Unit 6: Mixed Methods Research

Overview of Mixed Research

Definition

Mixed methods research paradigm systematically combines or mixes ideas from both quantitative and qualitative research. For this reason, you may come across different terms referring to mixed research as mixed methods research, mixed method research, mixed methodology, multimethod research, methodological pluralism, and multiplism. The most widely used term is MMR. In this sense it can be stated as ‘‘a process of research when researchers integrate quantitative methods of data collection and analysis and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis to understand a research problem.

’’ MMR provides the most informative, complete, balanced, and useful research results, based on traditional quantitative and qualitative research. On the other hand, the mixed methods research paradigm offers an important approach for generating important research questions and providing warranted answers to those questions. This type of research should be used when the nexus of contingencies in a situation, in relation to one’s research question(s), suggests that MMR is likely to provide superior research findings and outcomes.

What Is the Reason for Using Mixed Methods?

Five major objectives or motivations exist for conducting MMR. The first one is ‘triangulation’, which provides validation and concurrence of results gained from various methods and designs investigating the same circumstance. ‘Complementarity’, as the second motivation, seeks for further detailing, improvement, interpretation and description of the results obtained from one method with results from the other method. The third one is ‘initiation’, which means unearthing the bias, and discrepancies that cause re-designing of the research question. ‘Development’, the fourth motivation, includes utilizing the findings from one method to deliver clues to other method. The last motivation, ‘expansion’, seeks to expand the size of research with different methods for different investigation factors.

Advantages (Strengths and Weaknesses)

Some of the advantages using the MMR are listed below:

• Researchers can use numbers to add precision to words, pictures and narrative.
• It serves the opportunity to benefit from the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research.
• A grounded theory can be created and tested by researcher by means of it.
• By conducting MMR, it is possible to answer a broader and more complete range of research questions as only a single method or approach does not limit the researcher.
• Regarding the specific strengths of mixed methods research in a two-stage sequential design, the researcher can use the Stage 1 results to improve and brief the aim and design of the Stage 2 component.
• Using the strengths of an additional method to overcome the weaknesses in another method by using both in a research study is also possible.
• Stronger evidence for a conclusion through convergence and corroboration of findings can be available through MMR. Moreover, it may bring understanding and comprehension that might be missed when only a single method is applied.
• A researcher can also use MMR to increase the generalizability of the results.
• It can be concluded that qualitative and quantitative research blended together create more entire knowledge necessary to notify theory and practice.
• The weaknesses of the MMR are as follows:
• A single researcher may have difficulty in carrying out both qualitative and quantitative research, especially if two or more approaches are expected to be done concurrently.
• The researcher has to learn about multiple methods and approaches and understand how to combine them appropriately.
• Methodological purists contend that one should always work within either a qualitative or quantitative paradigm.
• It is more expensive.
• It is more time-consuming.
• Some of the details of mixed research remain to be worked out fully by research methodologists.

Limitations

In respect of limitations, a single researcher may have some difficulties on conducting both qualitative and quantitative research when s/he intends to use two or more ways all at once. Thus, a research team may be needed to get the best results. Furthermore, learning about multiple methods and approaches and understanding how to mix them aptly should be regarded as a must. Conducting MMR can also be more expensive, time consuming and may require formulating how to mix paradigm, analyzing quantitative data or interpreting the paradoxical results by research methodologist.

Conducting MMR can be challenging when complex interventions such as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model are intended to be evaluated with it. They also argue that MMR enhances the complexity of evaluations, as they are complex to plan and conduct. Therefore, the researcher should carefully plan all aspects of the study counting the study sample, timing and planning as well as integrating the qualitative and quantitative data.

Also, contradictory findings between the quantitative and qualitative stages are produced in some mixed researches. Contradictory findings sometimes cause the researchers to collect additional data or to review the research purpose or questions.

Determining the Goal of the Mixed Methods Research

Determining the goal of the study involves making a decision about the overall, long-term aim of the investigation. Over the course of writing about a mixed research, a researcher should apparently define the goals of the study and follow multiple goals such as predicting, contributing to knowledge base, having personal, social, institutional or organizational effect, evaluating alteration, comprehending complicated situations, examining new thoughts, creating new ideas, notifying constituencies and investigating the past.

Formulating the Mixed Research Objective(s)

The research goal directs forthrightly to the research objective. In this step, the researcher should determine which of the following five major standard research objectives are pertinent for the quantitative and qualitative phases of the study: a) exploration, b) description, c) explanation, d) prediction, and/or e) influence. Both the qualitative and quantitative phases of each MMR study can be linked to one or more of these five research objectives.

