ICSSR-Sponsored Ten-Day Research Methodology Course on Conceptual Foundations of Qualitative Research in Critical Health Studies in the Digital Era: Concepts, Design, Interpretation and Academic Writing
Dates: 1-10 September 2026
Venue: Committee Room, SSS-I, JNU, New Delhi
Organized by Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Brochure | Application Form
About Research Methodology
Research methodology forms the backbone of all research, whether in the social or natural sciences. Scholars in the social sciences often encounter challenges when discussing methodology because methodological orientations are inherently complex. When conducting field research, their primary objective is to engage with individuals or groups, either directly or indirectly, which adds layers of complexity. Recognizing this, the Centre has undertaken the initiative to provide scholars with guidance and insights into these intricate epistemological frameworks, helping them navigate and apply research methodologies effectively, particularly qualitative methods.
About the Research Methodology Course
The ten-day Research Methodology Course is designed to strengthen qualitative research capacity among emerging scholars across the broader social sciences, with a thematic focus on Critical Health Studies in the Digital Era. This is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry located within the wider domain of social science research. It brings together insights from Sociology, Social and Medical Anthropology, Medical Sociology, Medical Geography, Geography of Health, Social Work, Social Medicine, Community Health, Humanities, Gender Studies, Disability Studies, and other related fields to examine access to health, illness, care, embodiment, suffering, health systems, institutions, and inequality as socially produced and historically mediated realities.
Objectives
1. To provide conceptual clarity regarding the nature, scope, and philosophical foundations of qualitative research within the broader social science discipline in the digital era.
2. To introduce Critical Health Studies as an interdisciplinary thematic field for qualitative inquiry in the social sciences.
3. To train scholars in identifying research problems, framing research questions, and selecting qualitative designs appropriate to health-related social inquiry.
4. To familiarize scholars with major qualitative approaches such as phenomenology, narrative analysis, grounded theory, ethnography, narrative inquiry, case study, and thematic analysis.
5. To build practical competence in qualitative data generation through in-depth interviews, observation, field notes, narratives, and documentary materials.
6. To develop scholars -writing, theme construction, interpretation, and qualitative argumentation.
7. To provide hands-on introductory exposure to selected qualitative data analysis tools like MAXQDA for data organization, coding, retrieval, and analysis.
8. To strengthen academic writing skills for methodology and design, analysis and interpretation, recommendations and policy suggestions for dissertation/thesis, and research articles.
9. To encourage ethically grounded, reflexive, and analytically rigorous qualitative research in social sciences on the issues of health, illness, and care; health systems, and governance.
10. To contribute to high-quality qualitative scholarship among researchers.
Other Details
This Research Methodology Course is open to all registered PhD/PDF scholars in any Social Sciences discipline at recognized Indian universities or research institutes. The course is limited to 30 participants: 10 from Delhi, 10 from Delhi NCR, and 10 from outside the Delhi NCR. Full attendance in all sessions is mandatory, and no leave will be permitted. Participants must bring their own laptops for practical training with qualitative software. Certificates will be awarded only to those who attend all sessions and actively engage throughout the course. Candidates interested in participating in the course should submit a duly completed and printed registration form by 15th July 2026 through Google Form only. The registration form is included with the brochure. The submission should include the following documents:
1. Registration Form along with a 300-word write-up outlining the area and the motivation for participating in the course.
2. Brief Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the applicant.
3. Proof of Ph.D./PDF Registration.
4. Self-attested caste/community certificate (ST/SC/OBC/Minority/Disability), if applicable.
Complete the attached Application Form and get it endorsed by the Research Supervisor and Head of Department/Chairperson. Complete all the details mentioned and submit a scanned PDF copy through the Google Form link provided.
