May 12-16, 2025, at Lund University in Sweden
Aim and course content
This course introduces doctoral students at various stages of their research to reflexivity in their methodological approach, encouraging more creative and innovative research processes. It is designed for students with experience in qualitative research (currently following a mainstream approach to qualitative research) who wish to critically re-evaluate their methods. This critical reevaluation takes place in a reflexive space – one that considers the many influences on the research process, including the researcher’s role. Participants will explore reflexivity as both a way to avoid common methodological pitfalls and a tool to engage more creatively with different aspects of the research process. The goal is to produce more interesting, unexpected research results by rethinking conventions and exploring alternative research questions, fieldwork practices, interpretation strategies, and writing styles.
Key Elements
• The art and technicalities of qualitative research
• Differing viewpoints: Reflexivity, pluralism, and conflict
• Combining research perspectives
• Constructing innovative research questions
• Conducting reflexive interviews
• Representation in research
• Interpretation and re-interpretation
• Theory development in empirical work: The mystery metaphor
• The research process: Alternative metaphors
• Studying narratives
Participants will critically examine key assumptions in qualitative research, enhance reflexivity in their researcher positioning, develop adaptive and innovative methodological approaches, and explore new theoretical perspectives to generate novel insights.
Course structure and learning activities
The course consists of an intensive one-week on-site program at Lund University in May 2025, including lectures, seminar discussions, and a full-day workshop focusing on student research projects.
Two weeks after the on-site session, participants will attend a follow-up online session to reflect on the course content and encourage participants to discuss new insights and challenges in the context of their current work.
Assessment
Participants are required to complete the following:
• Before the course: Submit a short (maximum 3-page) motivation for joining the course,
and any key questions they wish to explore.
• During the course: Active participation, project presentations & discussions in the fullday workshop.
• After the course: Submit a final course paper (maximum 3,000 words) by mid-August.
Teaching staff
Course leader: Monika Müller, Lund University
• Mats Alvesson, Professor, Lund University & University of Queensland
• Dan Kärreman, Professor, Copenhagen Business School & Lund University
• Christian Huber, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School
• Monika Müller, Associate Professor, Lund University
• Sanne Frandsen, Associate Professor, Lund University
• Stephan Schaefer, Associate Professor, Lund University
• Christina Lüthy, Postdoctoral Researcher, Lund University
Detailed schedule
• May 12 – Reflexivity & problematisation
May 13 – Theory development & the mystery approach
May 14 – Data analysis & counter-narratives
May 15 – Participant project presentations
May 16 – Source criticism & reflections
• Week 22 – Follow-up online session
• Week 33 – Final paper submission
Application
Apply for the course by April 18, 2025, or at your earliest convenience to safeguard admittance by sending a brief summary of your PhD project and a brief motivation letter as one PDF file to monika.muller@fek.lu.se.
The cost of each course is 5.000 SEK. VAT (25%). Payment instructions will be distributed upon acceptance. Students from NFF or SNABS member universities are exempt from the course fee.
