Mixed Methods Research

SW861, Section 001

Social workers often wonder “what is mixed methods research?” And “when should I use mixed
methods in my own research?” While mixed methods have been around for a long time, they are
beginning to gain momentum in social work research. Before decisions can be made about mixed
methods, other aspects of the research process must be addressed such as methodological
standpoint, the research question, collecting the data, and analyzing and interpreting the data.
Mixed methods are more than mixing the methods: it also involves mixing the assumptions that
we have about the methodologies, the methods, and the data. 
In this course, students will be introduced to mixed methods research in the social and behavioral
sciences. A primary aspect of the course will be to teach students how to determine if mixed
methods are necessary, given their problem statement and research questions. In this course, less
attention will be given to the single methods alone, but rather, how they integrate during each
stage of the research process for a mixed methods study. The focus of the course is namely how
each single method converges during each step of the research process to answer the
mixed methods research questions. The course is best suited for students with comfort and
familiarity using one or both of the single methods (qualitative or quantitative).
By the end of the course, students will be able to: 
1. Realize and adopt a philosophical stance and highlight the major theoretical
underpinnings of mixed methods research.
2. Identify under what conditions someone should consider conducting a mixed methods
study and understand the procedures involved with choosing a mixed methods design.
3. Discuss how to conceptualize and operationalize quantitative and qualitative methods in
mixed methods research.
4. Discuss measurement, sampling, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data for
mixed methods research.
5. Describe ways to integrate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to address a mixed methods research question;
6. Describe ways to disseminate results from mixed methods research.