The first type of research objective, exploration, comprises inductive methods to figure out an opinion, argument and the like. In this way, it brings about intuition, hypotheses, deductions or generalization. Description, the second type, means clarifying and defining the previous experiences, relations, and the nature of the incident. One should develop or broaden a theory to achieve ‘explanation’ to find out the phenomena. Another type of research, prediction, enables the researcher to predict future events by means of previous knowledge. The fifth type of objective, influence, includes ‘the manipulation of a variable or construct’ so as to achieve an outcome.

Determining the Rationale of the Study and the Rationale(s) for Mixing Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

After deciding that MMR is suitable for the study, the researchers determine their rationale for using a mixed design. For this purpose, it is suggested the researchers to answer the following questions: What do you want to achieve by mixing quantitative and qualitative approaches? How will mixing approaches help you in answering your research questions?

Recently four rationales for carrying out MMR were defined as ‘participant enrichment’, ‘instrument fidelity’, ‘treatment integrity’ and ‘significance enhancement’. ‘Participant enrichment’’ involves blending quantitative and qualitative research to better the sample using approaches that encompass recruiting participants, dealing with activities such as institutional review board interviews assuring that each participant chosen is eligible for involvement. ‘Instrument fidelity’ pertains to evaluating the convenience and/or effectuality of current instruments, generating new instruments and observing performance of human instruments. Another rationale, ‘treatment integrity’, presents evaluating the level of compliance of intervention. Finally, ‘significance enhancement’ is related enabling the density and quantity of data and enhancing interpretation and utility of findings.

Determining the Purpose of the Study and the Purpose(s) for Mixing Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

It is possible to conceptualize mixed research as incorporating quantitative and qualitative research in a simultaneous, subsequent, conversion, parallel or completely blended approach. A researcher can incorporate quantitative and qualitative methods in these ways regardless of the type of the study as primary research or a mixed synthesis of literature combining the findings from both quantitative and qualitative studies in a common scope of empirical study.

There some important circumstances. The first is that the researcher can gather both quantitative and qualitative data separately at nearly the same point in time. The next states that quantitative and qualitative data analyses do not depend upon each other during the analysis level. Further, the results obtained from each type of analysis are not unified till both sets of data are gathered and examined independently. In the end, the researcher needs to draw a meta-inference which combines the inferences extracted from separate quantitative and qualitative data and findings.

In a MMR study, the reason of using mixed approach instead of a single method design should be described in the purpose statement. When MMR is examined rationales for using the mixed method such as ‘to enhance researchers’ interpretations of results’, descriptions and appropriateness of three aspects of the model ‘participant enrichment, instrument fidelity, and significance enhancement’ are seen to have been stated clearly.

Mixed Method Research Planning Stage

Selecting the Mixed Sampling Design

Defining sampling design in a MMR clearly is significant in the writing of a mixed research report. In terms of sampling design, information comprises the type of sampling, the sample size considerations including a priori power and information abundant situations. The use of Onwuegbuzie and Collins’ model for deciding and writing about the samples for MMR is suggested. The type of generalization, statistical, analytic, or case to case transfer to be made must be defined as well. For this purpose, 24 sampling designs (simple, stratified, cluster, systematic, multistage random, maximum variation, homogeneous, critical case, theory-based, confirming/disconfirming, snowball/chain, extreme case, typical case, intensity, politically important case, random purposeful, stratified purposeful, criterion, opportunistic, mixed purposeful, convenience, quota, multistage purposeful random and multi stage purposeful sampling).

The sampling process in the MMR involves seven different steps. The researchers can follow the steps in a linear way. Firstly, the goal of the study is determined, and then this leads to objectives, purpose, research questions and design linearly. In the last step, the sampling design is selected.

Selecting the Mixed Research Design

It is possible to define the specific MMR through the ordering of the application of quantitative and qualitative methods besides determining in what point the mixing methods happen. Qualitative or quantitative data collection can be held in parallel or sequential form.

While two types of data are gathered and examined in concurrent methods design in terms of parallel form, one type of data creates a base for gathering of another type of data in sequential form. MMR is a field developing in a rapid succession. Thus, many more mixed research designs are still being created. There are several competing typologies of MMR.

MMR designs can be shaped by time orientation and paradigm emphasis. In terms of time orientation, qualitative and quantitative phases of the study occur almost at the same time or they are organized in phases over time. When it comes to research paradigm, the qualitative and quantitative parts of the study are given virtually equal emphasis or one paradigm can be stronger than the other. The researchers make two major decisions. First, they decide whether they want to operate largely within one primary paradigm or not. Second, they decide whether they want to conduct the qualitative and quantitative components concurrently or sequentially. Also, there is a multiphase combination timing in MMR designs. It occurs when the researcher conducts various stages that consist of sequential and/or concurrent timing over a program of study.

