Monique Hennink Wins Excellence in Research Award

Monique Hennink, PhD, associate professor of global health, was awarded the 2019 Excellence in Research Award by the Hubert Department of Global Health. She is the first recipient of this new award which recognizes a single outstanding research publication of importance to the field.

Hennink is a globally recognized expert in qualitative research and her winning article is the second in a series that examines sample sizes for qualitative research. “There is a growing concern about researchers not adequately justifying sample sizes used for qualitative research,” says Hennink. “This is both an ethical issue and questions the validity of study findings. This is particularly important when these public health findings are used to develop interventions.”

Her first article in the series focuses on estimating sample sizes for in-depth interview studies, and remains one of the most cited articles in the journal Qualitative Health Research in the last three years. Her second article builds upon the first and applies the authors’ novel approach for estimating sample sizes to studies using focus group discussions. Hennink is currently working on her third article in the series.

Hennink has over 25 years of experience in qualitative health research. She has authored five textbooks on qualitative research and teaches qualitative research methods in the Rollins School of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Columbia University, and the University of Michigan. Hennink developed the QUALWORKS program of training workshops in qualitative research for public health professionals. Her courses, workshops, and books reflect the application of qualitative methods in globally diverse settings.