1. MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
© LOUIS COHEN, LAWRENCE MANION AND KEITH MORRISON

2. STRUCTURE OF THE CHAPTER
Definitions of mixed methods research
Why use mixed methods research
The foundations of mixed methods research
Paradigms and the commensurability problem in mixed methods research
Working with mixed methods approaches
Mixed methods designs and data
Reliability and validity in mixed methods research
Mixed methods research questions
Sampling in mixed methods research
Mixed methods data analysis
Timing and writing up the data analysis in mixed methods research
Stages in mixed methods research

3. WHAT IS MIXED IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH?
The number of methodological approaches used
The number of strands or phases in the research
The type of implementation process in the research
The stage(s) at which the integration of approaches occur(s)
The priority given to one or more methodological approaches (e.g. quantitative over qualitative or vice versa, or equal emphasis
The purpose and function of the research study
The theoretical perspective(s) in the research
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

4. FOUR DOMAINS OF MIXED METHODS APPROACHES
Philosophical assumptions and stances
Assumptions about ontology – the nature of the world – and epistemology – how we understand and research the world, and the warrants we use in validating our understanding.
Inquiry logics
E.g. purposes and research questions, designs, methodologies of research, sampling, data collection and analysis, reporting and writing.
Guidelines for practice
How to mix methods in empirical research and in the study of phenomena.
Sociopolitical commitment
What and whose interests, purposes and political stances are being served.
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

5. FOUNDATIONS OF MIXED METHODS APPROACHES
Pragmatism: ‘what works’ in practice in answering the research question(s), i.e. observable consequences and success in practice.
Research is judged by whether it has found out what the researcher want to know, regardless of whether the data and methodologies are quantitative or qualitative.
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

6. Historical, documentary
MIXED METHODS
Numbers, measurement
Case Study
Historical, documentary
Virtual worlds
Meta-analysis
Survey
Interview
Ethnography
Observation
Experiment
Action research
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

7. CONCERNS IN ‘MIXING’ (BIESTA, 2012)
Ontologies
whether and how it is possible combine different ontologies (e.g. views of the nature of reality).
Epistemologies
whether and how it is possible to combine different epistemologies (ways of knowing).
Research purposes
Whether and how it is possible to combine the wish to have research which seeks causal explanations with that which seeks understanding and interpretation.
Practical orientation
Whether and how it is possible for research to be directed both towards producing solutions, techniques and technologies and towards developing critical understanding.
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

8. CONCERNS IN ‘MIXING’ (BIESTA, 2012)
Designs
Whether and how it is possible to combine interventionist designs, e.g. experiments, with non-interventionist designs, e.g. naturalistic research.
Data
Whether and how it is possible to combine text and numbers.
Methods
Whether and how it is possible to combine different methods of collecting and/or analyzing data.
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

9. MIXED METHODS RESEARCH DESIGNS
Parallel design
Convergent design
Sequential/multi-stage/multi-phase design
Combined sequential design
Explanatory design
Exploratory design
Embedded design
Transformative design
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

10. PARALLEL DESIGN
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

11. CONVERGENT DESIGN
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

12. SEQUENTIAL/MULTI-STAGE/MULTI-PHASE DESIGN
ANSWER TO RESEARCH QUESTION
QUAN
QUAL
QUAN
QUAL
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

13. COMBINED SEQUENTIAL DESIGN
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

14. ANSWER TO RESEARCH QUESTION
EXPLANATORY DESIGN
ANSWER TO RESEARCH QUESTION
QUAN
QUAL
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

15. ANSWER TO RESEARCH QUESTION
EXPLORATORY DESIGN
ANSWER TO RESEARCH QUESTION
QUAL
QUAN
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

16. ANSWER TO RESEARCH QUESTION
EMBEDDED DESIGN
QUAN and/or QUAL
ANSWER TO RESEARCH QUESTION
QUAN and/or QUAL
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

