Mixed Methods

Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data: Index creation using fuzzy-set QCA

by Bettina Trueb

Accepted in "Quality and Quantity"

Trial by Fire: Natural Hazards, Mixed-Methods and Cultural Research

by Nicholas Gill

With Christine Eriksen and Ross Bradstock, 2011, Australian Geographer, 42(1), 17-38.

This paper considers the issues of research ‘relevance’ and ‘use’ to reflect
upon a cultural geography research... more This paper considers the issues of research ‘relevance’ and ‘use’ to reflect
upon a cultural geography research project on bushfire that did not begin with any specific aim of being useful to policy makers but which has garnered considerable and ongoing interest from a broad audience. It provides an example of how the integration of quantitative and qualitative research methods and data can enhance research into cultural
aspects of natural hazards whilst simultaneously playing a key role in ensuring that the research results are of interest to a wide range of groups. Using a mixed-methods research approach was found to provide insight into complex factors that influence attitudes and actions towards bushfire amongst diverse landholders in rural-rban interface areas in
south-east Australia. We argue that mixed-methods research is a powerful tool in building and enhancing a cultural geography that has policy relevance, retains analytical depth, and is acceptable to risk managers. The ability of cultural geography through mixed methods research to illuminate how socio-cultural processes are central to environmental attitudes and preparedness behaviour has direct relevance to recent international discussions of how to manage the vulnerability of the growing number of people living in
bushfire-prone rural-urban interface areas.

Ignorant, Stupid or Insane Revisited: A Cultural Psychological Study of Creationism

by Joseph Tennant

For personal interest only, unpublished findings.

Towards a Mixed Method Social History: Combining Quantatitve and Qualitative Methods in the Study of Collective Biography

by Gidon Cohen

with Kevin Morgan and Andrew Flinn, in K.B.S. Keats-Rohan (ed.) A Guide to Prosopography (2008)

Although the possibility of mixing qualitative and quantitative research has excited considerable interest in a range... more Although the possibility of mixing qualitative and quantitative research has excited considerable interest in a range of academic disciplines, it has aroused limited discussion by historians. This article argues that reticence which stems from the limited and problematic material available to historians may be misplaced. Focussing on the new computerised methods in collective biography, the article begins by explaining how a database containing very partial biographical information about atypical individuals, containing large chunks of at most partially coded textual material, can be viewed as ‘structured qualitative data’. It then confronts scepticism about the analysis of such information from both qualitative and quantitative historians, arguing that using such a dataset can enhance qualitative investigation without preventing rigorous quantitative analysis. The article then investigates the significance of mixing methods in the context of ongoing debates about the nature of historical research. It argues that when appropriate techniques are used, historical explanations can be developed which are sensitive to complexity and subjectivity whilst remaining clear, precise and testable. Thus, it suggests, using mixed method approaches can take investigation beyond what is possible with either method individually, enabling historians to develop more satisfactory explanations of forms of association in the past.

Assessing Emotional Intelligence and its impact in caring professions: the value of a mixed-methods approach in emotional intelligence work with teachers

