Depending on our field of study and home department, it may be difficult to access courses, join projects, or otherwise engage in work that prepares us to do high-quality qualitative and mixed-methods research. This is true for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdocs, faculty, and others. At D-Lab, we strive to support everyone in our community in their efforts to become great researchers no matter their methodological orientation. 

For me, D-Lab was a welcoming non-judgmental space in which I could engage as a new graduate student interested in qualitative research. I came to Cal with almost no formal research experience, and was able to learn some of the basics and ask for guidance during my first years by engaging with D-Lab. Now, as a fourth-year PhD student, I continue to be supported here as I actually do my own research. Based on my first-hand experience, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of our workshops, presentations, consultations, open work spaces, and other offerings to supplement your education and actual research.D-Lab offers a variety of services to help novice and expert scholars alike. Specific to qualitative and mixed-methods research, we have numerous offerings planned from now to the end of the spring 2018 semester, including workshops to introduce qualitative data analysis (QDA) software and presentations from faculty and students on qualitative and mixed-methods research projects. 

You can sign-up for the Qualitative Methods Group to get emails specifically about qualitative and mixed-methods workshops and presentations, as well as other relevant information (e.g., workshops offered on campus, discounts on QDA software, and special events). To receive more information about all of D-Lab's offerings, including registration links to workshops as they become available, sign up for the weekly newsletter. Also, feel free to email me, the D-Lab Qualitative Research Lead, at melendez@berkeley.edu with any inquiries. 

Regardless of your field of study, research experience, or methodological orientation, know that you are welcome at D-Lab!

Author: 

Josué Meléndez Rodríguez

In his capacity as D-Lab's Qualitative Research Lead, Josué facilitates and arranges workshops, presentations, and consultations. The workshops he facilitates include Primer on Qualitative Research, Introduction to Qualitative Research Coding, and Introduction to MAXQDA, Parts 1 & 2. The consultations he provides typically focus on selection of methodology, development of coding scheme, and use of software for coding and analysis.