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Jun 25, 2024 · Mixed methods research is a type of research where a researcher integrates both quantitative and qualitative research methods within a single study or across multiple related studies.
- When to Use Mixed Methods Research
- Mixed Methods Research Designs
- Advantages of Mixed Methods Research
- Disadvantages of Mixed Methods Research
- Other Interesting Articles
Mixed methods research may be the right choice if your research processsuggests that quantitative or qualitative data alone will not sufficiently answer your research question. There are several common reasons for using mixed methods research: 1. Generalizability: Qualitative research usually has a smaller sample size, and thus is not generalizable...
There are different types of mixed methods research designs. The differences between them relate to the aim of the research, the timing of the data collection, and the importance given to each data type. As you design your mixed methods study, also keep in mind: 1. Your research approach (inductive vs deductive) 2. Your research questions 3. What k...
“Best of both worlds” analysis
Combining the two types of data means you benefit from both the detailed, contextualized insights of qualitative data and the generalizable, externally valid insights of quantitative data. The strengths of one type of data often mitigate the weaknesses of the other. For example, solely quantitative studies often struggle to incorporate the lived experiences of your participants, so adding qualitative data deepens and enriches your quantitative results. Solely qualitative studies are often not...
Method flexibility
Mixed methods are less tied to disciplines and established research paradigms. They offer more flexibility in designing your research, allowing you to combine aspects of different types of studies to distill the most informative results. Mixed methods research can also combine theory generation and hypothesis testingwithin a single study, which is unusual for standalone qualitative or quantitative studies.
Workload
Mixed methods research is very labor-intensive. Collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing two types of data into one research product takes a lot of time and effort, and often involves interdisciplinary teams of researchers rather than individuals. For this reason, mixed methods research has the potential to cost much more than standalone studies.
Differing or conflicting results
If your analysis yields conflicting results, it can be very challenging to know how to interpret them in a mixed methods study. If the quantitative and qualitative results do not agree or you are concerned you may have confounding variables, it can be unclear how to proceed. Due to the fact that quantitative and qualitative data take two vastly different forms, it can also be difficult to find ways to systematically compare the results, putting your data at risk for biasin the interpretation...
If you want to know more about statistics, methodology, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
- Content Manager
- Scribbr
Apr 29, 2016 · Traditionally, there are three branches of methodology: quantitative (numeric data), qualitative (observational or interview data), and mixed methods (using both types of data). Psychology relies heavily on quantitative-based data analyses but could benefit from incorporating …
- Allyson S. Hughes
- 2016
Dec 1, 2020 · Research about the prevalence of mixed methods in a field or discipline, as well as more qualitatively oriented articles and chapters that explore examples, are cornerstones of the methodological literature about the use of mixed methods in many disciplines, including psychology.
- Elizabeth G. Creamer, David Reeping
- 2020
Oct 17, 2020 · We used a concurrent mixed methods research design to compare the insights gained about the use of mixed methods in psychological research from two quantitative prevalence studies with...
Apr 1, 2019 · Mixed methods research and the centrality of integration. Understanding how people learn is a complex problem that calls for educational psychologists to use rigorous and diverse approaches to research to examine the many facets of this complexity.
Although mixed methods research typically refers to a single study, it also can encompass a series of studies addressing the same research questions that use multiple methods for inquiry. This chapter is organized into four sections.
