#A bumpy road to action research for free#

If you’re interested in the nature of complaints submitted by cyclists, or their perceptions about cycling in particular areas, then a qualitative approach may fit best.īut mixed methods might be a good choice if you want to meaningfully integrate both of these questions in one research study.įor example, you could use a mixed methods design to investigate whether areas perceived as dangerous have high accident rates, or to explore why specific areas are more dangerous for cyclists than others. If you’re interested in the frequency of accidents and where they occur, this could be a straightforward quantitative analysis. Research exampleYou want to research cycling safety in high-traffic areas of Amsterdam. If your research question can be sufficiently answered via standalone quantitative or qualitative analysis, a mixed methods approach may not be the right fit. This process is called triangulation.Īs you formulate your research question, try to directly address how qualitative and quantitative methods will be combined in your study. If the qualitative and quantitative data converge, this strengthens the validity of your conclusions. Credibility: Using different methods to collect data on the same subject can make your results more credible.Using qualitative data to illustrate quantitative findings can help “put meat on the bones” of your analysis. Contextualization: Mixing methods allows you to put findings in context and add richer detail to your conclusions.In mixed methods research, this comparative weakness is mitigated by the comparative strength of “large N,” externally valid quantitative research.

Generalizability: Qualitative research usually has a smaller sample size, and thus is not generalizable.There are several common reasons for using mixed methods research: Mixed methods research may be the right choice if your research process suggests that quantitative or qualitative data alone will not sufficiently answer your research question. Disadvantages of mixed methods research.How do average hospital salary measurements over time (quantitative) help to explain nurse testimonials about job satisfaction (qualitative)?.How can voter and non-voter beliefs about democracy ( qualitative) help explain election turnout patterns ( quantitative) in Town X?.How do interviews about job satisfaction at Company X ( qualitative) help explain year-over-year sales performance and other KPIs ( quantitative)?.

How do student perceptions of their school environment ( qualitative) relate to differences in test scores ( quantitative)?.

To what extent does the frequency of traffic accidents ( quantitative) reflect cyclist perceptions of road safety ( qualitative) in Amsterdam?.

Mixed methods research is often used in the behavioral, health, and social sciences, especially in multidisciplinary settings and complex situational or societal research. Mixed methods can help you gain a more complete picture than a standalone quantitative or qualitative study, as it integrates benefits of both methods. Mixed methods research combines elements of quantitative research and qualitative research in order to answer your research question.

#A bumpy road to action research for free#

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