by Roisin Corcoran

There has been a growing interest in the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) since it was first identified by Mayer... more There has been a growing interest in the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) since it was first identified by Mayer and Salovey (Mayer & Salovey, 1997; Salovey & Mayer, 1990). The concept is one that has attracted many claims including the view that it can be assessed using pen and paper type tests (as with more traditional ‘intelligence’ models) and that it can predict one or another type of success in life, including academic success. One early account of emotional intelligence – now widely critiqued – even claimed that it “can matter more than IQ” (Goleman, 1995). Even if claims of this magnitude are no longer held to be justifiable, they have in many ways contributed to the popular excitement surrounding the concept. Consequently, academic researchers and theorists are thinking about the concept more critically and using more sophisticated methods of test design, interpretation and application.
Considerations stemming from such debate and concern has led to the development of a number of pen and paper type tests that claim to measure emotional intelligence (though in many cases the concept that is being measured is defined differently and the results of these tests are not really comparable in the way in which different tests of traditional intelligence models would claim to be). At the same time, theorists such as Gardner (1983, 1993) have argued that there is a need for more portfolio forms of assessment for non-traditional intelligences, while others (Sternberg, 1988; Sternberg, Castejón, Prieto, Hautamäki, & Grigorenko, 2001; Thoma, 2002) have argued that there is a need for tests to be framed in more domain specific ways if they are to validly assess cognitive operations. Corcoran  (2011) highlights the importance of crossing methodological boundaries when conducting research on emotion and show how being methodologically ecumenical, that is embracing both quantitative and qualitative methods, can help to make sense of what is actually being measured by such psychometric approaches. Indeed numerous researchers (Denzin, 1984; Sutton & Wheatley, 2003; Zembylas & Schutz, 2009) working on emotion have argued that qualitative or mixed-methods research which offers multi-perspectival answers is now needed in order to understand what is being measured by such tests. A considerable body of research into the impact of having emotional intelligence has also attracted attention to the area. The strength of this research, in many ways, lies in the link between scores on emotional intelligence tests and outcome measures such as performance in work or in other aspects of life (Bar-On, 1997b; Goleman, 1995; Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002b). Much of the focus in this has been in the use of emotional intelligence measures by management consultants, meaning many studies have been conducted in the context of organisational research and managerial practice with comparatively little attention been given to “caring” professions such as teaching where emotional intelligence is argued to be important (Brackett, Palomera, Mojsa-Kaja, Reyes, & Salovey, 2010; Corcoran & Tormey, 2010; Sutton & Wheatley, 2003). This is all the more important since what data exists on emotional intelligence and teachers suggests that, during their preservice stages of teacher education at least, they typically have a level of emotional intelligence significantly below the average for the wider population (Corcoran & Tormey, 2010, in press). What, then, can be meaningfully said about the ways in which emotionally intelligent people would perform differently than less emotionally intelligent people in a profession like teaching?
This chapter will address these two major issues which are at the cutting edge of emotional intelligence research today. Following an introduction the next section will evaluate the literature on the use of quantitative approaches to measuring emotional intelligence and will highlight the view that, in order to better understand and contextualise quantitative data on emotional intelligence, qualitative data is also needed. The subsequent section will give a brief overview of the literature on the impact of having emotional intelligence and identify that this too is an area that remains in need of urgent attention from researchers. The final section will present data from the largest ever research study that addresses both these issues. This study, based on the Mayer and Salovey (1997) model of emotional intelligence, will show how the qualitative data highlights the gaps and limitations of relying solely on quantitative data (as measured by the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, MSCEIT; Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002a), particularly in assessing the extent to which people have developed their emotional capacities. Drawing on interviews from student teachers undertaking a practicum, it will highlight the extent to which students who had undertaken a short emotional intelligence skills program were able to bring a more sophisticated set of emotional intelligence understandings and skills to their practice when compared to those who did not receive such training on emotional intelligence. The chapter will conclude by highlighting the areas in which future researchers should be focusing their attention.

Models of integration: The promises and pitfalls of combining quantitative and qualitative research

by Saul Schwartz

World Development (2007)
with A. London and E. Scott

An introduction to mixed methods research

by Áine Humble

Byrne, J., & Humble, A. (2006). An introduction to mixed methods research. Retrieved March 16, 2012, from Atlantic Research Centre for Family-Work Issues webpage: http://www.msvu.ca/site/media/msvu/MixedMethodologyHandout.pdf (4 pages)

Food and nutrition in Embera indigenous people

by Javier Rosique

By Javier Rosique, Aída Gálvez, María Teresa Restrepo, Luz Mariela Manjarrés and Erika Valencia

In Loshini Naidoo (ed.) An Ethnography of Global Landscapes and Corridors, InTech, 2012, ISBN: 978-953-51-0254-0

Parental information use in the context of newborn bloodspot screening. An exploratory mixed methods study.

