Dear colleagues,
I wonder if combining different research methods, namely literature review, semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaire survey will help to ensure validity and reliability of our qualitative study. This study is about studying the barriers and prospects for transition to renewables.
At the moment, I am not planning to statistically process the data gathered through questionnaire survey as I plan to use them in another article. I am planning to compare results received through literature review, interviews and questionnaire survey.
I am new in this area (qualitative research) and would appreciate your guidance very much. Am I on the right way or may be I need to choose a different direction. Thank you!
Multisource, multimethods can be valuable in research. One must connect the purpose/aims to the results. Determining sample/sample size of each part of the study, when each stage will be conducted, and use of each stages results are decisions in design. Then how do results integrate? Start with a basic design.
https://catalyst.harvard.edu/community-engagement/mmr/hcat_mmr_sm-6090567e0f943-60905896c80af-60e5fdbc2399e-60e5fdd8057fc-610bf777da6a0-610bf7808de24-610bf792228a4-610bf8685d8f5-610bf871cbea9/
Indeed multimethod research design helps in in understanding a phenomenon from different perspective and help in establishing the cause and effect/underlying variables for any behaviorand/or event .
Hello :)
The integration of various data sources is commonly referred to as mixed methods. When three sources are used, it's called data triangulation. Journals with a practical focus often highly value this type of methodology. Additionally, instead of a standard literature review, I recommend conducting a systematic literature review. Good Luck!
I agree that collecting both qualitative and quantitative data is the core definition of mixed methods research. Along with that, however, there is the need to integrate the results from the two different methods. In particular, you want to avoid simply presenting the qualitative results and quantitative results separately, as if you had done two different studies.
David L Morgan thanks a lot for your valuable comments! I, however, am not planning to statistically process the data gathered through questionnaire survey at the moment, i.e., am not planning to use a quantitative method. My plan is to limit myself to qualitative analysis only. And the question I ask whether this approach is valid. I just plan to compare the results of the data gathered through the interviews and the survey. I likely was not clear enough from the beginning.
David Coker Shashi Kant Singh Juliana Salvadorinho may be you can update your recommendations having this information.
Do what is coherent with your purposes. A stark minority of scholars claim mixed methods can be qual + qual. A more common name is multimethods. See especially Schoonenboom & Johnson below. Instead of getting hung up on language, focus on a systematic, rigorous design.
Schoonenboom, J., & Johnson, R. B. (2017). How to construct a mixed methods research design. Kolner Zeitschrift fur Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 69(Suppl 2), 107-131. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11577-017-0454-1
Johnson, R. B., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Turner, L. A. (2007). Toward a definition of mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), 112-133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689806298224
Here is an author that defines mixed mercies beyond strictly qual/quan. I think more important is well thought out designs, transparent decisions, integration of each phase, and limitations.
Alexander, V. D., Thomas, H., Cronin, A., Fielding, J., & Moran-Ellis, J. (2008). Mixed methods. Researching social life, 3, 125-144.
I am a bit confused when you say the you don't want to analyze your quantitative data statistically, but you do want to compare the results from the qualitative and quantitative data. Do you plan to use descriptive statistics such as percentages? Otherwise, how will you have quantitative results?
What I see is that if you don't intend to have a mixed methods study, then it's better to report your data in 3 separate papers. I don't see how you will compare a literature review reaults with the qualitative data. What philosophy will guide uch comparison?
You want a literature review as a method. The following article is a great way to systematically review the literature and has been used countless times. It is work!
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ981457.pdf
In my understanding there are various method for data collection, analysis and interpretation. For example gathering data using critical incident techniques and analyzing data by qualitative content analyses and phenomenoligical analysis may help in definging and validating outcome and so on. You can use trangulation of method, data and analysis.
Dear all, thanks very much for your answers!
David L Morgan yes, you are right. My plan is to use descriptive statistics such as percentages (obtained through the questionnaire survey) to reconfirm findings received from the interviews.
Abukari Kwame this is what I intend. With regard to your point "I don't see how you will compare a literature review reaults with the qualitative data": I would love to compare recommendations made in scientific literature with my interview and survey findings. Unfortunately, the body of literature relevant to my research objectives is quite limited. In any case, I will try my best.
@Shashi Kant Singh yes, I plan to triangulate.
Two things. First, if you want to claim you are doing mixed methods research, practitioners in that field will not count a literature review as a "method" because it does not produce any results. Second, if you do compare qualitative results with descriptive statistics, be sure to do so in a way that integrates the two, as I mentioned earlier.
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