When to Use Mixed Methods Design

Discussion: Designing Mixed Methods Research
Mixed methods research is more than simply taking a quantitative design and a qualitative design and putting them together. The methods should complement one another and be relevant to the subject that is being studied. For example, a researcher who wants to conduct exploratory research would benefit more from using a qualitative design than a mixed methods design, as the latter could potentially drain resources that could be better used conducting the exploratory part of the investigation. However, using the mixed methods approach is useful when both qualitative data and quantitative data can be easily combined to enhance a study (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). For example, in a health care study, interviews could be conducted with patients about their care and a survey could also be given. The interviews would provide qualitative data and the surveys would provide quantitative data. Both would complement one another: the survey could obtain responses using a Likert scale of measurement which would allow a form of statistical analysis to be conducted. The interviews could help to provide even more context to the statistical analysis and deepen the interpretation of the data.
The types of research questions best served by mixed methods research are those in which questions such as “what and how” or “what and why” are ones that the researcher wants to answer. In research where the subject can be analyzed from both qualitative and quantitative approach, the mixed methods research design would be appropriate. Sometimes data is not available from a qualitative perspective or from a quantitative perspective. Sometimes researchers are only able to examine a subject and must base a study on this limitation, and so a qualitative approach would be best suited. Other times, researchers are able to interview, observe, immerse themselves in the world of the subject and obtain quantitative data that can be analyzed statistically. In such cases, it helps to have a team of researchers that can assist in the measurement of the data so that no one is overwhelmed.
One strength of mixed methods research is that it provides a more comprehensive perspective on the subject being studied. There is more data to be analyzed and a fuller picture can be developed. For professionals who prefer statistical analysis, the quantitative measures will be appealing. For those who prefer a deeper look into the subject, the qualitative measures will be useful. In mixed methodologies data can be triangulated so as to provide more precise measurements and a better picture of the problem overall.
One limitation of mixed methods research is that it can be time consuming. Simply doing a qualitative or quantitative study is a lot—so expanding the scope to include both aspects can be overwhelming especially with limited resources. Researchers who try to do too much can become bogged down under myriad data inputs and fail to create a convincing or effective argument overall. Sometimes the smaller and narrower the approach, the better it is for the researcher because it provides greater focus and attention on one specific question or idea.
The rationale for using mixed methods in my discipline is that there is always room for answering the what and the how or why. When it comes to determining policy, both qualitative and quantitative information can be extremely useful. Both help to construct a fuller picture of what is happening and why and policy makers can use that fuller picture to create more effective solutions to problems that crop up and need to be addressed.
References
Johnson, R. B., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed methods research: A research paradigm whose time has come. Educational Researcher, 33(7), 14–26. doi: 10.3102/0013189X033007014