Class 9

Question 1

Method versus Methodology

Method means
Methodology means

Mixed Methods as method AND methodology

• As a method
• As a methodology

Answer 1

Method: Research methods are the particular strategies researchers use to collect the evidence necessary for building and testing theories

Methodology: Discipline-specific principles, rules, and procedures that guide the process through which knowledge is acquired

“As a method, it focuses on collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or series of studies”

“As a methodology, mixed methods involves philosophical assumption that guide the direction and collection and analysis of data the mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches in many phases of the research process”

Question 2

Quantitative research is done when

Answer 2

A researcher would choose to conduct a quantitative research study if the question to be answered concerned testing for the presence of specific relationships, assessing for group differences, clarifying cause/effect interactions, or explaining how effective a nursing intervention was

Question 3

Qualitative is what kind of -
Qualitative Research
-method used to describe what
-Used when

Answer 3

The systematic, interactive, and subjective research method used to describe and give meaning to life experiences.

A researcher would choose to conduct a qualitative study if the question to be answered concerns understanding the meaning of a human experience, such as, grief, hope or loss

Question 4

Mixed Methods Background

• Primary philosophy of MM is
• The philosophy is founded on?
• philosophy is committed to what system of philosophy and reality

Answer 4

Primary philosophy of mixed methods (MM) research is pragmatism (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie & Turner, 2007).

“Pragmatism is not founded on notions of truth, but “is a way of doing philosophy” (Warms & Schroeder, 1999, p. 1).

“Pragmatism is not committed to any one system of philosophy and reality…. Inquirers draw liberally from both quantitative and qualitative assumptions when they engage in their research” (Creswell, 2009, p. 10).

Question 5

According to Creswell as cited in Johnson MM research is?

According to Johnson & Onwuegbuzie is?

Answer 5

According to Creswell as cited in Johnson et al.,:
-Mixed Methods research is a research design (or methodology) in which the researcher collects, analyzes, and mixes (integrates or connects) both quantitative and qualitative in a single study or a multiphase program of inquiry.

Mixed Methods research is the class of research where the researcher mixes or combines quantitative and qualitative research techniques, methods, approaches, concepts or language into a single study or a set of related studies.

Question 6

The Primary Assumption of MM

Answer 6

underlying the use of this approach is that qualitative or quantitative method in isolation would be insufficient in understanding the research issue, and that the mixing of the methods results in a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem

Question 7

4 Main Mixed Method Designs

Answer 7

Triangulated
Embedded
Exploratory
Explanatory

Question 8

Triangulated (a one-phase design)

• whats the purpose of this design
• This design is used when?

Answer 8

The purpose of this design is to obtain different but complementary data on the same topic to best understand the research problem

This design is used when a researcher wants to directly compare and contrast quantitative statistical results with qualitative findings or to validate or expand quantitative results with qualitative data

Question 9

4 Variations of Triangulation Design & Types of Questions

Triangulated – Strengths 3
Triangulated – Challenges 2

Answer 9

Convergence
-To what extent do the quantitative and qualitative data converge? How and why?

Data Transformation
-To what extent do the same types of data confirm each other?

Validating quantitative data
-To what extent do the open-ended themes support the survey results?

Multi-level
-What similarities and differences exist across the levels of analysis?

• Efficient as both types of data are collected during one phase of the research at roughly the same time.
• Lends itself to team research and can include individuals with qualitative and quantitative expertise.
• Makes “intuitive” sense - researchers new to MM often choose this design.
• much effort and expertise is required – you need a team
• Researchers may face the question of what to do if the quantitative and qualitative results do not agree and these differences can be difficult to resolve and may require the collection of additional data.

Question 10

Embedded Design (one or two phase approach)

• Describe it
• Design is used when

2 Embedded Design & Types of Questions

Embedded – Strengths 2

Embedded – Challenge

Answer 10

One data set provides a supportive or secondary role in a study based on the other data type.

This design is used when researchers “need to include qualitative or quantitative data to answer a research questions within a largely quantitative or qualitative study”

Embedded experimental
-How do the qualitative results inform the development of a treatment or intervention?
-How do the qualitative results explain the experimental outcomes?
Embedded correlational
-How does the qualitative data add to an understanding of the mechanisms of the correlational model?

• This design may be more logistically manageable for grad students because one method requires less data than the other method.
• May be appealing to funding agencies because the primary focus is traditionally quantitative, such as an experimental or correlational analysis

It can be difficult to integrate the results when the two methods are used to answer different research questions – researchers can keep the two sets of results separate in their reports, or even report them in separate papers.

Question 11

Exploratory (two-phase, sequential design)

• Purpose?
• design is based on?

2 Variations in Exploratory Design and Types of Research Questions

Exploratory – Strengths 3

Exploratory – Challenges 2

Answer 11

• The purpose of exploratory design is to use the results of the qualitative data to inform the quantitative data.
• Exploratory design is based on the premise that exploration is needed when measures or instruments are not available or there is no guiding framework or theory

Instrument development
-What items and scales represent the qualitative results?
Taxonomy development
-What variables or taxonomy emerge from the qualitative data that were not known beforehand?

• “straightforward”
• Desirable design for multi-phase as well as single-phase research studies.
• Given the quantitative bias of many audiences, the inclusion of a quantitative method may garner broader acceptance even though the emphasis may be on the qualitative method.
• Lengthy time for implementation of the 2 phases and
• the qualitative phase will take more time, (but the qualitative phase can be limited to a few participants).

Question 12

Explanatory (two-phase)
-Purpose?

2 Variations of Explanatory Design and Types of Research Questions

Answer 12

Overall purpose of this design is that the qualitative data helps to explain or build on initial quantitative results

The participant selection model
-Which cases provide the best insights into the quantitative results?
Follow-up explanations
-In what ways do the qualitative data help to explain the quantitative results?