Mixed methods: a research design for management doctoral dissertations

Mixed methods research (the combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods within a single study) has developed rapidly in the last few years. This methodological approach is becoming increasingly articulated, attached to research practice and recognized, along with qualitative research and quantitative research, as the third major research approach (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, & Turner, 2007).The scientific fields with more tradition in using and developing mixed methods research are Education, Sociology, Psychology and Health Sciences. This methodological approach is championed by methodologists from these fields such as John Creswell, Abbas Tashakkori, Burke Johnson, Anthony Onwuegbuzie, Jennifer Greene, Charles Teddlie and David Morgan (Denscombe, 2008). Books specifically focused on mixed methods research are being published in these fields (Andrew & Halcomb, 2009; Bergman, 2008; Brewer & Hunter, 2006; Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007, 2011; Greene, 2007; Morse & Niehaus, 2009; Niglas, 2004; Ridenour & Newman, 2008; Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003, 2010; Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009).In January 2007 the first issue of a journal solely devoted to mixed methods research (Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Sage Publications) was published. The two founding co-editors, John Creswell and Abbas Tashakkori, are researchers in the field of Education. Other methodological journals that publish mixed methods studies include this journal (International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, also launched in 2007), along with Quality and Quantity, Field Methods and the International Journal of Social Research Methodology. Empirical articles that employ a mixed methods approach using this distinct name in the title are also published in Education, Sociology, Psychology and Health Sciences, and literature reviews that analyze the prevalence and application of mixed methods are carried out. An annual conference devoted to mixed methods is organized by schools and researchers from these fields (in 2011 the 7th International Mixed Methods Conference was hosted by the School of Healthcare in the University of Leeds, UK). Moreover, a Special Interest Group on Mixed Methods Research was formed in the American Educational Research Association in 2005. In summary, as noted by Creswell and Plano Clark (2007), mixed methods research has only been carefully used and examined in a handful of disciplines.In the case of Business and Management, our fields of inquiry have not embraced this methodological approach as enthusiastically as the fields described. Although there are calls for using mixed methods research in Business and Management fields (Cameron, 2011, Currall & Towler, 2003; Jick, 1979; Molina-Azorin, 2007), the acceptance and attention devoted to mixed methods research is very low in relation to other fields. There is not any specific book on mixed methods research in Business and Management. To date and to the best knowledge of the two special issue editors, a special issue on mixed methods has not yet been published in any Business and Management journal. Moreover, Creswell and Tashakkori (2007) make the pertinent point that the literature base about mixed methods research may not be well known to individuals in specific fields. Cameron and Molina-Azorin (2011) and Molina-Azorin (2011) confirm this issue in the case of Business and Management studies.In addition, in contrast to studies in the fields of Education, Sociology, Psychology and Health Sciences, the term 'mixed methods' is not usually used in the title of mixed methods studies in Business and Management. Furthermore, in the journal Organizational Research Methods, the main methodological journal in our field, the term 'mixed methods' is not a listed keyword. This issue also occurs in other business and management discipline journals.On the basis of such broad scanning evidence it seems likely that the advantages, possibilities, purposes, designs and potential of mixed methods research may be yet still unknown to many researchers in Business and Management. …

Triangulation is a measurement technique often used by surveyors to locate an object in space by relying on two known points in order to ‘‘triangulate’’ on an unknown fixed point in that same space. Early on, social scientists borrowed the concept of triangulation to argue for its use in the validation process in assessing the veracity of social science research results. There are alternative perspectives on the use of triangulation that argue for its usefulness as a ‘‘dialectical’’ process whose goals seek a more in-depth nuanced understanding of research findings and clarifying disparate results by placing them in dialogue with one another. This special issue of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research (JMMR) analyzes and explores the variety of ways triangulation is used in mixed methods research and the range of issues and controversies surrounding triangulation praxis. To date, there are few scholarly in-depth discussions of its deployment in mixed methods research. The choice of triangulation as the topic for this first special issue of JMMR is based on the claims made by many scholars in the field that triangulation provides a justification for the use of mixed methods. The contributors to this volume raise many questions about the meaning of triangulation, its philosophical positioning in the mixed methods community, and strategies for using triangulation in the design of mixed methods studies, analysis and interpretation of data, and making visible subjugated voices. They take provocative positions, suggesting that qualitative, constructivist, and interpretive pathways provide greater potential for research to address the social good than has been possible using mixed methods approaches that are more closely aligned with the postpositivist paradigm. They revisit the ‘‘paradigm wars’’ and ask this question: Are we still stuck with the incompatibility thesis that paralyzed advances in mixed methods in past decades? They explore and critique the potential of alternative methodologies for harnessing the synergy that is said to lie in the application of mixed methods research designs by asking another set of questions: Have members of the mixed methods community done an injustice to pragmatism as a philosophical frame for mixed methods? Is qualitatively framed mixed methods the way forward? Is it possible that qualitatively framed mixed methods are better suited to the ability of mixed methods researchers to demonstrate a causal relationship between variables? How and when should triangulation be brought into mixed methods research to obtain a more nuanced