by Stuart Nicholls

Co authored with Kevin W Southern. Published in Journal of Community Genetics

Objective: To investigate how parents select and use information sources when considering newborn bloodspot... more Objective: To investigate how parents select and use information sources when considering newborn bloodspot screening
Methods: Mixed methods approach using semi-structured interviews [n=18] and a selfcompletion
postal questionnaire [n=154] conducted with parents of children who had undergone newborn bloodspot screening. Qualitative data was assessed using a thematic analysis approach with quantitative data analyzed using multinomial logistic
regression.
Results: Parents used a limited range of information. In the UK, maternity services are largely delivered by the midwife and the healthcare practitioner was the main information source for parents, with only half of parents using official health service
leaflets. Barriers included the provision of information post-natally and with other nonhealthcare
materials. Neither number of children, age group, education level, nor income were significantly associated with the number of information sources used. Nor were they associated with the information source indicated as most important.
Conclusion: The midwife is well placed to act as a gatekeeper for parents seekinginformation about newborn bloodspot screening. Even when additional sources are used, the midwife remains a prominent source of information. Furthermore, the use of written materials is dependent upon appropriate delivery and consequently delivery is essential to information use.

Papathanassis, A. (2011). Guest-to-guest interaction on board cruise ships: Exploring social dynamics and the role of situational factors, Tourism Management, doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2011.11.016

by Alexis Papathanassis

Cruise ships are increasing in size, itineraries are becoming more standardised, and new customer segments are... more Cruise ships are increasing in size, itineraries are becoming more standardised, and new customer segments are emerging. These factors induce a new social reality and represent a potential differentiator for the production and offering of cruise experiences. In this light, the study of guest-to-guest interactions will expectedly gain importance over time for cruise planning and operations. This explorative-interpretative study is divided into two phases. First, a survey of 173 randomly-selected respondents aimed at comparing the significance of social interaction on board, with that of other cruise product features. Social interaction emerged as a secondary issue and no significant differences were identified between customer categories. However, a deeper exploration of the collected data questioned this finding. Subsequently, the analysis of 76 semi-structured interviews resulted to a tentative model of factors affecting satisfaction with the interaction between guests on board. Finally, suggestions for further research and practical implications are discussed.

A Sign of Things to Come?: The Collapse of the Liberal Democrats at the Scottish Election 2011

by Craig McAngus

Conference paper for the PSA annual conference, Belfast, 2012

Co-authored with Peter Lynch

This paper will examine the performance of the Liberal Democrats at the Scottish election of 2011. Scotland has long... more This paper will examine the performance of the Liberal Democrats at the Scottish election of 2011. Scotland has long been an area that provides a considerable percentage of the party's Westminster parliamentary group as well as its leading figures, so electoral problems there have ramifications for the party as a whole. The paper will explore the background to the 2011 campaign, the nature of the party's campaign messages in 2011 and the effects of the party's position in the coalition government on its electoral performance. The paper will also use data from the 1999, 2003 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey and the 2007 Scottish Election Surveys to identify the nature of support for the Liberal Democrats to develop a model of voting to compare with the party's support at the British level of elections. Some preliminary analysis using the 2011 Scottish Election Study will also feature. The paper will also look at the lessons of the Scottish election for the Liberal Democrats more widely and the party's electoral future.

Workshop—Challenges to using mixed methods research in engineering education

by Erin Crede

Special session—Mixed methods in engineering education: Developing research questions and mixing tables

by Erin Crede

PROYECTO DE TESIS DE MAGISTER (2008)

by Kerwin A. Livingstone

This is my Master's the proposal/project for my Master's Degree thesis. This project was defended on March 31, 2008. This paved for the way for the elaboration of the actual thesis.

En el área de la investigación sobre la adquisición de L2, un problema fundamental es que investigadores y profesores... more En el área de la investigación sobre la adquisición de L2, un problema fundamental es que investigadores y profesores de lenguas focalizados en la adquisición de L2 (Lee, 2000; Sheen, 1994; Willis, 1996; Skehan 1998) buscan obtener muestras auténticas del uso de la lengua de los aprendices. Necesitan que estos ejemplos sean representativos de la manera cómo actúan los aprendices de manera natural, para así investigar cómo se produce el aprendizaje de L2. Para los profesores de lenguas, estos modelos son de gran utilidad, pues son tanto un medio para ayudar a los estudiantes a aprender como una evidencia de un proceso de aprendizaje exitoso. Además, es importante señalar que estos patrones de habla que producen los alumnos varían según el grado de centralización que ellos tienen en el uso correcto de la lengua.


