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MP0003

Research Methods for People and Environment Studies

How can we study how people react to the outdoor environments that surround them? It may concern single persons reflecting on favourite restorative places or large groups of people completing enquiries on the qualities of urban parks, etc. This course aims at presenting various techniques and methods that are used in such studies. It attempts to go through all steps from critical compilation of relevant scientific literature, design and planning of studies, selection, evaluation and application of methods, and scientific writing of a full-scale article. It also involves ethics and philosophy of science.

The course consists of four main blocks including a number of compulsory online elements see information below from course leader.

Information from the course leader

Dates for obligatory online meetings spring 2023

23 January - 25 January

15 March - 17 March

12 April - 14 April

22 May - 24 May

Course evaluation

The course evaluation is now closed

MP0003-30013 - Course evaluation report

Once the evaluation is closed, the course coordinator and student representative have 1 month to draft their comments. The comments will be published in the evaluation report.

Additional course evaluations for MP0003

Academic year 2023/2024

Research Methods for People and Environment Studies (MP0003-30176)

2024-01-15 - 2024-06-02

Academic year 2021/2022

Research Methods for People and Environment Studies (MP0003-30238)

2022-01-17 - 2022-06-05

Academic year 2020/2021

Research Methods for People and Environment Studies (MP0003-30169)

2021-01-18 - 2021-06-06

Syllabus and other information

Litterature list

Essential literature for MP0003 ”Research Methods for People and Environment Studies”

Additional, optional literature will be introduced when needed.

General literature

Qualitative

  • Anderson, H. (2020). Nature, nationalism and neoliberalism on food packaging: The case of Sweden. Discourse, Context and Media, 34, 1-9. Available online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211695819301394
  • Bednarek, M. & Caple, H. (2014). Why do news values matter? Towards a new methodological framework for analyzing news discourse in Critical Discourse Analysis and beyond. Discourse & Society, 25(2), 135-158. Available online: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/0957926513516041
  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
  • DeWalt, K.M. & DeWalt, B.R. (2011). Participant observation a guide for fieldworkers. 2nd ed. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Available online through the SLU Library
  • Englander, M. (2012). The interview: Data collection in descriptive phenomenological human scientific research. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 43(1), 13-35. Available online: https://brill.com/view/journals/jpp/43/1/article-p13_3.xml
  • Frost, N. (2011). Qualitative research methods in psychology: combining core approaches. Open University Press. Part I: Some core approaches. Accessible as an e-book at the SLU Library.
  • Giorgi, A. (2009). The descriptive phenomenological method in psychology: a modified Husserlian approach. Duquesne. University Press. Parts of the book. Will be available as pdf.
  • Jaworski, A. (2015) Globalese: a new visual-linguistic register, Social Semiotics, 25:2, 217-235, DOI: 10.1080/10350330.2015.1010317 -Available through the library website
  • Johansson, R. (2003). Case Study Methodology. Available online: http://www.psyking.net/htmlobj-3839/case_study_methodology-_rolf_johansson_ver_2.pdf
  • Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2015). InterViews: learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. London. SAGE Publications. You need to buy or borrow this one.
  • Riessman, C. K. (2007). Narrative Analysis Narrative methods for the human sciencesLondon: Sage publication. pp. 1-7. Will be available as pdf.
  • Smith, J. A., & Osborn, M. (2007). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative psychology: a practical guide to research methods. London: SAGE Publications. pp. 53-80. Will be available as pdf.
  • von Essen, E. & Englander, M. (2013). Organic food as a healthy lifestyle: a phenomenological psychological analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Studies
    on Health and Well-Being, 8, 20559. Available online: https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v8i0.20559

Quantitative

  • Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapters 10–12. Will be available as pdf.
  • Chambliss, D. F., & Schutt, R. K. (2015). Making sense of the social world : methods of investigation. Chapter 8. Will be available as pdf.
  • McCormick, K. (Consultant), Salcedo, J., & Poh, A. (2015). SPSS statistics for dummies (3rd edition.). Available as an e-book through the SLU library.
  • SCB. (2004). Design your questions right. Available online: http://share.scb.se/ov9993/data/publikationer/statistik/_publikationer/ov9999_2004a01_ br_x97op0402.pdf

Course facts

The course is offered as an independent course: Yes The course is offered as a programme course: Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being - Master's Programme Sustainable Food Systems - Master's Programme Tuition fee: Tuition fee only for non-EU/EEA/Switzerland citizens: 27500 SEK Cycle: Master’s level (A1N)
Subject: Environmental Psychology Landscape Architecture Environmental Psychology Landscape Architecture
Course code: MP0003 Application code: SLU-30013 Location: Location independent Distance course: Yes Language: English Responsible department: Department of People and Society Pace: 50%