OVERVIEW OF MIXED

METHODS RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

MOHD SAFARIN NORDIN, PHD

24 APRIL 2016
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 AGENDA

• How, when, and why did mixed methods begin?

• 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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How,
How,when,
when,and
andwhy
whydid
didmixed
mixedmethods
methodsbegin?
begin?
• How?
• Evolved over last twenty years
• Quantitative research to qualitative to mixed methods
• A.k.a “multitrait/multimethod research”, “quantitative and qualitative methods”,
“hybrids”, “methodological triangulation”, “combined research”, “mixed
methodology”.
• When?
• Beginnings in 1988-1989
• Jennifer Greene – USA- University of Illinois - evaluator
• John Hunter and Allen Brewer – USA -Northwestern and Boston College - sociologists
• Alan Bryman - England – management
• John Creswell – USA – education – his chapter on combining, his teaching of proposal
development class – lst generation
• Fielding – sociologist in UK
• Why?
• Legitimacy of qualitative research
• Increased interest in having two strands – quan and qual – in studies
• Individuals looking for new methodologies
HOW WOULD YOU COMBINE TWO TYPES
OF DATA?

Qualitative Quantitative Numeric Data

Text Data
• 2342523112342332
• This is a sample of a text file of 1115341231445541
words that might be collected 2143351423155221
on interview transcripts, 5351315322513244
observation fieldnotes, or
31242241554215
optically-scanned documents.
 What
Whatemerged?
emerged?

Quantitative Data Qualitative Data

Mixed Methods

Method
Methodology
Paradigm
Perspective Using mixed
methods in other designs
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 A DEFINITION
• Mixed methods research is both a method and
methodology for conducting research that involves
collecting, analyzing, and integrating quantitative and
qualitative research in a single study or a longitudinal
program of inquiry.
• The purpose of this form of research is that both
qualitative and quantitative research, in combination,
provide a better understanding of a research problem
or issue than either research approach alone.

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 THREE TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGNS

• 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 To test hypotheses, look at
interactions. cause & effect, & make
predictions.
Group Studied Smaller & not randomly Larger & randomly selected.
selected.
Variables Study of the whole, not Specific variables studied
variables.
Type of Data Words, images, or objects. Numbers and statistics.
Collected
Form of Data Qualitative data such as open- Quantitative data based on
Collected ended responses, interviews, precise measurements using
participant observations, field structured & validated data-
notes, & reflections. collection instruments.
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 QUALITATIVE VS. QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH
Criteria Qualitative Research Quantitative Research
Type of Data Identify patterns, features, themes. Identify statistical relationships.
Analysis

Objectivity and Subjectivity is expected. Objectivity is critical.

Subjectivity
Role of Researcher Researcher & their biases may be known to
participants in the study, & participant
characteristics may be known to the
researcher.
Researcher & their biases are not known to
participants in the study, & participant
characteristics are deliberately hidden from the
researcher (double blind studies).

Results Particular or specialized findings that is Generalizable findings that can be applied to
less generalizable. other populations.

Scientific Method Exploratory or bottom–up: the researcher Confirmatory or top-down: the researcher tests
generates a new hypothesis and theory the hypothesis and theory with the data.
from the data collected.

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 QUALITATIVE VS. QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH

Criteria Qualitative Research Quantitative Research

View of Human Dynamic, situational, social, & Regular & predictable.
Behavior personal.
Most Common Explore, discover, & construct. Describe, explain, & predict.
Research Objectives

Focus Wide-angle lens; examines the Narrow-angle lens; tests a specific

breadth & depth of phenomena. hypotheses.

Nature of Study behavior in a natural Study behavior under controlled

Observation environment. conditions; isolate causal effects.

Nature of Reality Multiple realities; subjective. Single reality; objective.

Final Report Narrative report with contextual Statistical report with correlations,
description & direct quotations from comparisons of means, & statistical
research participants. significance of findings.
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PRAGMATISM – PHILOSOPHY BEHIND MMR

• 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”

• 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 Preplanned (quantitative) versus
questions are developed. participatory/emergent (qualitative).

Two types of sampling procedure. Probability versus purposive.

Two types of data collection Surveys (quantitative) versus focus groups

procedures. (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 Equal Integrating Explicit

Sequence
Concurrent
Sequential - Qualitative Connecting Implicit
Qualitative
first
Sequential - Quantitative Embedding
Quantitative
first
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NOTATIONS TO DESCRIBE MM DESIGNS

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 MIXED METHODS DESIGNS

• 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
QUAN qual
qual
Data
Data&& Data
Data&& Interpretation
Interpretation
Results
Results Following up
Results
Results

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SEQUENTIAL EXPLANATORY DESIGN:
CHARACTERISTICS
• 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?
• 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

QUAL
QUAL quan
quan
Data
Data&& Data
Data&&
Results
Results Results
Results Interpretation
Interpretation
Building to

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SEQUENTIAL EXPLORATORY DESIGN:
CHARACTERISTICS
• 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?
• 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

• 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

• 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?
• 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

qual quan
QUAN QUAL

QUAN Intervention QUAN

QUAN QUAN
Pre-test
Pre-test Post-test
Post-test Interpretation
Interpretation
Data
Data&& Data
Data&&
qual
qual
Results
Results Results
Results
Process
Process

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 CONCURRENT EMBEDDED DESIGN:
CHARACTERISTICS
• 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 quan

Social science theory, qualitative theory, QUAL
advocacy worldview Social science theory, qualitative theory,
advocacy worldview

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CONCURRENT TRANSFORMATIVE DESIGN:
CHARACTERISTICS

• 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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