For the longest time, quantitative and qualitative methods have been
considered opposing and mutually exclusive categories within the methodology
of social science. This is best showcased by the conflicts arising between
the proponents of these differing approaches - conflicts that are often
characterized by an air of methodological dogmatism. The term
?methodological dogmatism? refers to the conviction of researchers in the
superiority of their own approach, while delegitimizing any other. The main
purpose of this paper is to outline the contemporary theoretical possibities
of overcoming said dogmatism, and the three most prevalent approaches
(triangulation, multimethod and mixed methods) will be presented
accordingly. The goal is to identify the continuity of the ideas referring
to the integration of qualitative and quantitative methodology, as well as
to highlight the characterstics, advantages and drawbacks of each method.
The paper concludes that the choice of method should be based on the nature
of the research problem at hand, and that the combining of methods can serve
as a useful tool for understanding and encompassing the full complexity of
phenomena which are at the heart of social research.
Modeling the Use of Mixed Methods–Grounded Theory: Developing Scales for a New Measurement Model
