An Introduction to Mixed Methods Research prepared for presentation to post graduate students at the University of Canterbury

1. Mixed Methods Research
Arindam Basu
Prepared for PG Meeting,
University of Canterbury,
http://arinbasu.wordpress.com

2. Three Scenarios
• Inter-professional Training
• Colorectal Cancer Screening
• Teaching of Telehealth to Physicians
How Can Qualitative alone, Quantitative Research alone, or a combination meet
the needs of research questions pursued?

3. Interprofessional Education
• Different Professions, Same Trainees
• Different Professionals Train the Same People
• How does one learn about effectiveness of the
education process?
• Whose Perspective? (Trainers? Trainees?
External Stakeholders?)
• How Do We Measure Outputs?
• Can Everything Be Measured?

4. How Does One Measure the Effectiveness of Inter-professional Training?

5. Screening For Colorectal Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer is a
leading cause of cancer and
kill people
• If this cancer can be
detected when it the
tumour is very small and
localized, then it can be
safely removed
• That detection is done
using a stool test called
guaiac test.
• What’s the best strategy?
Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/colon_cancer/article.htm

6. What Does One Measure?
The Patient (Suffering, Convenience, How Easy)
Ministry of Health (Payer)
How Economical?
How Many False Cases
for reasons of logistics
How Many People should
be Screened To Identify
One case?
The Physician (Provider)
How best will the
screening test perform?
Sensitivity? Specificity?

7. What is the Effectiveness of Telehealth
Training for Physicians?
Trainees (Physicians)
Stakeholders (MoH)
Trainers (Teaching Physicians)

8. The Truth Out There (Descriptive
Data, Relationships)
The Participants Who
Contribute to the Truth
Seeking Process
* Patients
•Members. Public
• Preconceptions
• Life Story ...
The Investigator Who
Investigates “The Truth”
• Belief
• Previous Ideas
• “Need” for “Positive” Findings

9. The Truth Out There (Descriptive
Data, Relationships)
1. Rule Out Chance
2. Control for
Confounding
3. Eliminate Bias
4. Test for
Causality (where
Needed)
Quantitative Research
Dissociates the Investigator
from His “Biases”
The Participants Who
Contribute to the Truth
Seeking Process
* Patients
•Members. Public
• Preconceptions
• Life Story ...
The Investigator Who
Investigates “The Truth”
• Belief
• Previous Ideas
• “Need” for “Positive” Findings

10. The Truth Out There (Descriptive
Data, Relationships)
The Participants Who
Contribute to the Truth
Seeking Process
* Patients
•Members. Public
• Preconceptions
• Life Story ...
Qualitative
Research:
integration
between the
Researcher, Resear
chee , Researched
The Investigator Who
Investigates “The Truth”
• Belief
• Previous Ideas
• “Need” for “Positive” Findings

11. The Truth Out There (Descriptive
Data, Relationships)
Quantitative Research
The Participants Who
Contribute to the Truth
Seeking Process
* Patients
•Members. Public
• Preconceptions
• Life Story ...
Qualitative Research
The Investigator Who
Investigates “The Truth”
• Belief
• Previous Ideas
• “Need” for “Positive” Findings

12. The Reality (Interprofessional Education
Improves Student Outcomes )
Survey of trainees
Items on
questionnaires
Tallying Numbers
Quantitative Research
The Participants Who
Contribute to the Truth
Seeking Process
* Students narrate their
experiences
Qualitative Research
The Investigator Who
Investigates “The Truth”
• Belief
• Previous Ideas
• “Need” for “Positive” Findings

13. The Reality (Telehealth Education
through distance improves care
process)
Pass/Fail Statistics
Student
Performance
Carbon Saving
Quantitative Research
Trainees tell their
Stories on how well
They did and what they
felt
Qualitative Research
The Investigator Who
Investigates “The Truth”
• Belief
• Previous Ideas
• “Need” for “Positive” Findings

14. The Reality (Telehealth Education
through distance improves care
process)
Pass/Fail Statistics
Student
Performance
Carbon Saving
Quantitative Research
Trainees tell their
Stories on how well
They did and what they
felt
Qualitative Research
The Investigator Who
Investigates “The Truth”
• Belief
• Previous Ideas
• “Need” for “Positive” Findings
These Diverse Views of the World Are Reconciled in Mixed Methods Research

15. In Mixed Methods
Qualitative
Quantitative
Sequential (Could Be Reversed)
Qualitative
Quantitative
Concurrent, this Can Happen
At the Same Time

16. Balance Between Three
How Much Quantitative
Versus Qualitative?
What is the Sequence?
Is it Partially or Fully
Mixed Methods?

17. Research Cycle
Conceptualize (Proposal)
Collect Data
Collect Data
Interpret Data
Analyze Data

18. Typology of Mixed Methods

19. An Example from a Recent Study

20. Reporting of a Mixed Methods

21. Reporting of Mixed Methods
(Continued …)

22. Conclusion
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Qualitative + Quantitative = Mixed Methods
Qualitative: subjective, perspective dependent
Quantitative: objective, neutral view of truth
Mixed: Captures “Truth” both ways
Sequential or Concurrent
Full or Partial
Dominant or Non-dominant

23. References
Borkan, J. M. (2004). Mixed Methods Studies : A Foundation, 4–6.
doi:10.1370/afm.111.wo
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Turner, L. A. (2007). Toward a Definition of Mixed Methods
Research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), 112–133.
doi:10.1177/1558689806298224
Leech, N. L., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2007). A typology of mixed methods research designs.
Quality & Quantity, 43(2), 265–275. doi:10.1007/s11135-007-9105-3
Lingard, L., Albert, M., & Levinson, W. (2008). Grounded theory , mixed methods , and
action research, 337(August), 459–461. doi:10.1136/bmj.39602.690162.47
O’Cathain, A., Murphy, E., & Nicholl, J. (2007). Why, and how, mixed methods research is
undertaken in health services research in England: a mixed methods study. BMC health
services research, 7, 85. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-7-85
Sale, J. E. M., & Brazil, K. (2002). Revisiting the Quantitative-Qualitative Debate :
Implications for Mixed-Methods Research, 43–53.