Mixed
Methods
Research
Professor Dr. Khalid Mahmood
University of the Punjab
Lahore – PAKISTAN
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Acknowledgement
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This presentation has been prepared with the
help of many books and presentations on the
topic.
The presenter pays his sincere gratitude to all
authors, professors and experts for their efforts
and contributions.
Particular thanks to Professor John W. Creswell
of University of Nebraska-Lincoln for his unmatched contribution on the topic.
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Agenda
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Three types of research designs
Qualitative vs. quantitative research
Pragmatism – Philosophy behind MMR
Reasons for “mixing”
How methods can be mixed
Planning mixed methods procedures
Notations to describe MM designs
6 mixed methods designs
Further readings
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Three types of research designs
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Qualitative research – exploring and
understanding the meaning individuals or
groups ascribe to a social or human problem.
Quantitative research – testing objective
theories by examining the relationship among
variables.
Mixed methods research – an approach to
inquiry that combines or associates both
qualitative and quantitative forms.
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Qualitative vs. quantitative research
Criteria
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research
Purpose
To understand & interpret
social interactions.
Group Studied
Smaller & not randomly
selected.
Study of the whole, not
variables.
Words, images, or objects.
To test hypotheses, look at
cause & effect, & make
predictions.
Larger & randomly selected.
Variables
Type of Data
Collected
Form of Data
Collected
Qualitative data such as
open-ended responses,
interviews, participant
observations, field notes, &
reflections.
Specific variables studied
Numbers and statistics.
Quantitative data based on
precise measurements using
structured & validated datacollection instruments.
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Qualitative vs. quantitative research
Criteria
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research
Type of Data
Analysis
Identify patterns, features,
themes.
Identify statistical relationships.
Objectivity and Subjectivity is expected.
Subjectivity
Objectivity is critical.
Role of
Researcher
Researcher & their biases may be
known to participants in the study,
& participant characteristics may
be known to the researcher.
Results
Particular or specialized findings
that is less generalizable.
Researcher & their biases are not
known to participants in the study, &
participant characteristics are
deliberately hidden from the
researcher (double blind studies).
Generalizable findings that can be
applied to other populations.
Scientific
Method
Exploratory or bottom–up: the
researcher generates a new
hypothesis and theory from the
data collected.
Confirmatory or top-down: the
researcher tests the hypothesis and
theory with the data.
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Qualitative vs. quantitative research
Criteria
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research
View of Human
Behavior
Most Common
Research
Objectives
Focus
Dynamic, situational, social, &
personal.
Explore, discover, & construct.
Regular & predictable.
Wide-angle lens; examines the
breadth & depth of phenomena.
Study behavior in a natural
environment.
Multiple realities; subjective.
Narrow-angle lens; tests a
specific hypotheses.
Study behavior under controlled
conditions; isolate causal effects.
Single reality; objective.
Narrative report with contextual
description & direct quotations
from research participants.
Statistical report with
correlations, comparisons of
means, & statistical significance
of findings.
Nature of
Observation
Nature of Reality
Final Report
Describe, explain, & predict.
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Pragmatism – Philosophy behind MMR
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Arises out of actions, situations, and
consequences rather than antecedent
conditions.
There is a concern with applications—what
works—and solutions to problems.
Instead of focusing on methods, researchers
emphasize the research problem and use all
approaches available to understand the
problem.
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Reasons for “mixing”
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The insufficient argument – either quantitative or
qualitative may be insufficient by itself
Multiple angles argument – quantitative and qualitative
approaches provide different “pictures”
The more-evidence-the-better argument – combined
quantitative and qualitative provides more evidence
Community of practice argument – mixed methods may
be the preferred approach within a scholarly community
Eager-to-learn argument – it is the latest methodology
“Its intuitive” argument – it mirrors “real life”
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How methods can be mixed
Types of mixing
Comments
Two types of research question.
One fitting a quantitative approach and
the other qualitative.
The manner in which the research
questions are developed.
Preplanned (quantitative) versus
participatory/emergent (qualitative).
Two types of sampling procedure.
Probability versus purposive.
Two types of data collection
procedures.
Surveys (quantitative) versus focus
groups (qualitative).
Two types of data analysis.
Numerical versus textual (or visual).
Two types of data analysis.
Statistical versus thematic.
Two types of conclusions.
Objective versus subjective
interpretations.
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Planning mixed methods procedures
Timing
Weighting
Mixing
Theorizing
No
Sequence
Concurrent
Sequential Qualitative
first
Sequential Quantitative
first
Equal
Integrating
Explicit
Qualitative
Connecting
Implicit
Quantitative
Embedding
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Notations to describe MM designs
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Mixed methods designs
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Sequential Explanatory Design
Sequential Exploratory Design
Sequential Transformative Design
Concurrent Triangulation Design
Concurrent Embedded Design
Concurrent Transformative Design
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Sequential explanatory design
QUAN
Data &
Results
Following up
qual
Data &
Results
Interpretation
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Sequential explanatory design:
Characteristics
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Viewing the study as a two-phase project
Collecting quantitative data first followed by
collecting qualitative data second
Typically, a greater emphasis is placed on the
quantitative data in the study
Example: You first conduct a survey and then
follow up with a few individuals who answered
positively to the questions through interviews
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Sequential explanatory design:
When do you use it?
