scholarly journals Data Diffraction: Challenging Data Integration in Mixed Methods Research

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Uprichard ◽  
Leila Dawney

This article extends the debates relating to integration in mixed methods research. We challenge the a priori assumptions on which integration is assumed to be possible in the first place. More specifically, following Haraway and Barad, we argue that methods produce “cuts” which may or may not cohere and that “diffraction,” as an expanded approach to integration, has much to offer mixed methods research. Diffraction pays attention to the ways in which data produced through different methods can both splinter and interrupt the object of study. As such, it provides an explicit way of empirically capturing the mess and complexity intrinsic to the ontology of the social entity being studied.

Author(s):  
Manfredi Valeriani ◽  
Vicki L. Plano Clark

This chapter examines mixed-methods research, which is an approach that involves the integration of quantitative and qualitative methods at one or more stages of a research study. The central idea behind mixed-methods research is that the intentional combination of numeric-based methods with narrative-based methods can best provide answers to some research questions. The ongoing attempts to construct a simple and common conceptualization of mixed-methods provide a good indicator of the status of mixed-methods itself. mixed-methods research has emerged as a formalized methodology well suited to addressing complex problems, and is currently applied throughout the social sciences and beyond. Nowadays, researchers interested in combining quantitative and qualitative methods can benefit from the growing knowledge about the epistemological foundations, essential considerations, and rigorous designs that have been advanced for mixed-methods research.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. e039832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Fuchs ◽  
Sandra Abegglen ◽  
Joana Berger-Estilita ◽  
Robert Greif ◽  
Helen Eigenmann

IntroductionThe unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has exposed healthcare professionals (HCPs) to exceptional situations that can lead to increased anxiety (ie, infection anxiety and perceived vulnerability), traumatic stress and depression. We will investigate the development of these psychological disturbances in HCPs at the treatment front line and second line during the COVID-19 pandemic over a 12-month period in different countries. Additionally, we will explore whether personal resilience factors and a work-related sense of coherence influence the development of mental health problems in HCPs.Methods and analysisWe plan to carry out a sequential qualitative–quantitative mixed-methods design study. The quantitative phase consists of a longitudinal online survey based on six validated questionnaires, to be completed at three points in time. A qualitative analysis will follow at the end of the pandemic to comprise at least nine semistructured interviews. The a priori sample size for the survey will be a minimum of 160 participants, which we will extend to 400, to compensate for dropout. Recruitment into the study will be through personal invitations and the ‘snowballing’ sampling technique. Hierarchical linear regression combined with qualitative data analysis, will facilitate greater understanding of any associations between resilience and mental health issues in HCPs during pandemics.Ethics and disseminationThe study participants will provide electronic informed consent. All recorded data will be stored on a secured research server at the study site, which will only be accessible to the investigators. The Bern Cantonal Ethics Committee has waiv ed the need for ethical approval (Req-2020–00355, 1 April 2020). There are no ethical, legal or security issues regarding the data collection, processing, storage and dissemination in this project.Trial registration numberISRCTN13694948.


Author(s):  
Daphne C. Watkins

Mixed methods research integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods into a single study to produce a more inclusive and expansive understanding of a topic. This article defines mixed methods in social work research, and discusses design notation, language, popular mixed methods designs, and data integration. Using mixed methods provides an opportunity for social workers to take advantage of the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches and to offset their weaknesses. It is important that social workers engaged in mixed methods research maximize the interpretation of their findings and articulate the advantages of using mixed methods over qualitative or quantitative methods alone. Given the unique features of the profession, it is imperative that social workers carve out a distinctive mixed methods niche for social work researchers and practitioners.


10.18060/1858 ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josphine Chaumba

The complexity of social problems addressed by the social work profession makes mixed methods research an essential tool. This literature review examined common quantitative and qualitative techniques used by social work researchers and what mixed methods research may add to social work research. Surveys and in-depth interviews were the most common quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, respectively. The t-test was the most frequently used quantitative data analysis method. Although thematic analysis was the most common qualitative data analysis method, 12% of the qualitative data analysis techniques were not specified. Mixed methods research adds three important elements to social work research: voices of participants, comprehensive analyses of phenomena, and enhanced validity of findings. For these reasons, the teaching and use of mixed methods research remain integral to social work.


Author(s):  
Julie Corrigan ◽  
Anthony Onwuegbuzie

The purpose of this article is to propose a meta-framework for conducting what we term mixed methods representation analyses (MMRA). We define MMRA as the appropriate selection of sampling design (i.e., the sampling frame [random] or sampling boundary [purposive]; sampling combination, comprising the mixing dimension [partial/fully], time dimension [concurrent/sequential], emphasis dimension [dominant/equal status], and relationship among/between samples [identical/parallel/nested/multilevel]; sample size; and number of sampling units [e.g., of people, cases, words, texts, observations, events, incidents, activities, experiences, or any other object of study]) in order to obtain representation and concomitantly meta-inferences consistent with the study’s generalization goal(s). Thus, the goal of conducting MMRA is to attain representation and interpretive consistency in order to enhance the rigor of mixed methods research studies.


Author(s):  
Aroop Mukherjee ◽  
Nitty Hirawaty Kamarulzaman

Mixed methods have emerged as the third research community in the social and behavioural sciences during the past decades, joining quantitative and qualitative methods of scholarly inquiry. Mixed methods research, research paradigm, methodology, and action research have encouraged the combined use of quantitative and qualitative research to answer complex questions in recent years. Mixed methods research integrates both methods, the quantitative and the qualitative, to present research findings within a single system process. The chapter aims to provide an insight between mixed method research and action research, which includes the basic foundation of mixed method research and research paradigm. The chapter will discuss the concept of action research and how mixed method is applied to action research and its processes. A brief idea about the future plan of action required for mixed methods research to attain better research designs and processes is also discussed in the chapter.


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