Research Methods Dersi 6. Ünite Sorularla Öğrenelim

What is the process of mixed methods research?

MMR is a comprehensive process, which starts with determining research questions based on research topic, purpose and objectives. The research questions are in central position, since they lead directly the rest of the process. After determining the rationale of the study and the research design, the researchers select the sampling, collect and analyse the data, interpret the findings and write the report based on the research purpose and the objectives.

What is the definition of mixed methods research?

Mixed methods research can be defined as the combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches in order to answer research questions more clearly.

According to Greene, Caracelli, and Graham (1989), what are the five major objectives or motivations that exist for conducting MMR?

The first one is ‘triangulation’, which provides validation and concurrence of results gained from various methods and designs investigating the same circumstance. ‘Complementarity’, as the second motivation, seeks for further detailing, improvement, interpretation and description of the results obtained from one method with results from the other method. The third one is ‘initiation’, which means unearthing the bias, and discrepancies that cause re-designing of the research question. ‘Development’, the fourth motivation, includes utilizing the findings from one method to deliver clues to other method. The last motivation, ‘expansion’, seeks to expand the size of research with different methods for different investigation factors.

What are some of the advantages of using the MMR?

• Researchers can use numbers to add precision to words, pictures and narrative.
• It serves the opportunity to benefit from the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research.
• A grounded theory can be created and tested by researcher by means of it.
• By conducting MMR, it is possible to answer a broader and more complete range of research questions as only a single method or approach does not limit the researcher.
• Regarding the specific strengths of mixed methods research in a two-stage sequential design, the researcher can use the Stage 1 results to improve and brief the aim and design of the Stage 2 component.
• Using thestrengths of an additional method to overcome the weaknesses in another method by using both in a research study is also possible.
• Stronger evidence for a conclusion through convergence and corroboration of findings can be available through MMR. Moreover, it may bring understanding and comprehension that might be missed when only a single method is applied.
• A researcher can also use MMR to increase the generalizability of the results.
• It can be concluded that qualitative and quantitative research blended together create more entire knowledge necessary to notify theory and practice.

According to Johnson and Christensen, (2004, p. 647) what are the weaknesses of the MMR?

• A single researcher may have difficulty in carrying out both qualitative and quantitative research, especially if two or more approaches are expected to be done concurrently (i.e., the study might require a research team).
• The researcher has to learn about multiple methods and approaches and understand how to combine them appropriately.
• Methodological purists contend that one should always work within either a qualitative or quantitative paradigm.
• It is more expensive.
• It is more time-consuming.
• Some of the details of mixed research remain to be worked out fully by research methodologists (e.g., problems of paradigm mixing, techniques for qualitatively analyzing quantitative data, how to integrate data and inferences, and how to interpret conflicting results).

What are the requirements of doing MMR study?

Doing MMR study requires more time and expertise as collecting analyzing, and intepreting quantitative and qualitative data take more time than expected. Besides, MMR studies must be conducted by a team consisting of well-qualified researchers in both quantitative and qualitative paradigms.

What are the limitations of conducting MMR?

In respect of limitations, a single researcher may have some difficulties on conducting both qualitative and quantitative research when s/ he intends to use two or more ways all at once. Thus, a research team may be needed to get the best results. Furthermore, learning about multiple methods and approaches and understanding how to mix them aptly should be regarded as a must. Conducting MMR can also be more expensive, time consuming and may require formulating how to mix paradigm, analysing quantitative data or interpreting the paradoxical results by research methodologist.

What are the five research objectives both the qualitative and quantitative phases of each MMR study can be linked?

Five major standard research objectives are pertinent for the quantitative and qualitative phases of the study:

a) exploration

b) description

c)explanation

d) prediction

e) influence

What are the types of research questions in MMR?

Researchers can use separate questions, written in quantitative and qualitative strands of the study; general overarching mixed methods questions, addressed with both quantitative and qualitative approaches; hybrid mixed methods, in which one question is written with two distinct parts (one part addresses to quantitative and another part addresses to qualitative part); mixed methods procedural/mixing questions, directing the integration of the qualitative and quantitative strands of the study; and combination, in which questions are written separately both in qualitative and quantitative strands.

How are MMR research questions written?

MMR research questions can be written in a different way. Prevalently, at first the researcher can write the general goal of the study, then in accordance with this goal, qualitative and quantitative research questions are written separately.

What are the questions should the researchers answer to  determine their rationale for using a mixed design?

The researchers to answer the following questions:

What do you want to achieve by mixing quantitative and qualitative
approaches?

How will mixing approaches help you in answering your research questions?

In what ways can a researcher incorporate quantitative and qualitative methods ?

A researcher can incorporate quantitative and qualitative methods in a simultaneous, subsequent, conversion, parallel or completely blended 
approach.

What does participant enrichment mean?

It means making sampling better by blending quantitative and qualitative research approaches in order to select eligible participants for the study

What are the seven steps  that MMR sampling process consists of?

• Determine the Goal of the Study
• Formulate the Research Questions
• Determine the Resarch Purpose
• Determine the Research Questions
• Select the Research Design
• Select the Sampling Design
• Select the Individual Sampling Schemes

What does multilevel sampling refer to?

It refers to use of two or more sets of samples that are extracted from different levels of the population of interest.

What does identical sampling refer to?

Exactly the same participants are involved in both the and qualitative
phases of the study.

What are the mixed methods research designs?

Six basic mixed methods research designs are:

1. Convergent design

2. Explanatory design

3. Exploratory design

4. Embedded design

5. Transformative design

6. Multiphase design

What are the three categories for questionnaires?

Questionnaires can be seen in three categories. The first is the closed ended or structured ones, the second is open ended or unstructured ones, and the last is a mixture of closed ended and openended questionnaires.

What type of data can the researcher obtain from close ended questionnaries?

Closed ended questionnaires give the researcher quantitative or numerical data.

What are the stages of the mixed methods data analysis process within the MMR model?

These stages are respectively data reduction, data display, data transformation, data correlation, data consolidation, data comparison, and data integration.

What are the ten items thatmaybe functional during the interpretation of the findings of the MMR study?

1. Appropriateness of design
2. Reliability of design
3. Coherence inside the design
4. Analytical competence
5. Analytical cohesion
6. Conceptual coherence
7. Explicative concurrence
8. Analytical uniqueness
9. Combining efficiency
10. Exploratory agreement