2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

1. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Mixed-Methods Research Chapter 23

2. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. What is Mixed-Methods Research? Uses both quantitative and qualitative methods in a single study Some specify it further by insisting that the qualitative methods develop a holistic picture of the phenomenon being studied

4. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Advantages and Disadvantages of Mixed-Methods Research Advantages Helps clarify and explain relationships found to exist between variables Enables in-depth exploration of relationships between variables Can help confirm or cross-validate relationships discovered between variables Disadvantages Expensive and time-consuming Requires expertise in both quantitative and qualitative methods

5. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. A (Very) Brief History First suggested in the 1950s in the work of Campbell and Fiske Denzin (1978) and Jick (1979) used the term �triangulation� to refer to using multiple methods and/or types of data to study the same research question. Many researchers in the 1970s and 80s were �purists� who held that quantitative and qualitative paradigms could not be combined. Many now are �pragmatists� who believe that researchers should use whatever works, including mixed-methods approaches.

6. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Steps in Conducting a Mixed-Methods Study Develop a clear rationale for doing mixed-methods study Develop research question for both qualitative and quantitative methods Decide if mixed-methods study is feasible Determine the most appropriate mixed-methods design Collect and analyze data Write up results in appropriate manner

7. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Types of Mixed-Methods Design Exploratory Design Results of qualitative research used to inform second, quantitative phase Explanatory Design Quantitative research followed up by qualitative phase to flesh out quantitative findings Triangulation Design Both quantitative and qualitative methods used to investigate same phenomenon to determine if the two converge on a single understanding of the research problem in question

8. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Exploratory Mixed-Methods Designs

9. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Explanatory Mixed-Methods Designs QUAN ? qual (Data and Results) Follow-up (Data and Results)

10. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Triangulation Mixed-Methods Design QUAN + QUAL (Data and Results) (Data and Results) ? ? Interpretation Triangulation mixed methods design (also called concurrent or parallel MM designs) Simultaneously collect both QUAN and QUAL data, merge the data, and use the results to understand a research problem. Basic rationale for this design � one data-collection form supplies strengths to offset the weaknesses of the other form. E.g., QUAN scores on an instrument from many individuals offsets the weakness of getting QUAL documents from a few people. OR, QUAL, in-depth observations of a few people provides strength to QUAN data that doesn�t provide detailed info. about the context (e.g., setting) in which individuals provide info. How does it work � Researcher gathers both QUAN and QUAL data, analyzes both datasets separately, compares results from both datasets, then makes an interpretation as to whether the results support or contradict each other. 1. The MM researcher values both QUAN and QUAL data, and sees them as approx. equal sources of info. in the study, e.g., interview data are as imp. As scores gathered on an instrument 2. MM researcher also collects both QUAN and QUAL data concurrently or simultaneously during the study. E.g., QUAL data about how cancer patients are taught self-care practices at home are reviewed at the same time the researcher collects QUAN observations on patient behavior using a checklist. 3. MM researcher compares results from QUAN and QUAL analyses to determine if the teo databases yield similar or dissimilar results. E.g, QUAL themes identified during interviews are �quantified� and given a score as to their frequency. These scores are then compared w/ scores from instruments measuring variables that address the same ideas as the themes. OR, MMR may transform QUAL data into QUAN numbers (e.g., counts how many times participants talk about codes) and then compare them with QUAN results from the QUAN database. FOR example, does the emphasis on safety in schools as determined by a count of the number of times parents talk about the code � SAFETY � reinforce the parents� responses on a survey indicating the imp. of safety in schools? Triangulation mixed methods design (also called concurrent or parallel MM designs) Simultaneously collect both QUAN and QUAL data, merge the data, and use the results to understand a research problem. Basic rationale for this design � one data-collection form supplies strengths to offset the weaknesses of the other form. E.g., QUAN scores on an instrument from many individuals offsets the weakness of getting QUAL documents from a few people. OR, QUAL, in-depth observations of a few people provides strength to QUAN data that doesn�t provide detailed info. about the context (e.g., setting) in which individuals provide info. How does it work � Researcher gathers both QUAN and QUAL data, analyzes both datasets separately, compares results from both datasets, then makes an interpretation as to whether the results support or contradict each other. 1. The MM researcher values both QUAN and QUAL data, and sees them as approx. equal sources of info. in the study, e.g., interview data are as imp. As scores gathered on an instrument 2. MM researcher also collects both QUAN and QUAL data concurrently or simultaneously during the study. E.g., QUAL data about how cancer patients are taught self-care practices at home are reviewed at the same time the researcher collects QUAN observations on patient behavior using a checklist. 3. MM researcher compares results from QUAN and QUAL analyses to determine if the teo databases yield similar or dissimilar results. E.g, QUAL themes identified during interviews are �quantified� and given a score as to their frequency. These scores are then compared w/ scores from instruments measuring variables that address the same ideas as the themes. OR, MMR may transform QUAL data into QUAN numbers (e.g., counts how many times participants talk about codes) and then compare them with QUAN results from the QUAN database. FOR example, does the emphasis on safety in schools as determined by a count of the number of times parents talk about the code � SAFETY � reinforce the parents� responses on a survey indicating the imp. of safety in schools?

11. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Other Mixed-Methods Design Issues Advocacy Lenses Researcher�s worldview implies that the purpose of research is to advocate for improved treatment of research participants in world outside research Sampling Qualitative researchers typically use purposive sampling Quantitative researchers typically prefer random sampling Mixed-Model Studies Combine qualitative and quantitative approaches within several different phases of the research process

12. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Evaluating a Mixed-Methods Study Ask if both quantitative and qualitative methods played a role in conclusions reached Ask if study contains threats to internal validity Ask about generalizability or transferability

13. � 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Mixed-Methods Research Chapter 23