Mixed methods & Presenting your Research

Question 1

What characterises quantitative research in terms of sample and purposes?

Answer 1

• Large sample
• Finding overall patterns
• Causality between social characteristics

Question 2

What characterises qualitative research in terms of sample and purposes?

Answer 2

• Small sample
• Explaining identified patterns
• In-depth understanding of people’s everyday realities

Question 3

What characterises the scientific paradigm and tradition of quantitative research?

Answer 3

• Positivist epistemology
• Objectivist ontology
• Deductive approach to theory-building
• Causality
• Generalization
• Replicability
• Theory testing

Question 4

What characterises the scientific paradigm and tradition of qualitative research?

Answer 4

• Interpretivist epistemology
• Constructivist ontology
• Inductive approach to theory-building
• Insider’s perspective
• Description
• Flexibility
• Grounded theory

Question 5

What are the commonalities between quantitative and qualitative research?

Answer 5

Both aim to
- understand the empirical world

• answer research questions
• study variations
• connect analysis and literature

Question 6

What is Cramer’s relation to quantitative and qualitative research (2016)?

Answer 6

• She comes from quantitative field (political science)
  “Much of what I learned in school was how to analyse causation”
• Moves away from positivist, towards interpretivist epistemology (ways of knowing)
  “My aim is to illuminate understanding, rather than establish causality”

Question 6

Why use mixed-methods?

Answer 6

1. Exploration
2. Triangulation
3. Expansion
4. Contextualisation

-> more complete image

Question 7

What does exploration refer to in mixed-methods research?

Answer 7

Extra step to focus in the main data collection, or create sub-samples

Question 8

What does triangulation refer to in mixed-methods research?

Answer 8

Multiple methods to answer one question

Question 9

What does expansion refer to in mixed-methods research?

Answer 9

Extra step to shed light on existing data

Question 10

What does the choice of using mixed-methods depend on?

Answer 10

• Research purpose
• Expertise
• Availability of time and money

Question 11

How can you sequence mixed-methods research?

Answer 11

• Sequential research
• Concurrent research

Question 12

What does sequential mixed-methods research consist of?

Answer 12

One method is based upon and follows after the other

Question 13

What does concurrent mixed-methods research consist of?

Answer 13

One part is not based on the results of the other
- can be done at the same time

Question 14

What are the possibilities in presenting your research (who and what)?

Answer 14

1. Fellow academics
   - journal articles, monographs, oral presentations, poster presentation
2. Policy or professional audiences
   - reports, policy briefs, formal advice
3. “broader public (identify whom)
   - films, exhibitions, videos, books, …
4. Your own research population

Question 15

Why do you need to adapt the way you present research findings to different audiences?

Answer 15

Each audience has a different interest in and relationship with your data

-> you need to adjust your message and format to that need