Essay on Mixed Methods Research

Over the years, in the field of research, there have typically been two research methods that have been employed in the majority of the studies carried out. These two approaches are the qualitative research approach and the quantitative approach. However, as more studies were carried out, researchers would incorporate some qualitative aspects in a quantitative research and vice versa. With increasing research endeavors, this practice was gradually accepted and embraced by a majority of researchers. Consequently, in the last decade, the mixed method research approach has been widely embraced and accepted; however, researchers have long been using this approach albeit not referring it to as the mixed methods approach. In this regard, the mixed method approach is viewed to be appropriate for a majority of research endeavors as it takes advantage of using both quantitative and qualitative research methods to delve deeper into a research problem. As such, it has gained growing popularity over the years.

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In examining the mixed methods research approach, some key features that distinguish it from other research methods present themselves. The major characteristic of the mixed methodology is the fact that it combines and makes use of the qualitative and quantitative approaches in that it includes both the qualitative and quantitative data in a single research study. In the activities of the of the mixed methodology, the approach can be characterized as the persuasive and rigorous collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data; integrating the two types of data concurrently by merging them, sequentially by having them build on each other or by embedding them onto each other; giving priority to one or both forms of the data as guided by the emphasis of the study and the research questions and; using the qualitative and quantitative procedures in a single study or in various stages of a program of the study.

Subsequently, the mixed method approach takes advantage of the advantages of the qualitative and quantitative approaches while minimizing on their individual drawbacks. One such advantage associated with qualitative approach is that it provides the researcher freedom to let the study unfold naturally while gaining more rich and detailed data at the initial stages when the researcher is unsure of what exactly to focus on. Also, it helps the researcher take advantage of the quantitative approach as it allows for the measuring and analysis of data to determine the relationship between the various variables. However, individually, the qualitative and quantitative approaches have limitations such as the introduction of the researchers bias in the case of the qualitative approach and ignoring the context of the study and the need for a larger sample in case of the quantitative approach.

It is thus because of these limitations among others that there has been a rise in the use of the mixed method research approach. This rise in the popularity of the mixed methodology was facilitated by the fact that researcher utilizing the either of the other approaches realized the need to combine these methods. For instance, quantitative researchers realized the need of qualitative data in their studies as this was the only way to put their studies into context and determine the meaning of data to the participants. Furthermore, qualitative researchers realized that reporting the qualitative views of a few individuals did not permit generalization of the findings to the population. As such, the rise in popularity in the use of the mixed methodology has been caused by the need to overcome the shortcomings of the quantitative and qualitative approach.