Recently, there have been a variety of arguments voiced to encourage that more attention be given to the role qualitative methods can play in mixed methods research in public policy and public administration. This article discusses these claims and describes the benefits of qualitative approaches, and how qualitative research methods can be leveraged to strengthen mixed methods research in public administration. We also provide a guide for improving the credibility of mixed methods research through increasing transparency and discussions of all methodological decisions. This study is based on a systematic content analysis of 186 mixed methods studies published in public policy and public administration journals between 2010 and 2018. We found that findings from the quantitative methods dominated the mixed methods studies, little diversity in data collection and analysis methods, and frequent failure to integrate insights from both methods. We also analyzed the 36 qualitative‐dominant studies in the sample, and illuminated seven different ways that authors of qualitative‐dominant studies leveraged the qualitative strand to strengthen mixed methods research. We developed lessons from our analysis of the qualitative‐dominant articles on how to incorporate qualitative methods in a thoughtful manner, articulate a role for each strand, and effectively support findings with one or more strands.

Studies into student finances have found that pursuing higher education can create a financial burden for students. Educational resources, including textbooks, are one of the most significant upfront costs for university students. Student surveys have found that the cost of purchasing commercial textbooks can lead some university students to go hungry, drop courses and even drop out of programs altogether. An increasing number of Australian universities are exploring publishing open textbooks, a subset of open educational resources (OER), as a strategy to increase participation and improve student outcomes. This doctoral research project is the first comprehensive national study of open textbook publishing programs at Australian universities, contributing new knowledge to Australian open education, publishing and library and information science research. This includes examining the impact of the capacity-building program, the Council of Australasian University Librarians (CAUL) OER Collective, on Australian open textbook publishing programs. For this study, I employed a pragmatic, mixed methods approach as a practitioner-researcher to collect both quantitative and qualitative data on open textbook publishing practices and experiences at 30 of the 43 Australian universities. I analysed this data using statistical and thematic analysis to identify trends and themes in why Australian universities are publishing open textbooks, how they are publishing them, some of the challenges they face when publishing and opportunities for improving the conditions for open textbook publishing in Australia. This research found that while open textbook publishing is driven by a passion for improving higher education, sustainability is a challenge due to resourcing constraints, including time, staffing and funding. I use these findings to make eight evidence-based recommendations for how Australian practitioners, university managements, peak bodies such as CAUL and policymakers can build and support more sustainable open textbook publishing programs at Australian universities.

This paper explores the limitations of language in psychotherapeutic writing about lived experience and how psychanalytic concepts can help us both understand and work through the inevitable loss that results from these limitations. It is illustrated by the author’s experience of undertaking a doctoral research project in psychotherapy where the experience of narrative incoherence was explored through writing. Paralleled to the doctoral research project was the author’s challenges in writing the experience of incoherence. By reflecting on and analysing these challenges, this paper explores the sense of loss that is located at the core of writing lived experience through psychoanalytic concepts including the third position and melancholia. The limitations of language in capturing the fullness of lived experienced is shed light on. Connecting the psychoanalytic concept of melancholia to Romanyshyn’s (2013) writing as elegy, I propose writing lived experience as a melancholy elegy in which what is lost in language can be acknowledged and kept alive in the writer’s psyche. I argue for the creative potential brought by the continuous engagement with the sense of loss in writing lived experience.
 
 Reference:
 Romanyshyn, R.D. (2013). The wounded researcher: research with soul in mind. New Orleans, Louisiana: Spring Journal Books.

This article is a critically reflexive account of how collaborative processes and democratic relations were negotiated in a doctoral research project which combined elements of institutional ethnography, self-study, and, significantly for this article, critical participatory action research. The critical participatory action research dimension of the project involved a group of academics working in the same university faculty, critically and collaboratively examining their own pedagogical practice and the conditions which constrain and enable critical pedagogical praxis in their setting. The article explores what possibilities for democratic participation were created and limited by the circumstances and conditions that constituted this critical participatory action research. I consider the kind of democratic participation that was possible, what enabled this kind of democratic participation, and challenges that emerged in attempts to realise democratic goals. The discussion highlights some of the complexities of fostering democratic participation in critical participatory action research within doctoral research.

This article adopts a reflexive stance as the authors look back on their doctoral research projects; the first author exploring young people’s relationships with community radio, and the second author studying young people’s alcohol consumption practices and experiences, both in the North West of England, UK. The authors discuss the methods of data collection they employed, which enabled young people the opportunity to participate in meaningful ways. However, drawing on snapshots from their PhD theses, the authors question whether decisions made when writing up related to protecting anonymity, (re)presenting speech characteristics, and editing, independently of participants, potentially undid some of the hard work exerted in creating an equitable space for young people’s contributions, resultantly perpetuating the regulation of young people and keeping them ‘in their place’. The authors propose some recommendations for facilitating the inclusion of young people in the writing up of participatory research.

