This workshop guides participants through the philosophical foundations that underpin qualitative research. By unpacking ontology (what exists), epistemology (what counts as knowledge), and methodology (how we produce knowledge), participants will see how these layers shape every stage of research design—from framing questions to interpreting findings.

Through interactive exercises, examples, and reflexive activities, participants will learn to position their own research within coherent philosophical assumptions, making their projects more rigorous and defensible.

Your dissertation needs more than a good research question — it needs a compass and a map. Theoretical and conceptual frameworks are those guiding structures. They help you anchor your research in established knowledge while making space for your original contribution. Yet, many doctoral students struggle to create frameworks that are clear, coherent, and defensible.

This series is designed to give you both the foundations and the hands-on practice to confidently build frameworks that align with your topic, methodology, and research goals.

This workshop is designed to help doctoral researchers move beyond simply collecting sources to building a coherent, critical literature review that lays a strong foundation for the dissertation. Participants will learn strategies for locating and evaluating relevant scholarship, organizing large amounts of information, and identifying gaps and patterns in the research. We will cover tools and techniques for systematic searching, annotation, and note-taking, along with approaches for managing references using platforms like Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley.

A major focus of the session will be on synthesizing the literature—developing themes, making conceptual connections, and positioning your work within broader scholarly conversations. Participants will practice turning annotated notes into structured outlines and outlines into well-argued narrative sections that highlight both the state of the field and the unique contribution of their research. Through guided activities, examples, and peer discussion, participants will leave with practical tools, a draft framework for their own literature review, and strategies to continue developing it with clarity and confidence.