Qualitative Methods: Navigating the “academic theater”

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Session Title:  Qualitative Methods: Navigating the “academic theater”

Session Description:  Dr. Gery Ryan provides a brief overview of qualitative methods and reviews the challenges of describing one’s qualitative methods in a world where there are many different takes on what qualifies as “good” or “appropriate” exploratory approaches.  He also offers suggestions on how to navigate this chaotic academic space.

Speaker Bio:  Dr. Gery Ryan has mentored RCMAR CHIME Scientists since the early years of the program.  He is a professor of Health Systems Science at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine.  Previously he was at the RAND Corporation, where he was a Senior Behavioral Scientist and served as Assistant Dean of Academics at the Pardee RAND Graduate School in Policy Analysis. Trained as a medical anthropologist and methodologist, his research spans mental and physical health and includes work on HIV/AIDS, homelessness, depression, serious mental illness, childhood illnesses, obesity, social networks, human trafficking and complementary and alternative medicine. He also has spent extensive time in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East addressing health and education-related problems. As a methodologist and evaluator, he specializes in the integration of qualitative and quantitative methodologies; designing, implementing and assessing complex system interventions; and quality-improvement projects. Dr. Ryan has taught graduate courses and mentored clinical researchers in advanced ethnographic methods; run qualitative workshops sponsored by NSF, NIH, CDC and WHO; and co-authored a comprehensive textbook on text analysis.