A la luz de lo mencionado, el objetivo principal de este proyecto es investigar la efectividad de un modelo metodológico mixto integrado en un curso de español como LE para mejorar la competencia comunicativa y lingüística de unos 18 estudiantes provenientes de Minnesota, EE.UU.

Los dos enfoques metodológicos que se abordarán en este proyecto son el Enfoque por Tareas y el Enfoque Cooperativo. Estos dos enfoques constituyen un movimiento de evolución dentro del enfoque comunicativo y no resulta tan difícil experimentar con ellos a través del diseño de unidades didácticas. Un segundo objetivo de este proyecto es diseñar una Unidad Didáctica, en la cual se incorporarán los enfoques mencionados y en la cual se practicarán bastante las cuatro habilidades lingüísticas, y luego implementarla.

Los datos se obtendrán de un estudio cuasi experimental – pre-test y post-test - en un grupo experimental de 18 estudiantes de Minnesota. El propósito de las dos pruebas será definir su nivel de competencia antes, y evaluar y diagnosticar cuánto sabían antes y cuánto aprendieron después de haber llevado a cabo la Unidad Didáctica. Los datos recogidos serán analizados empíricamente para luego llegar a conclusiones sobre la investigación realizada. Es decir, a través de esta investigación se pretende obtener información clara y precisa en lo concerniente a la competencia comunicativo-lingüística de los alumnos antes y después de hacer este curso, y poner de relieve la efectividad del Enfoque por Tareas y del Enfoque Cooperativo.

Correlates and Contexts of US Injection Drug Initiation Among Undocumented Mexican Migrant Men Who Were Deported from the United States

by Angela M Robertson

Robertson AM, Lozada R, Pollini RA, Rangel G, Ojeda VD. Correlates and Contexts of US Injection Drug Initiation Among Undocumented Mexican Migrant Men Who Were Deported from the United States. AIDS Behav. 2012 Jan 14. [Epub ahead of print]

Preventing the onset of injection drug use is important in controlling the spread of HIV and other blood borne... more Preventing the onset of injection drug use is important in controlling the spread of HIV and other blood borne infections. Undocumented migrants in the United States face social, economic, and legal stressors that may contribute to substance abuse. Little is known about undocumented migrants' drug abuse trajectories including injection initiation. To examine the correlates and contexts of US injection initiation among undocumented migrants, we administered quantitative surveys (N = 309) and qualitative interviews (N = 23) on migration and drug abuse experiences to deported male injection drug users in Tijuana, Mexico. US injection initiation was independently associated with ever using drugs in Mexico pre-migration, younger age at first US migration, and US incarceration. Participants' qualitative interviews contextualized quantitative findings and demonstrated the significance of social contexts surrounding US injection initiation experiences. HIV prevention programs may prevent/delay US injection initiation by addressing socio-economic and migration-related stressors experienced by undocumented migrants.

General Practitioner Involvement in Remote and Rural Maternity Care: Too big a challenge?

by Fiona Harris

Published in International Journal of Childbirth 2011, 1.

BACKGROUND: In the United Kingdom, general practitioner (GP) involvement in maternity care has declined significantly... more BACKGROUND: In the United Kingdom, general practitioner (GP) involvement in maternity care has declined significantly over the past decade. This is particularly so in remote and rural areas where midwives have stepped up and taken over units to ensure that women in these areas continue to have a service. A recent report by the King's Fund argues for a greater role for the GP in maternity care provision; however, this raises questions about whether GPs have the skills and training to provide such care.

AIM: To explore the views of GPs on the skills and training required to deliver safe and appropriate local intrapartum services in remote and rural settings.

METHODS: Mixed-method study consisting of qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of GPs in six remote and rural sites. To triangulate the interview findings and identify features that might have been missed in the interviews, a questionnaire was developed using initial key themes identified.