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When you want to explain the quantitative
results in more depth with qualitative data
(e.g., statistical differences among groups,
individuals who scored at extreme levels)
When you want to identify appropriate
participants to study in more depth
qualitatively
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Sequential explanatory design:
Sample script
The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods
study will be to obtain statistical, quantitative results from a
sample and then follow-up with a few individuals to probe or
explore those results in more depth. In the first phase,
quantitative research questions or hypotheses will address the
relationship or comparison of __________ (independent) and
________ (dependent) variables with ___________
(participants) at ___________(the research site). In the
second phase, qualitative interviews or observations will be
used to problem significant _______(quantitative results) by
exploring aspects of the ________ (central phenomenon) with
_______ (a few participants) at ____________ (research
site).
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Sequential exploratory design
quan
Data &
Results
QUAL
Data &
Results
Interpretation
Building to
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Sequential exploratory design:
Characteristics
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Viewing the study as a two-phase project
Qualitative data collection precedes quantitative
data collection
Typically, greater emphasis is placed on the
qualitative data in the study
Example: You collect qualitative diary entries,
analyze the data for themes, and then develop
an instrument based on the themes to measure
attitudes on a quantitative survey administered
to a large sample.
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Sequential exploratory design:
When do you use it?
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To develop an instrument when one is not
available (first explore, then develop
instrument)
To develop a classification or typology for
testing
To identify the most important variables to
study quantitatively when these variable are
not known
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Sequential exploratory design:
Sample script
The purpose of this two-phase, exploratory mixed methods
study will be to explore participant views with the intent of
using this information to develop and test an instrument with
a sample from a population. The first phase will be a
qualitative exploration of a _______(central phenomenon) by
collecting ___________(data) from ____________
(participants) at _______ (research site). Themes from this
qualitative data will then be developed into an instrument (or
survey) so that the __________ (theory and research
questions/hypotheses) can be tested that ________ (relate,
compare) ____________ (independent variable) with
__________ (dependent variable) for _________(sample of a
population) at _________ (research site).
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Sequential transformative design
QUAL
quan
Social science theory, qualitative theory, advocacy worldview
QUAN
qual
Social science theory, qualitative theory, advocacy worldview
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Sequential transformative design:
Characteristics
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Has two distinct data collection phases
A theoretical perspective is used to guide the
study
Purpose is to use methods that will best
serve the theoretical perspective of the
researcher
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Concurrent triangulation design
QUAN
Data and Results
+
QUAL
Data and Results
Interpretation
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Concurrent triangulation design:
Characteristics
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Collecting both quantitative and qualitative data
Collecting these data at the same time in the
research procedure
Analyzing the quantitative and qualitative data
separately
Comparing or combining the results of the
quantitative and qualitative analysis
Example: collect survey data (quantitative) and
collect individual interviews (qualitative) and then
compare the results
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Concurrent triangulation design:
When is it used?
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When you want to combine the advantages of
quantitative (trends, large numbers,
generalization) with qualitative (detail, small
numbers, in-depth)
When you want to validate your quantitative
findings with qualitative data
When you want to expand your quantitative
findings with some open-ended qualitative data
(e.g., survey with closed- and open-ended data)
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Concurrent embedded design
QUAN
Pre-test
Data &
Results
qual
quan
QUAN
QUAL
Intervention
qual
Process
QUAN
Post-test
Data &
Results
Interpretation
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Concurrent embedded design:
Characteristics
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One data collection phase during which both
quantitative and qualitative data are collected
(one is determined to be the primary method).
The primary method guides the project and the
secondary provides a supporting role in the
procedures.
The secondary method is “embedded” or
“nested” within the predominant method and
addresses a different question.
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Sample script for a concurrent design
(Triangulation or nested)
The purpose of this concurrent mixed methods study
is to better understand a research problem by
converging both quantitative (numeric) and qualitative
(text or image) data. In this approach, ___________
(quantitative instruments) will be used to measure the
relationship between the ________ (independent
variables) and __________ (dependent variables). At
the same time in the study, the __________ (central
phenomenon) will be explored using _____________
(qualitative interviews, documents, observations,
visual materials) with _________ (participants) at
____________ (the research site).
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Concurrent transformative design
QUAN + QUAL
Social science theory, qualitative theory,
advocacy worldview
quan
QUAL
Social science theory, qualitative theory,
advocacy worldview
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Concurrent transformative design:
Characteristics
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Guided by a theoretical perspective.
Concurrent collection of both quantitative and
qualitative data.
The design may have one method embedded in
the other so that diverse participants are given a
choice in the change process of an organization.
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Further readings
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