Understanding mixed methods research. Purpose and organization ; Clarifying terms

What is mixed methods research? The name ; Quantitative and qualitative data ; Mixing the data ; Single or multiple studies ; The central premise of the definition ; Studies that fit our definition ; Studies in the gray areas ; The importance of mixed methods research. A brief history. Formative period ; Paradigm debate period ; Procedural developments ; Recent indicators of interest

Examining preliminary considerations. Consider worldview stances. Different worldviews or paradigms ; Worldviews and mixed methods research. Stance 1. There is one "best" paradigm or worldview that fits mixed methods research ; Stance 2. Researchers can use multiple paradigms or worldviews in their mixed methods study ; Stance 3. Worldviews relate to the type of mixed methods design and may vary depending on the type of design ; The basics of quantitative and qualitative research ; Research problems addressed by mixed methods. A need exists for both quantitative and qualitative approaches ; A need exists to enhance the study with a second source of data ; A need exists to explain the quantitative results ; A need exists to first explore qualitatively

Locating and reviewing mixed methods studies. Searching for and reviewing mixed methods studies. Use search terms ; Are the studies mixed methods research? ; A mixed methods notation system and visual diagrams ; Four examples of mixed methods studies. Study A: Collecting both quantitative and qualitative data at the same time to understand a problem (Jenkins, 2001) ; Study B: Using qualitative data in an experiment (Rogers, Day, Randall, & Bentall, 2003) ; Study C: Explaining quantitative results with qualitative data (Aldridge, Fraser, & Huang, 1999) ; Study D: Exploring qualitatively to develop a quantitative instrument (Myers & Oetzel, 2003) ; Similarities and differences among the sample studies

Choosing a mixed methods design. Classifications of mixed methods designs ; The four major types of mixed methods designs. The triangulation design. Triangulation design procedures ; Variants of the triangulation design ; Strengths of the triangulation design ; Challenges in using the triangulation design ; The embedded design. Embedded design procedures ; Variants of the embedded design ; Strengths of the embedded design ; Challenges in using the embedded design ; The explanatory design. Explanatory design procedures ; Variants of the explanatory design ; Strengths of the explanatory design ; Challenges in using the explanatory design ; The exploratory design. Exploratory design procedures ; Variants of the exploratory design ; Strengths of the exploratory design ; Challenges in using the exploratory design ; Selecting a type of mixed methods design. The timing decision ; The weighting decision ; The mixing decision. Merging data sets ; Embedding data at the design level ; Connecting from data analysis to data collection ; Implementing the design decisions ; Writing a paragraph to identify a study's design