There is some debate about this within the field of mixed methods, where many would not apply this label unless there was an integration of the results.

David L Morgan

Dear Prof. Morgan,

Thank you very much for your help. This is very useful for me.

Can I ask a relevant question? I want to quantify the qualitative data. But I'm a little worried that if I quantify the qualitative data, I may lose some information. Could you please recommend me some articles on when can we quantify the qualitative data? Thank you.

There is also debate about whether taking a purely qualitative study and "quantitizing" it amounts to mixed methods, but that is different from quantitizing qualitative data to make it comparable to quantitative data.

I have attached one of the better known articles on the overall topic of converting qualitative data to quantitative data.

For reasons of validity and corroboration, you can complement your results (Quan.) with your findings (Qual.), Presenting that in your discussion, and is not considered as a mixed method research! Mixed method requires an association between Quail and Quan in a single formulated research question to integrate.

David L Morgan

Dear Prof. Morgan,

Thank you very much for your answer and for sending me this article. This is really help for me. Thank you.

Bahram Shahedi

Dear Prof. Shahedi,

Many thanks to your answer. This is really helpful for me to know more about mixed-method approaches.

Bahram Shahedi I am not sure I am convinced about your statement, "Mixed method requires an association between Qual and Quan in a single formulated research question to integrate." In particular, I don't think that either exploratory sequential or explanatory sequential designs require a single research question.

Answering different questions without some sort of integration renders a study utilizing various methods into a multimethod design. For in-depth insights into the differences between mixed methods and multimethod research, you could refer to Morse (2003), fully cited below.

Morse, J. M. (2003). Principles of mixed methods and multimethod research design. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 189–208). Sage. https://books.google.com/books/about/Handbook_of_Mixed_Methods_in_Social_Beha.html?id=F8BFOM8DCKoC

Good luck,

David L Morgan, Thank you for your comment on my assertion. To Some degree, I agree with you. However, formulating the well thought combination of individual sequential research questions (exploratory sequential or explanatory sequential) based on purpose, on a single research project, clarify to strengthen the idea of what we actually need to integrate into a mixed research plan.

Although conventional approach to mixed designs (exploratory sequential or explanatory sequential designs), use separated questions, having separate questions is a warnable and problematic issue. In particular, for some novice researcher or Ph.D. candidate is a big challenge when they want to know precisely what to integrate in mixed method design. Research on mixed methods also calls for questions formulated in a mixed fashion as well.

Mohialdeen Alotumi

Thank you very much for your recommendation. This helps me know more about the differences between the two methods. Thank you.

Bahram Shahedi In my opinion, exploratory sequential and explanatory sequential designs only address one research question, the one posed by the primary (quantitative) method, which is why they are designated as qual --> QUAN and QUAN --> qual. For both designs, the goals of the supplementary qual studies are defined by the dominant QUAN study, and integration is essentially taken care of from the beginning.

Depends on nature of your philosophy of research

Yes! Mixed-methods research is a type of research that combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The purpose of using both methods is to provide a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the research question. The quantitative method is focused on collecting numerical data that can be analyzed statistically to identify patterns or relationships between variables, while the qualitative method is focused on collecting non-numerical data through open-ended interviews, observations, or documents, which can provide insights into the meaning and interpretation of the research question.

In mixed-methods research, the quantitative and qualitative methods can be used in different ways. For example, a study may use a quantitative method to collect data on the prevalence of a particular health condition among a population, and then use qualitative methods to explore the experiences and perspectives of individuals affected by the condition. The quantitative data can provide an overview of the extent of the problem, while the qualitative data can provide a more nuanced understanding of the impact of the condition on individuals and their families.

Another example of mixed-methods research is a study that uses a quantitative survey to collect data on the effectiveness of a new teaching method, and then uses qualitative interviews with teachers and students to explore their experiences and opinions of the new teaching method. The quantitative data can provide information on the overall effectiveness of the teaching method, while the qualitative data can provide insights into why the method was effective or not, and what changes could be made to improve it.

In both of these examples, the quantitative and qualitative methods are used to address different research questions, but they are combined to provide a more complete understanding of the topic being studied. Mixed-methods research can be used in many fields, including education, psychology, health sciences, social sciences, and business.