Qualitative research is essential for understanding how people interact with information technologies and for generating insights that inform the design of information systems and services. This course introduces students to qualitative methods as rigorous and viable approaches for conducting user research in information studies. Students will learn a range of qualitative approaches, including ethnography, grounded theory, case studies, evaluation research, and action research. Emphasizing hands-on learning, the course provides opportunities for students to conduct their own qualitative user research project. Through this process, students will learn to define research problems, design qualitative user research studies, identify key informants, conduct observations in naturalistic settings, take field notes, carry out ethnographic interviews, analyze qualitative data, interpret results, develop theoretical insights, and communicate their research findings.