What is the difference between qualitative quantitative and mixed methods research questions?

Chapter 3: Developing a Research Question

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Quantitative Research Approaches
Qualitative Research Approaches
Qualitative Quantitative Mixed Methods
What are the core mixed methods research designs?
1. Convergent design
2. Explanatory sequential design
3. Exploratory sequential design
What are the steps for conducting mixed methods research?
Determine whether mixed methods research is appropriate
Determine your purpose
Select the most appropriate design
Collect qualitative and quantitative data.
Analyze the collected data.
Write the research report
Mixed methods research examples
Qualitative analysis doesn't have to be overwhelming
Take Delve's free online course to learn how to find themes and patterns in your qualitative data. Get started here.
Advantages of mixed methods research
Disadvantages of mixed methods research
Try Delve Qualitative Analysis Tool
References:
How and why are quantitative qualitative and mixed methods research questions different?
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative questions?
What is a mixed methods research question?
What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative researches?

Generally speaking, qualitative and quantitative approaches are the most common methods utilized by researchers. While these two approaches are often presented as a dichotomy, in reality it is much more complicated. Certainly, there are researchers who fall on the more extreme ends of these two approaches, however most recognize the advantages and usefulness of combining both methods (mixed methods). In the following sections we look at quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodological approaches to undertaking research. Table 2.3 synthesizes the differences between quantitative and qualitative research approaches.

Quantitative Research Approaches

A quantitative approach to research is probably the most familiar approach for the typical research student studying at the introductory level. Arising from the natural sciences, e.g., chemistry and biology), the quantitative approach is framed by the belief that there is one reality or truth that simply requires discovering, known as realism. Therefore, asking the “right” questions is key. Further, this perspective favours observable causes and effects and is therefore outcome-oriented. Typically, aggregate data is used to see patterns and “truth” about the phenomenon under study. True understanding is determined by the ability to predict the phenomenon.

Qualitative Research Approaches

On the other side of research approaches is the qualitative approach. This is generally considered to be the opposite of the quantitative approach. Qualitative researchers are considered phenomenologists, or human-centred researchers. Any research must account for the humanness, i.e., that they have thoughts, feelings, and experiences that they interpret of the participants. Instead of a realist perspective suggesting one reality or truth, qualitative researchers tend to favour the constructionist perspective: knowledge is created, not discovered, and there are multiple realities based on someone’s perspective. Specifically, a researcher needs to understand why, how and to whom a phenomenon applies. These aspects are usually unobservable since they are the thoughts, feelings and experiences of the person. Most importantly, they are a function of their perception of those things rather than what the outside researcher interprets them to be. As a result, there is no such thing as a neutral or objective outsider, as in the quantitative approach. Rather, the approach is generally process-oriented. True understanding, rather than information based on prediction, is based on understanding action and on the interpretive meaning of that action.

Table 3.3 Differences between quantitative and qualitative approaches (from Adjei, n.d).

Quantitative	Qualitative
Tests hypotheses that the researcher generates	Discovers and encapsulates meanings once the researcher becomes immersed in the data.
Concepts are in the form of distinct variables.	Concepts tend to be in the form of themes, motifs, generalizations, and taxonomies. However, the objective is still to generate concepts.
Measures are systematically created before data collection and are standardized as far as possible; e.g. measures of job satisfaction	Measures are more specific and may be specific to the individual setting or researcher; e.g. a specific scheme of values.
Data are in the form of numbers from precise measurement	Data are in the form of words from documents, observations, and transcripts. However, quantification is still used in qualitative research
Theory is largely causal and is deductive.	Theory can be causal or non-causal and is often inductive
Procedures are standard, and replication is assumed.	Research procedures are particular and replication is difficult.
Analysis proceeds by using statistics, tables, or charts and discussing how they relate to hypotheses.	Analysis proceeds by extracting themes or generalizations from evidence and organizing data to present a coherent, consistent picture. These generalizations can then be used to generate hypotheses

Qualitative Quantitative Mixed Methods

Mixed methods research is a research method that combines and integrates qualitative and quantitative research methods in a single research study. It involves collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to understand a phenomenon better and answer the research questions.

The central premise of using mixed methods research is that it makes the most of the strengths of each data type while neutralizing their weaknesses. Researchers combine qualitative and quantitative methods to expand their evidence, improve the credibility of their findings, and illustrate the results from one method with the results from the other one.

What are the core mixed methods research designs?

The three core mixed methods research designs are convergent design, explanatory sequential design, and exploratory sequential design. Let’s take a look at these three types of mixed methods research designs:

1. Convergent design

Convergent design is a type of mixed methods research in which you collect quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously and analyze them separately. After the analysis, you then combine or compare the results to draw a conclusion. Convergent design is used when there is a need to compare statistical results with qualitative findings to understand the research problem better. Researchers also use this mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods design to validate and illustrate qualitative findings with quantitative results.