FINDINGS: Maternity care accounted for less than 10% of most remote and rural GPs' workload, yet interviewees reported that their role required them to be competent in a wide range of procedures. This was seen as a major barrier to recruitment and retention in rural areas. Although self-reported competence and confidence was high, several GPs felt de-skilled and felt that they were fighting a losing battle to maintain skills. GPs regarded isolation, need for comprehensive expertise, limited resources, and transportation difficulties as factors affecting the decline in their contribution to remote and rural maternity care.

CONCLUSION: Although rural GPs and midwives might traditionally have been in competition, providing a woman-centered service in remote areas may be easier to achieve through collaborative working. However, if GPs are to play a greater role, then they will need to be prepared to make a strategic commitment to the maintenance of remote and rural maternity care. This will require innovative methods of training, special consideration of educational needs, and incentives for practitioners to settle in rural areas, but it may already be too late for GPs to have a substantial input into maternity care.

Design Information Technology Strategic Plan using CobiT Framework V. 4.1 for BHMN Universities, Case Study : Institut Teknologi Bandung

by Edi Triono Nuryatno

Publish in Proceedings of 3nd International Conference on Chief Information Officer, 2010
“C for C (CIO for C Generation) in Conjuction with the 5th International Academy of CIO (IAC) Annual General Meeting & 6th e-Indonesian Initiative (eII) Forum”
5-7 May 2010 in Bandung, West Java-Indonesia

ISBN: 978-602-96907-1-2

Co-authored with:
Dr. Jaka Sembiring, Prof. Sukirno, Ph.D (RIP) and Dr. Widyawardana

For further information contact :
Information Technology Division
School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics
Bandung Institute of Technology
Bandung - West Java - Indonesia

Phone. +62 22 2500985

The process of designing information technology strategy plan (ITSP) in this research is using the research... more The process of designing information technology strategy plan (ITSP) in this research is using the research methodology Mixed Methods Approaches by the scope of the research framework on the COBIT framework V.4.1 in Domain Plan and Organize, with the approach in the IT Process PO1-Define a Strategic IT Plan with coverage Detailed Control Objectives, on the activity PO1.1 IT Value Management, PO1.2 Business - IT Alignment, PO1.3 Assessment of Current Capability and Performance, and PO1.4IT Strategic Plan. As a major research framework, COBIT V.4.1 able to limit the scope of the problems in this research, and can perform transcription analysis on the various theories and frameworks that relate to the design of IT organizations. Research produces 4 outputs consisting of; identification between sustainability goals with the objectives of the IT institutions, identify the value of IT management, to get an assessment of current capability and performance, and the IT strategy plan.

The design is divided into seven discussions, namely the following; institutes goals in the context of IT in the ITB, IT leads to ITB, information architecture, application architecture, infrastructure architecture, organizational architecture, and IT Roadmap development. Classification of services in the main IT ITSP consists of Teaching and Learning Services, Academic Administration Services, Research and Expertise Service, Human Resource Development Service, Organizations Management Service, Service and Support. Discussion of the organization strategies focus on the IT Management Unit in the ITB. IT Architecture in the ITSP is divided into 4 main categories, namely information, applications, organizational, and infrastructure. The others discussion is about IT planning related with institutes business goals context, on investment and related development of IT Roadmap achievement in ITB.

Keyword: CIO, COBIT V.4.1, CSF, ITSP, McFarlan, Webometric, WCU

Design Information Technology Strategic Plan using CobiT Framework V. 4.1 for BHMN Universities, Case Study : Institut Teknologi Bandung

by Edi Triono Nuryatno

Publish in Proceedings of 3nd International Conference on Chief Information Officer, 2010
“C for C (CIO for C Generation) in Conjuction with the 5th International Academy of CIO (IAC) Annual General Meeting & 6th e-Indonesian Initiative (eII) Forum”
5-7 May 2010 in Bandung, West Java-Indonesia