The goal of the study determines the used research design. The researchers can use the convergent design in order to make people understand the topic more completely or validate the quantitative scales. While the explanatory design is being used to explain quantitative results, the exploratory design is selected to test qualitative exploratory findings. The embedded design is preferred in experimental study for preliminary exploration or followup explanation or more complete understanding of the experimental trial. On the other hand, in case of the social injustice, the transformative mixed methods research is conducted to describe the phenomenology. Lastly, multiple phase design is implemented to develop, adapt or evaluate program, multilevel statewide studies.

Descriptions of possible variations should be regarded as well: 1) it is possible to collect qualitative data after quantitative data to define the quantitative results in parallel designs which are explanatory, 2) quantitative data collection follows qualitative data to explore a phenomenon in exploratory designs, 3) both quantitative and qualitative data can be used to see whether convergence in findings happens in sequential designs, or (4) one type of data may be dominant although the other type has a supportive role.

Research Implementation Stage

Collecting Quantitative and/or Qualitative Data

Collecting data has different procedures. Closed ended, open-ended questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations are among the basic instruments that are used in the MMR. Conducting various ways of collecting data can support each other and thus strengthens the validity and dependability of the data. Researchers primarily enhance the items of questionnaires regarding the goals and questions of the research. It is a fact that surveys are one of the primary sources of gathering data in any research; on the other hand, it should be assured by the researcher that it is ‘valid, reliable and unambiguous’.

Questionnaires can be seen in three categories. The first is the closed ended or structured ones, the second is open ended or unstructured ones, and the last is a mixture of closed ended and open-ended questionnaires. Also, questionnaires are grouped as ‘seven basic question types: quantity or information, category, list or multiple choice, scale, ranking, complex grid or table, and open-ended’.

Interviews are among the main data gathering types in mixed method design. Interviews are a popular and widely used means of collecting qualitative data. In general, it is possible to carry out interviews in two forms: person to person and group or collective ways. Both of these ways can be called goal oriented conversation.

Observation is a predetermined research instrument that is conducted on purpose to help research questions and goals. It is also claimed that observation is an intention to see the events naturally, allows the inquirer to integrate it with questionnaires and interviews for getting moderately impartial original data and is a type of data ‘triangulation’ so as to verify the findings.

Analyzing the Quantitative and/or Qualitative Data Using Quantitative and/or Qualitative Analysis Techniques

A seven-stage conception of the mixed methods data analysis process within the MMR model is presented. These stages are respectively data reduction, data display, data transformation, data correlation, data consolidation, data comparison, and data integration.

Validating/Legitimating the Mixed Research Findings

There are different ways to enable researchers to validate the data. However, for multiple validity, researchers must be careful because it requires researchers to use both quantitative and qualitative validity types for their MMR. In accordance with the used methodology and the collected data, researchers can use internal, external, construct, and statistical conclusion validity for their quantitative strand and descriptive, interpretative, and theoretical validity for their qualitative strand of the research. All in all, in MMR, establishing research validity is a circular and continuous process, in which researchers take necessary precautions by assessing the validity of the data during the study.

Interpreting the Mixed Research Findings

After the first data are collected, interpreting the MMR findings starts and continues throughout the research. In a sequential study, firstly the data are collected, secondly interpreted. Then the interpretations may be used developmentally to construct the data collection and interpretation in the second phase. On the other hand, in a concurrently designed MMR study, the qualitative and quantitative data can be interpreted separately or together, depending on the research objective and rationale. It is necessary to represent the importance of all findings in the MMR article. Regarding the significance of that, an interpretive framework which includes ten aspects of quality is drafted:

• Appropriateness of design
• Reliability of design
• Coherence inside the design
• Analytical competence
• Analytical cohesion
• Conceptual coherence
• Explicative concurrence
• Analytical uniqueness
• Combining efficiency
• Exploratory agreement

Writing the Mixed Research Report

The process of writing the MMR report has similar stages to mono method research reports. The researchers firstly give the problem, purpose, importance, and method of the study. However, when it comes to writing findings, the researchers have two choices: presenting the two sets of findings and interpretations in separate sections or by fully integrating them in the same section. Then they end up the report by adding conclusion, discussion and suggestions. In short, the whole parts of the MMR reports should be integrated. The researchers ensure that the whole sections of the report must be described sufficiently.

While writing the MMR report, the researchers can come across possible four problems. These problems can be explained as follows:

1. The researchers may not be able to balance between quantitative and qualitative paradigm;
2. The researchers may not be able to forecast the readers’ quantitative, qualitative and MMR knowledge;
3. The researchers may not be able to summarize big quantitative and qualitative data set in accordance with journal format; and
4. MMR studies may be rejected by the editors or referees, who adopt only one research paradigm.

Reviewing Your Mixed Methods Research Study

Conducting a MMR can be a complex and very extensive process especially for novice researchers. For this reason, the researchers may need to check whether their MMR steps are parallel with the MMR content, philosophy, design, sampling, etc. In order to figure out if their study fits the MMR, the researchers can follow a checklist.