an agreement on the focused coding of the interview sample

Group work, tutored by teachers

Reaching an understanding of focused coding

#2month 3

Ethical aspect of qualitative research

Teachers explain how to accomplish research ethics and provide information about the documentation to be presented to the EC

Lecture

Writing informed consent and collecting the documentation requested by the EC

#2month 4

Writing the research protocol

Each group finalizes the writing of the protocol

Individual and group work

Submission of the research protocols to the EC

#3month 7

The initial sampling

Each group gets access to the field and collects the first interviews

Individual and group work

Having at least 7 interviews conducted and transcribed

#4month 8

Open coding

Each group codes the first interviews

Individual and group work, tutored by teachers

Open codes

#4month 9

Focused coding

Each group discusses the provisional focused coding with teachers

Group work, tutored by teachers

Definition of focused categories. Each group keeps interviewing and coding

# 5month 9

Theoretical sampling and saturation

Teachers define the method for following the theoretical sampling with trainees and explain saturation

Lecture and group work, tutored by teachers

Definition of the final sample characteristics

# 5month 10

Final data collection and analysis

Each group performs focused coding on the data collected

Individual and group work, tutored by teachers

Reaching saturation

#5month 11

Theoretical coding

Teachers explain theoretical coding and the procedure for working theoretically with the data

Lecture and group work, tutored by teachers

Drafting the theoretical model

#6month 11

Findings

Each PI reports the findings

Class discussion, guided by teachers

Having the findings validated by colleagues

#6month 12

Writing the report

Each group writes the final research report and documents the steps of the research process for the EC

Individual and group work, tutored by teachers

Having 3 reports written