This is adapted from a previous blog post in order to promote my courses at the 2018 Qualitative Research Summer Intensive in Chapel Hill this summer:

These are exciting times to be a qualitative researcher. The human experience that we seek to understand is ever evolving, and we have the opportunity to examine its ebbs and flows. Perhaps the most recent shift in our social world has been the digital turn – the layers of interaction that we engage in through smart phones, social media and other technologies.

• Are you gaining insights not only from what your research participants tell you in interviews, but also what they do in their digital lives?

Exploring what it means to be human is no longer limited to in-person observations and interviews. Now, we can (and should!) also explore the online self and how the digital world impacts how people go about their daily lives.

In her QRSI 2018 course, Analyzing Online Conversations: A Research Framework, Trena Paulus will guide you through creating a design to better understand what is happening in these online spaces.

Technology, ever marching forward, has not only changed what it means to be human, but also what it means to engage in qualitative research. Being a researcher means knowing how to harness the power of mobile devices, cloud computing and social media culture in our inquiries.

• Are you harnessing productivity tools in an optimal way from start to finish in your research studies?

Tools you might already use – like Dropbox, Evernote, and Google Scholar – can make us more productive in our work. Yet it can be a challenge to learn how to make these tools work together efficiently.

In her QRSI 2018 course, Using Social Media, Software, Mobile Apps and Other Digital Tools to Support Qualitative Research, Trena Paulus will demonstrate “innovative workflows” to help you put your productivity tools to good research use – from the literature review to data collection, transcription, data analysis and writing up findings.

QRSI 2018 runs from July 23-27 and will be held in Chapel Hill, NC. Information about these courses, and others, is available at http://www.researchtalk.com/qrsi-2018/