The Department of Community Medicine, Jubilee Mission Medical College & Research Institute, organized a workshop on qualitative research -“QUALENS 2025” on 10th & 11th January 2025. The workshop aimed to impart comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience in qualitative research methodologies, targeting medical educators and professionals across India. A total of 71 participants from various medical colleges nationwide attended the workshop, making it a successful gathering of academic and professional minds.

The first day began with the session by Dr. Joe Thomas (Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, JMMC&RI), where he delivered an insightful session on the basics of research, setting the tone for the workshop. The formal inauguration ceremony took place, during which the organizers emphasized the importance of qualitative research in medical education and practice.

Dr. Kalaiselvan (Professor, Department of Community & Family Medicine, AIIMS, Mangalagiri) conducted detailed sessions on qualitative research methods, focusing on data collection tools and in-depth techniques. These sessions emphasized the theoretical underpinnings of qualitative studies and practical aspects such as conducting interviews and focus group discussions. Post lunch, there were demonstration of focussed group discussion moderated by Dr. Priyanka R (Professor, Department of Community Medicine, JMMC&RI), followed by In-Depth Interview- Hands on session coordinated by Dr. Maria Jose (Professor & Head, Department of Pharmacology, JMMC&RI).

The day concluded with an introductory session on qualitative data analysis (QDA), manual content analysis, and basic coding techniques.

Day 2: The second day commenced with a recap session led by the participants, allowing them to consolidate their learnings from Day 1. This was followed by an activity-based session using mock transcripts, facilitated by the JMMC team, and feedback on coding by Dr. Kalaiselvan.

Subsequent sessions, conducted by Dr. Anish TS (Additional Professor, GMC Wayanad, Nodal Officer Nipah Center, Kozhikode), focused on advanced topics such as the Quantitative interphases of qualitative research and ethical considerations in qualitative research. These sessions were well-received for their depth and relevance to contemporary medical research.The workshop concluded with a session on writing high-quality qualitative research papers, facilitated by Dr. Kalaiselvan. Participants were provided with valuable strategies for successfully publishing their research findings. The final segment included participant feedback and a tea session, marking the culmination of the two-day workshop.