17. TRANSFORMATIVE DESIGN
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

18. RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
Canons of validity in quantitative approaches
Canons of validity in qualitative approaches
Canons of reliability in quantitative approaches
Canons of reliability in qualitative approaches
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

19. MIXED METHODS RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Will a single method on its own be appropriate or sufficient to answer or address this research question?
If the answer is ‘yes’, then why consider MMR?
If the answer is ‘no’ then what is needed from the quantitative and qualitative elements in order to answer the question or problem, and where should they be mixed or kept separate?
Ensure that you have a strong mixed methods research question, e.g.: ‘what and how’; ‘what and why’
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

20. SAMPLING IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
What sampling strategies will be used for which elements of the research?
Will the same or different samples be used in both the quantitative and qualitative element?
How will the quantitative and qualitative samples be chosen?
Will the qualitative sample be drawn from the sample used in the quantitative element?
Will the qualitative sample include, but add to, the sample used in the quantitative element?
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

21. SAMPLING IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
Will the quantitative sample be drawn from the sample used in the qualitative element?
Will the quantitative sample include, but add to, the sample used in the qualitative element?
At what point in the research will the samples be drawn, i.e. when will you decide whom the sample will comprise?
Will the samples for the quantitative and qualitative elements be of the same or different sizes?
Will the same or different samples be used for the same research question(s) and issues under study?
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

22. TYPES OF SAMPLE Parallel mixed methods sampling
Sequential mixed methods sampling
multilevel mixed methods sampling
stratified purposive sampling
purposeful random sampling
nested sampling designs
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

23. MIXED METHODS DATA ANALYSIS
The purposes of data analysis during and after the research process
How to analyse the quantitative and qualitative data
How to apply ‘constant comparison’ to compare data
Whether and why to analyse quantitative and qualitative data separately, independently or together
The sequence and timing of the data analysis
Whether, why and how to use the analysis of one kind of data to inform subsequent data collection and analysis
Whether, when, where, why and how to relate, connect, merge and/or integrate data and data types
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

24. MIXED METHODS DATA ANALYSIS
Whether, where, how and why to quantitize qualitative data and to qualitize quantitative data
How to combine, compare and represent different types of data in answering a research question
Which data in the data analysis have greater priority, why, and how to represent and address this
What to do if the results from the analysis of one kind of data contradict, support, refine, qualify, extend those of another kind of data
What to do if re-analysis of earlier data is required
What to do if inadequate, insufficient or weak data are found
How to combine data if they derive from different sampling strategies and different, unequal sample sizes, types and people
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

25. STAGES IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH (MMR)1
Decide the purpose of the research 2
Decide the nature of the phenomenon or problem to research, such that MMR is the most appropriate approach 3
Decide the research questions, ensuring that they can only be answered by the provision and analysis of mixed data 4
Decide what is to be ‘mixed’ in the MMR: ontologies; paradigms; epistemologies; axiologies; theories and theoretical frameworks; research designs; methodologies and approaches; data types; data collection instruments and methods; sampling; data; data analysis, interpretation and reporting; types of validity, validation and reliability 5
Decide the stages and phases of the research, where the ‘mixing’ will occur in these stages/phases and which kinds of methodologies and data are pre-eminent at each stage or phase 6
Decide the data collection (quantitative and qualitative and their inter-relations), what (kind of) data are required from whom, when, and at what stage(s) and phase(s)
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors

26. STAGES IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH (MMR)7
Design the data collection instruments and the sampling 8
Collect the data 9
Plan the data analysis including: the function of the data analysis (e.g. formative, summative, an ongoing record), which data have priority, when and where, the timing (e.g. ongoing, at the end of each phase, at the end of the entire project) and sequence of data analysis 10
Conduct the data analysis; be clear on which data, from whom, and when the data and their analysis will be mixed, related, kept separate, interactive, when to commence analysis overall and by stage or phase 11
Decide how to organize and write the research report, e.g. by phase, by data types, where to integrate data types 12
Write the research report
© 2018 Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison; individual chapters, the contributors