Background: The acute care settings have the potential to facilitate robust epidemiological and public health research necessary for evidence-based system. The methods in emergency research are well suited for mixed methods research. Despite the use of quantitative and qualitative data in emergency settings, mixed methods studies in this field are limited to help researchers to address health care issues. Therefore, we aim to assess the prospects and implications of mixed methods approach in acute care settings. Materials and Methods: We have reviewed the published English literature using the research databases (PubMed, Medline, CINHAL and Google Scholar) related to the implications of mixed methods in emergency research, in order to understand and broaden the scope of patient care in time critical conditions. Results: Basically, there are four mixed method approaches which integrate qualitative and quantitative methods (such as Triangulation, Embedded, Explanatory and Exploratory design) which can be selected depending upon the research question. In a single study, appropriate selection of mixed method approach enables quality research which involves understanding of the different aspects of human interaction and paradigms to characterize complex healthcare systems from societal standpoint. So, the combination approach may answer key issues in emergency settings which enriches and enhances the healthcare practice that may influence patient outcomes. Notably, emergency research has wider range of parameters which not only benefit the patients but also help in overcoming system-related clinical challenges. Of note, the ethical conduct of study is crucial in a complex emergency situation which remains challenging for recruitment and obtaining informed consent from subject or their nest of kin. Another impediment is the lack of trained emergency researcher to support the research activities and data collection in the emergent settings. Conclusion: Application of mixed approach is of great importance in emergency medicine to enhance our understanding of critical care research that may add valuable insight on various aspects of human behavior. Therefore, appropriate planning and integration of study design may help researchers to explore newer avenues to improve patients care in emergency settings.

Research in an emergent field requires the researcher to consider appropriate methodologies. This paper describes research that attempts to discover how new technologies can influence local democratic engagement. It describes an interpretive research project informed by critical social theory that uses an explanatory mixed methods approach, combining two sequential data collection methods. The study incorporates a survey instrument and qualitative interviewing, analysed using Grounded Theory Methodology. The paper will describe the context for the research, the choice of a mixed methods approach and relate this to an epistemology and ontology. The paper does not discuss the research findings but focuses on the research process and methodology and provides reflection on the outcomes and the challenges of the chosen approach. It demonstrates that mixed methods research is appropriate in a narrow and emergent field of study and that it offers methodological flexibility whilst promoting rigour and grounded results.