ISBN: 978-602-96907-1-2

Co-authored with:
Dr. Jaka Sembiring, Prof. Sukirno, Ph.D (RIP) and Dr. Widyawardana

For further information contact :
Information Technology Division
School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics
Bandung Institute of Technology
Bandung - West Java - Indonesia

Phone. +62 22 2500985

The process of designing information technology strategy plan (ITSP) in this research is using the research... more The process of designing information technology strategy plan (ITSP) in this research is using the research methodology Mixed Methods Approaches by the scope of the research framework on the COBIT framework V.4.1 in Domain Plan and Organize, with the approach in the IT Process PO1-Define a Strategic IT Plan with coverage Detailed Control Objectives, on the activity PO1.1 IT Value Management, PO1.2 Business - IT Alignment, PO1.3 Assessment of Current Capability and Performance, and PO1.4IT Strategic Plan. As a major research framework, COBIT V.4.1 able to limit the scope of the problems in this research, and can perform transcription analysis on the various theories and frameworks that relate to the design of IT organizations. Research produces 4 outputs consisting of; identification between sustainability goals with the objectives of the IT institutions, identify the value of IT management, to get an assessment of current capability and performance, and the IT strategy plan.

The design is divided into seven discussions, namely the following; institutes goals in the context of IT in the ITB, IT leads to ITB, information architecture, application architecture, infrastructure architecture, organizational architecture, and IT Roadmap development. Classification of services in the main IT ITSP consists of Teaching and Learning Services, Academic Administration Services, Research and Expertise Service, Human Resource Development Service, Organizations Management Service, Service and Support. Discussion of the organization strategies focus on the IT Management Unit in the ITB. IT Architecture in the ITSP is divided into 4 main categories, namely information, applications, organizational, and infrastructure. The others discussion is about IT planning related with institutes business goals context, on investment and related development of IT Roadmap achievement in ITB.

Keyword: CIO, COBIT V.4.1, CSF, ITSP, McFarlan, Webometric, WCU

Using action research to improve health and the work environment for 3500 municipal bus drivers

by John Schostak

Journalism Innovation and the Ethic of Participation: A Case Study of the Knight Foundation and its News Challenge

by Seth Lewis

Lewis, S. C. (2010). Journalism innovation and the ethic of participation: A case study of the knight foundation and its news challenge. Unpublished dissertation, Austin, TX: University of Texas.

The digitization of media has undermined much of the social authority and economic viability on which U.S. journalism... more The digitization of media has undermined much of the social authority and economic viability on which U.S. journalism relied during the 20th century. This disruption has also opened a central tension for the profession: how to reconcile the need for occupational control against growing opportunities for citizen participation. How that tension is navigated will affect the ultimate shape of the profession and its place in society.

This dissertation examines how the leading nonprofit actor in journalism, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, has sought to help journalism innovate out of its professional crisis. This case study engages a series of mixed methods—including interviews, textual analysis, and secondary data analysis—to generate a holistic portrayal of how the Knight Foundation has attempted to transform itself and the journalism field in recent years, particularly through its signature Knight News Challenge innovation contest.

From a sociology of professions perspective, I found that the Knight Foundation altered the rhetorical and actual boundaries of journalism jurisdiction. Knight moved away from “journalism” and toward “information” as a way of seeking the wisdom of the crowd to solve journalism’s problems. This opening up of journalism’s boundaries created crucial space in which innovators, from inside and outside journalism, could step in and bring change to the field. In particular, these changes have allowed the concept of citizen participation, which resides at the periphery of mainstream newswork, to become embraced as an ethical norm and a founding doctrine of journalism innovation. The result of these efforts has been the emergence of a new rendering of journalism—one that straddles the professional-participatory tension by attempting to “ferry the values” of professional ideals even while embracing new practices more suited to a digital environment.

Ultimately, this case study matters for what it suggests about professions in turbulent times. Influential institutions can bring change to their professional fields by acting as boundary-spanning agents—stepping outside the traditional confines of their field, altering the rhetorical and structural borders of professional jurisdiction to invite external contribution and correction, and altogether creating the space and providing the capital for innovation to flourish.