Methods And Design Of Mixed Methods Research - Term Paper Example

Methods And Design Of Mixed Methods ResearchFor many decades, research studies in the social and behavioral sciences have been mono-method; either quantitative or qualitative. A group of researchers, known as purists, believe that the two methods come from different assumptions and that the two cannot be incorporated or combined in a single study. They claim that one method cannot support the other in one study. On the other side, a contemporary group of researchers, known as pragmatist, believes that the two research methods can actually be combined to give better, more reliable results.

They focus on the similarities rather than the differences between the two research methods. They claim that two have non-overlapping weaknesses and their strengths can actually be incorporated to give greater confidence in the accuracy of the research results (Onwuegbuzie & Leech, 2005).Mixed Method Research utilizes both quantitative and qualitative research methods in a single study. At the start, it gathers both quantitative data and qualitative data in such a way that it is half of a quantitative plan and half of a qualitative plan.

It then manipulates both data to produce a more powerful means to answer the statement of the problem. It is a way to combine the strengths of the two methods and minimize, if not eliminate, their weaknesses.On the other hand, the fact that it uses two types of methods, more challenges are expected in the mixed methods strategy of inquiry. One of these challenges is that it requires more time and resources. Another is that it requires more than one researcher to conduct the experiments. It would be very difficult for a single person to conduct both the quantitative and qualitative researches especially if these are to be done simultaneously.

The above challenges are probably the biggest challenges for a researcher who wants to use a mixed methods strategy of inquiry.Mixed Methods Research is best used in a research study wherein one method alone, quantitative or qualitative, will be inadequate to give a highly reliable result. It is used for the type of questions wherein one method can answer the research question and the other method can solidify the results. For instance, in the study of “Adolescent Alcohol Use: Mixed Methods Research”, interviews were used to support numerical surveys to strengthen the results (Newman, I.

, Shell, D., Ming, Q., Jianping, X., & Maas, M., 2006). Obviously, this kind of research question requires more than one method and thus requires Mixed Methods Research method.The previous paragraph explains why more researchers are using Mixed Methods Research. In addition, Onwuegbuzie & Leech (2005) said “Becoming a pragmatic researcher offers a myriad of advantages for individuals”. Mixed methods strategy of inquiry brings numerous advantages to the researchers. One of which is flexibility in the use of investigative techniques.

They are able to combine both macro and micro levels of a research issue (Onwuegbuzie & Leech, 2005). Furthermore, they are able to work with their co-researchers under the same study. Many fields employ Mixed Methods Research to achieve more credible results. One of these fields is Clinical Psychology. Today, almost all researches in Clinical Psychology make use of Mixed Methods Research to answer research questions. Examples of these are alcohol dependency, violence against women among others.

Certainly, Mixed Methods Research is a breakthrough in the field of science as it gives way to the development of research studies.ReferencesOnwuegbuzie, A., & Leech, N. L. (2005). On becoming a pragmatic researcher: The importance of combining quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(5), 375–387.Newman, I., Shell, D., Ming, Q., Jianping, X., & Maas, M. (2006). Adolescent Alcohol Use: Mixed Methods ResearchApproach. Educational Psychology Papers and Publications. Paper 92. Retrieve from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/edpsychpapers/92Teddlie C.

, Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.