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The Israeli Center for Qualitative Research of People and Societies (ICQM) was founded in 2000 through the initiative of Professor Lea Kacen. Dr. Michal Krumer-Nevo, who served as the Center’s Academic Coordinator since its establishment, has functioned as the Director of the Center since 2008. The Center is the only one of its kind in Israel, and one of eight similar research centers in the world: in Canada, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, Holland, and South Africa. The Center maintains connections with all the universities and most colleges and research institutes in Israel, and with qualitative research centers around the globe. The Center also holds a close partnership with the Association for Research of the Multi-Dimensional Person, headed by Professor Amia Lieblich, as well as with the International Center for Qualitative Research, headed by Professor Norman Denzin. The ICQM maintains strong ties with a number of centers, among them:
The International Institute of Qualitative Inquiry (University of Illinois); Institute for Participatory Action Research and Design (CUNY); R.A.W. The Network for Reflexive Academic Writing Methodologies (Mid Sweden University); International Institute for Qualitative Methodology (University of Alberta); Humanizing Care Contexts (HCC); Global Institute for Research in Humanizing Care Contexts; Center of Methods in Social Sciences.
The initial goal of the Center was to create and provide a basis for an interdisciplinary community of qualitative researchers in Israel. By means of a dynamic e-mail list and of biannual qualitative conferences that bring together hundreds of researchers, the Center has succeeded in becoming a hub for the development of strong connections among researchers from various institutions in Israel and for many cooperative research projects. In addition, the Center promotes the teaching of qualitative research methods and the training of young researchers in institutions of higher education across Israel. Today the Center constitutes a focal point for learning, teaching, training, and study for researchers from a broad range of disciplines—among which are those with a long-standing and well-established connection to qualitative research (such as sociology, education, social work, communication, cultural studies, and psychology), as well as those within which qualitative research is taking its first steps (such as geography, the health professions, medicine, and city planning). The uniqueness of the Center lies in its ability to integrate activity aimed at anchoring and strengthening the more accepted qualitative research methods, such as narrative, life stories, and discourse analysis, with activity aimed at the advancement and development of innovative and critical research approaches, such as emancipatory research methods, participatory action research, art-based research, visual research, and autoethnography.
Facilities
The Center’s facilities include a video lab with stationary cameras connected to a control panel in the adjacent observation room, a computerized film editing room, and work stations for researchers. This infrastructure enables us to conduct visual research which utilizes audio-visual qualitative material, to create professional video records of focus groups, to edit films, to record interviews with a high level of accuracy, and also to provide services to students and researchers outside the Center.
Services to Researchers
The Center holds forums and advanced study seminars for researchers and students engaging in qualitative research. It is possible to make appointments for private and group consultations on qualitative methodologies or the use of qualitative data analysis programs, as well as to coordinate advanced study seminars, workshops, and lectures on topics related to qualitative research. The Center also offers the services of the video lab to record focus groups, personal interviews, courses or lectures, etc., including the videographer’s services. In addition, one can rent, on a limited basis, copies of the data analysis programs Winmax, Atlas.ti, and Decision, as well as audio and video recording equipment.
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