Doctoral Projects in Progress in Theatre Arts, 2018 Troy Matthew Lescher (bio), Amy Beltrán (bio), and Sammi Stowe (bio) This is the sixty-sixth annual report of dissertations in progress in theatre arts in the United States. The entries contained in this report were gathered from those institutions offering a doctoral degree in theatre or related fields. The accuracy of the report depends largely on the cooperation of those faculty members who submitted complete and timely information. By compiling this data, we seek to inform the greater theatre community of the diverse research projects currently underway across various universities and disciplines. This report lists (in order) the doctoral student's name, dissertation title, institution, academic department, faculty supervisor, and projected year of completion. Dissertation topics are arranged in two parts: in part 1, topics are listed first geographically, and secondarily by time periods; and part 2 provides additional divisions for those projects that are not easily classified within geographic or historical parameters, but conform to other emerging areas of contemporary research. A request for submissions for the 2019 edition will be mailed in October 2018. Please contact the 2018–19 editor, Troy Matthew Lescher (troy.lescher@humboldt.edu), if your institution is not already receiving the annual call for submissions. My fellow associate editors and I are grateful for the effort of all those who have contributed to this annual report. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Humboldt State University Department of Theatre, Film & Dance and its chair, Ann Alter, for sponsoring this endeavor. [End Page 281] PART I ASIA Mantillake, Sudesh. Colonial Choreography: The British Colonial Construction of Sri Lankan Dance. University of Maryland. Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Esther Kim Lee. 2018. Pitchford, Bart. Hela L'Wein: Imagining Citizenship through Performance in Displaced Syrian Communities. University of Texas at Austin. Theatre and Dance. Charlotte Canning. 2018. CHINA Huang, Yizhou. Staging Colonial Modernity: Performances for English-speaking Audiences in Shanghai between Two World Wars. Tufts University. Theatre and Performance Studies. Noe Montez. 2019. Kang, Bindi. Post-collective and Community in Contemporary Chinese Performance. The Graduate Center/CUNY. Theatre. Peter Eckersall. 2021. Zhang, Wei. Estranging a Post-Socialist China: Adaptations of Brecht in Chinese Theatre since the Cultural Revolution. University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Theatre and Dance. Markus Wessendorf. 2018. ENGLAND Medieval/Renaissance Nakawaki, Bryan. "You played once i' th' university, you say?": Shakespeare's Drama on the University Stage. Purdue University. English. Charlie Ross and Paul White. 2018. Wicks, Heather. Love Her after: Desire, Death, and Tragic Subjectivity on the Early Modern Stage. Purdue University. English. Charlie Ross and Paul White. 2018. Restoration and Eighteenth Century Gallagher, Megan. Accidentally Substantive: Editorial Influence in Shakespeare's Fourth Folio. Claremont Graduate University. English. Lori Anne Ferrell. 2018. Lutz, Michael. Performative Humanism in Early Modern Drama. Indiana University. English. Linda Charnes. 2019. Zoch, Amanda. Pregnancy and Erasure in Early Modern Drama and Women's Writing. Indiana University. English. Ellen MacKay. 2018. Nineteenth Century Grinder, Brittany Proudfoot. Bitches in Britches: A History of Female Travesty Actresses of the English Stage. University of Maryland. Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Esther Kim Lee. 2018. Twentieth Century Pierson, Kate. "When All the Town's a Stage": Ann Jellicoe's Community Play Process. Florida State University. Theatre. Mary Karen Dahl and Elizabeth Osborne. 2018. GERMANY Piggott, Jessi. Staging Commitment: The Social Aesthetics of Weimar Agitprop. Stanford University. Theater and Performance Studies. Matthew Smith. 2019. IRELAND Van Winkle, Kathryn Rebecca. "They shall be speaking forever": Performances of Rising, Riot, and the Nation in Ireland 2016. University of Texas at Austin. Theatre and Dance. Charlotte Canning. 2018. SOUTH AMERICA Thompson, Jennifer. Dramaturgies of Democracy: Performance, Cultural Policy, and Citizenship in Chile, 1979–Present. The Graduate Center/CUNY. Theatre. Jean Graham-Jones. 2021. Villada, Diego. Visiting the Living Museum: Brazilian Roots Tourism and the Emancipatory Possible. University of Pittsburgh. Theatre Arts. Lisa Jackson-Schebetta. 2018. USA General Ormiston, Rebecca. Acts of Recovery: Eugene O'Neill and Addiction Treatment in Post-WWII America. Stanford University. Theater and Performance Studies. Jennifer Brody. 2018. Nineteenth Century Hughes, Bethany. Playing Indian on Stage, 1829–1924. Northwestern University. Theatre. Harvey Young. 2018. Twentieth Century Brooks, John. The Racial...

A genuine mixed methods study culminates in a meta-inference, a conclusion that connects or integrates various claims, some resulting from the analysis of qualitative data, others from the analysis of quantitative data. Paradoxically, however, the integration of claims has received very little attention in the mixed methods literature. When mixed methods scholars discuss integration, they are almost always referring to mixing methods, often called integration of methods. This chapter seeks to fill this gap. Using three real-life examples of mixed methods research, it shows how the meta-inference and its internal structure are developed and emerge in successive steps of separate instances of claim integration. In addition to (a) mixed methods or (b) multi-method, an instance of integration can be (c) mono-method (involving only one method) or involve claims obtained (d) in previous research or (e) through reasoning (without data collection). Furthermore, this chapter shows that claim integration is not unique to mixed methods research but occurs in mono-method research as well. In line with the emergent nature of the meta-inference, furthering claims through contradiction and explanation, rather than robustness of claims, determines the value of a mixed methods or mono-method study.

Mixed methods research is defined as the collection, analysis, and integration of both quantitative data (e.g., outcome of a randomized trial, such as decrease in depression score) and qualitative data (e.g., observations or interviews about the experience of persons with depression) to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a research problem than might be obtained through quantitative or qualitative approaches alone. Because mixed methods research designs place high value on the stories behind the numbers– both in exploratory designs where the experiences and insights of the community under study inform the quantitative investigation, and in explanatory designs where they illuminate the quantitative data– mixed methods are especially appropriate in studying the problems of older adults and caregivers. The goal of this chapter is to introduce the concept of mixed methods as an approach for research in Geriatrics and Gerontology. We will discuss (1) why an investigator might consider using mixed methods; (2) basic and complex mixed methods designs; (3) examples of mixed methods projects, drawing upon our own research; and, (4) challenges in carrying out mixed methods research.

The planning and reporting of mixed methods studies on the built environment and health

Qualitative and mixed methods research in trials

The design and development of the interview process, in a doctoral research project, is significantly enhanced by the use of a structured model of reflection to enable reflecting on feedback obtained from peers, research participants and the use of a reflexive journal. The act of reflection, in the research process, augments the researcher's confidence, his research journey and also engages the researcher in a cycle of personal and professional change.