2. Explanatory sequential design

Explanatory sequential design is a type of mixed methods research in which you first collect and analyze quantitative data and then follow the results up with a qualitative phase. In this approach, researchers implement the qualitative phase to explain initial quantitative results in more depth.

3. Exploratory sequential design

Exploratory sequential design is a type of mixed methods research design in which you collect and analyze qualitative data and then follow up your results with a quantitative phase. This mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods design aims to explore a phenomenon before deciding which variables you need to measure quantitatively.

What are the steps for conducting mixed methods research?

There is no clear-cut procedure for conducting a study using mixed methods. However, you can conduct mixed methods research by following the steps below:

Determine whether mixed methods research is appropriate

The first step is to determine whether mixed methods research is appropriate for answering your questions and offer the best kind of evidence you need for your research study.

Determine your purpose

Determine the purpose you want to achieve by using mixed methods research design. Is it to use the results from one data type to corroborate, expand, develop, or complement the other?

Select the most appropriate design

Select the most appropriate design out of the three types of mixed methods research designs.

Convergent design is suitable when you need both qualitative and quantitative data, have limited time to collect the data, and must gather the required data in one visit.
Explanatory design is appropriate if the research problem is quantitatively oriented and the variables and instruments required for the research are available.
Exploratory design is best when the variables are unknown and the instruments needed are not available. This is also the best mixed methods research approach to use if there is no guiding theory for the study.

Collect qualitative and quantitative data.

Collect the qualitative and quantitative data you’ll analyze. Check our our guide to qualitative methods to learn about different ways to collect qualitative data.

Analyze the collected data.

Analyze the collected data. You can use the Delve qualitative data analysis tool to quickly and rigorously analyze your qualitative data. You can then export the data into spreadsheets to analyzed it along with your quantitative data.

Write the research report

Validate and interpret the data and write your research report.

Mixed methods research examples

Here is a real world mixed methods research example to help you better understand this research approach.

In Newman, Shell, Ming, Jianping, and Mass’ paper on adolescent alcohol use, the researchers used the mixed methods research approach to understand the characteristics of adolescents who drink and don’t drink alcohol. The researchers utilized exploratory sequential design. They started by collecting and analyzing qualitative data sourced through in-depth interviews, discussions, and observations to develop a clear view of the behaviour from the participants’ perspective.

Then the researchers used the qualitative findings to design survey instruments used to collect quantitative data to explore the behavior in more detail and with a bigger sample. Using mixed methods research, the researchers gained a better understanding of this health-related behaviour and provided insights on how to reduce alcohol-related risks among young adults.

Qualitative analysis doesn't have to be overwhelming

Take Delve's free online course to learn how to find themes and patterns in your qualitative data. Get started here.

Advantages of mixed methods research

The main benefit of using mixed methods research is that you get the best of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This approach allows you to use the strength of one data type to mitigate the weakness of the other.

Mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods are less tied to established research paradigms, so they are flexible to use.
Mixed methods research allows you to tackle a broad range of research questions. This is because you are not limited to a research method.
This approach helps researchers get stronger evidence to collaborate their findings.
Mixed methods research gives researchers a complete understanding of the topic or phenomenon under study.

Disadvantages of mixed methods research

Mixed methods research requires collecting and analyzing two types of data, so it is labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Results from mixed methods research can be difficult to interpret if you get different results from the two data types.
Mixed methods research requires you to understand multiple methods and how to combine them appropriately.

Try Delve Qualitative Analysis Tool

The Delve qualitative analysis tool can streamline the code for your qualitative data and help you to analyze data. Start a free trial of Delve today!

References:

Newman, I; Shell, D; Ming, Q; Jianping, X; Maas, M. (2006). Adolescent Alchohol Use: Mixed Methods Research Approach. Educational Psychology Papers and Publications.
Johnson, R; Schoonenboom, J. (2017). How to Construct a Mixed Methods Research Design. Kolner Z Soz Sozpsychol.
Molina-Azorin, F. (2016). Mixed methods research: An opportunity to improve our studies and our research skills. European Journal of Management and Business Economics.

How and why are quantitative qualitative and mixed methods research questions different?

Mixed methods research uses quantitative and qualitative information in order to answer a research question. Quantitative research involves the analysis of numerical data that can be used for statistical analysis, while qualitative research involves collecting data for exploratory purposes or to find common themes.

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative questions?

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings. Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses. Qualitative methods allow you to explore concepts and experiences in more detail.

What is a mixed methods research question?

Generally speaking, mixed methods research questions are questions that embed both a quantitative research question and a qualitative research question within the same question. That is, mixed methods research questions combine or mix both the quantitative and qualitative research questions.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative researches?

As qualitative and quantitative studies collect different data, their data collection methods differ considerably. Quantitative studies rely on numerical or measurable data. In contrast, qualitative studies rely on personal accounts or documents that illustrate in detail how people think or respond within society.