The mixed design approach (Quantitative & Qualitative) could be applied in three sequences:

1- Conducting (Quantitative & Qualitative) concurrently for the sake of triangulation.

2- Conducting the Quantitative R first and then conducting the qualitative R. This sequence enables researchers to better understand and interpret the quantitative results.

3- Conducting the Qualitative R first and then conducting the quantitative R. The qualitative R could help researchers explore some interesting variables and then they could investigate the relationships among these variables using the quantitative methods.

I think it gives you much richer data, especially in my fields of interest.

Because we can apply more strength in the results.

I agree with Lain Lawrite

Dear Fatimah, I personally prefer to undertake qualitative research as complete pure project, so my favorite option of perchance "mixing" would be by leading quantitative and qualitative researches by different researchers (in the same team) for achieving higher values of triangulation and trustworthiness. I'm not proponent of other "mixing ways", because I'm aware, that mixing will only serve as qual - quant analysis of data, but entire conceptual framwork must be formulated before in quantitative or qualitative traditions, according to paradigm researcher has in his mind.

The mixed design approach (Quantitative & Qualitative) could be applied in three sequences:

1- Conducting (Quantitative & Qualitative) concurrently for the sake of triangulation.

2- Conducting the Quantitative R first and then conducting the qualitative R. This sequence enables researchers to better understand and interpret the quantitative results.

3- Conducting the Qualitative R first and then conducting the quantitative R. The qualitative R could help researchers explore some interesting variables and then they could investigate the relationships among these variables using the quantitative methods.

I agree with you all. But your opinions Beata and Saed are very interesting. I think I'm a pragmatic or in the paradigm approach. Even so, i am a bit inclining to quan rather than qual. I guess it all depends on the data collected perhaps? I'm still unsure in all these.

Fatima, I also think that the value of doing mixed methods research comes from combining the strengths of different methods. However, this requires careful attention to research design, so that you can indeed "integrate" the results from different methods.

So, start by asking yourself why you are inclining toward the quant side, so you can clarify the goals that you would achieve with that set of methods. Then ask yourself how the strengths of qualitative methods could contribute to what you would accomplish by using the quantitative method by itself.

In other words, how do you produce a workable plan that will successful bring the two different methods together, to produce better results than you would get from using just one method?

Thanks Prof. Morgan, will work on that. ;)

The use of qualitative or quantitative research usually depends on your research objectives. I have colleagues who consider Qualitative R. better than the Quantitative R., and other colleagues think the other way round. I have done both types of research, and when I teach my students about research, I just give them the positives points and negative points. When you ask about mixed methods, it reminds me of what Beata said about triangulation. You can triangulate with theories, population or the sample, techniques and instruments, so why not triangulate with methods? The idea of triangulation is to be able to see from different angles a problem therefore the data is much richer, like Iain said. But some people think that Quantitative R. is anything that involves numbers, but some research that involve numbers (this may be descriptive statistics) and not statistical analysis is still Qualitative R. So if you want to combine descriptive statistics in you research and observation, for example, that does enrich you results. The use of triangulation is excellent in Qualitative research, I recommend it!

Here are some interesting books:

Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches) [by John W. Creswell]

Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social & Behavioral Research [Abbas Tashakkori (Editor), Charles Teddlie (Editor)]

Saed

Interesting discussion. Quantitative can offer an indication of how prevelant is the phenomenon under study whereas qualitative a detailed account of its particularities. Combining approaches can lead to a more representative account of what is studied.

Thanks to everyone for this discussion! I'm writing up a thesis at the moment for a Masters in Medical Education and have been ploughing through articles on this topic, but this thread has helped much more!

I think the key point is integration of information gathered in order to provide a more rounded or complete answer to the question being posed. I especially liked David Morgan's comment about being able to combine the strengths of different methods.

Off to write more on my methodology!

Thanks for the good words, Iain.

On the topic of "integration," you might want to look at a special issue of Health Services Research from December 2013 on this topic. In particular, there is an article by Fetters, Curry, & Creswell that lists just about every form of integration that has been considered within mixed methods.

Personally, I would say that integration has been the biggest topic in the field over the past few years, without a lot of resolution so far. The easiest thing to say at this point is that some research designs offer a smoother path to integration than others.

Agreed with all the previous authors' comments that mixed methods research can add value in our research at the same time we need to know  the research objective as this will drive which research method we should use.  However, want to also share the following points that I'd experienced:

1) Good to Know / Experience / Expose to Mixed Methods Research - especially when we approach a new research whereby research problem / objective is not clear / firm up yet in which we can wear different hats i.e. quantitative, qualitative & mixed methods to evaluate what is the best approach to conduct the research.  Hence, understanding various research methods can help a researcher to see issues from different angles in a more balanced manner before embarking on a particular research method.

2) Know How to Defend / Justify Your Research Method - Remembered during my days of PhD colloquium & research proposal defense, my university's panel always like to ask question why candidate sticks to one research method & didn't explore other methods?  what are the advantages and disadvantages of each method etc.  Hence, knowing various methods' strengths & weaknesses and how to provide the right justification can save a candidate in clearing his / her a research defense (I find that understanding different methods takes times & various qualitative methods are more difficult to pick up for people get use to quantitative methods)

3) Take Note Some Researchers Do Not Like to Mix - Came across some scholars / researchers not agreed to mix because to them black is black and white is white and they don't agreed grey is adding value.  Understanding various research methods also helping me how to handle / interact with them tactfully.

4) Sometimes Mixed Methods Research Depletes the Rigor of either Quantitative & Qualitative Research - Some researches / scholars finding mixed methods might deplete the rigor of a research in which number of pages for a thesis / article normally are being delimited within a range.  Hence, detailed analyses & discussions might be shortened / de-emphasized.  I find a mixed methods research article usually take longer pages & more efforts to complete.  Moreover, in order to conduct a mixed methods research, some researches might down-play the rigor of quantitative statistics.  E.g., merely using descriptive statistics in a qualitative research might not be accepted by examiners / reviewers as mixed methods in which rigorous inference statistics need to be employed.

Thank you! Appreciate your feedback.

Dear Fatimah, I think that the use of mixed method research is a way to support the weaknesses of each approach and provide a more solid case: For example, if the number of cases is small quantitive research will tend to use qualitative information to back the findings; or if the research is qualitative then quantitive information to support it may give it more credibility.  I  think you may find the ideas on my paper interesting as I took a look at this situation in the context of how to deal methological with critical problems in developing countries.

Non-Traditional Research Methods and Regional Planning Needs in Developing Countries: Is there an Ideal Methodology?

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26422725_Non-Traditional_Research_Methods_and_Regional_Planning_Needs_in_Developing_Countries_Is_there_an_Ideal_Methodology

Wish the information is helpful.

Article Non-Traditional Research Methods and Regional Planning Needs...

Simply because you reach conclusions which are more valid without being lesser in generalization.