Essay Sample on Mixed Method Design

When a researcher chooses a research design, the design acts as the blueprint of the study, and this means that this design defines how they will approach their research. Usually, a quantitative study involves quantifying a problem by generating numerical data that can be converted into useful information (Wisdom & Creswell, 2020). A qualitative study on its part is primarily exploratory such that it tries to gain an insight into a research problem. In this way, it provides a basis for the exploration of potential quantitative research. Mixed method design refers to those studies that mix both qualitative and quantitative designs in the collection and analysis of data. The idea is that by collecting, analyzing, and integrating quantitative data such as from experiments with qualitative data from sources like interviews, a study increases its viability as well as reliability. Mixed methods can be sequential explanatory design, sequential exploratory design, concurrent triangulation, or concurrent nested (Grove, Gray, & Burns, 2015). Sequential explanatory design is relevant when one is interpreting or contextualizing quantitative nursing findings. Sequential exploratory is ideal when exploring a nursing phenomenon; concurrent triangulation is necessary when one wants to cross-validate findings, and concurrent nested is critical when one wants to offset a possible weakness in a predominant method.

The mixed method is advantageous because it provides strengths that offset the weaknesses of both qualitative and quantitative methods. For instance, whereas quantitative is weak in understanding patients’ behaviors, qualitative makes up for this weakness (Wisdom & Creswell, 2020). Consequently, the mixed research enables the researcher to have a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem. The other advantage is that it helps to explain how the findings process work. However, mixed methods have their demerits in that they are complex and labor-intensive such that the researcher needs more resources and time than those of a single method. In other cases, it becomes unclear how the researcher will solve discrepancies that emerge in the analysis of findings.

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References

Grove, S., Gray, J., & Burns, N. (2015). Understanding Nursing Research, 6th Edition. [Pageburstl]. Retrieved from https://pageburstls.elsevier.com/#/books/9781455770601/

Wisdom, J., & Creswell, J. (2020). Mixed Methods: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis While Studying Patient-Centered Medical Home Models | PCMH Resource Center. Retrieved from https://pcmh.ahrq.gov/page/mixed-methods-integrating-quantitative-and-qualitative-data-collection-and-analysis-while