Description
Book SynopsisFocusing on research designs for projects that collect both qualitative and quantitative data, this practical book discusses strategies for bringing qualitative and quantitative methods together so that their combined strengths accomplish more than is possible with a single method. The approach is broadly interdisciplinary, reflecting the interest in mixed methods research of social scientists from anthropology, communication, criminal justice, education, evaluation, nursing, organizational behavior, psychology, political science, public administration, public health, sociology, social work, and urban studies. In contrast to an anything goes approach or a naïve hope that two methods are better than one, the author argues that projects using mixed methods must pay even more attention to research design than single method approaches. The book's practical emphasis on mixed methods makes it useful both to active researchers and to students who intend to pursue such a career.
Trade Review"Key strengths are clarity of presentation, functional focus, limited technical treatment, practical examples, compact length, emphasis on research design, and the chapter on Pragmatism, which is [a] great way around the paradigm debates that often color the use [of] mixed methods." -- D. Patrick Lenihan
"The research examples are very clear and will help students scope and develop their dissertation designs. . . . A second major strength is the emphasis on examples from program interventions and policy evaluation. This alone makes this text a good alternative textbook in program evaluation." -- A. Victor Ferreros
"Figures are very clear, discussion of pragmatism is thorough, and the writing style is clear and accessible." -- Laura Meyer
Table of ContentsChapter 1. An Introduction and Overview Chapter 2. Pragmatism as a Paradigm for Mixed Methods Research Chapter 3. Research Design and Research Methods Chapter 4. Motivations for Using Mixed Methods Research Chapter 5. The Sequential Priorities Model Chapter 6. Preliminary Qualitative Inputs in Quantitative Research Projects Chapter 7. Preliminary Quantitative Inputs in Core Qualitative Research Projects Chapter 8. Follow-up Qualitative Extensions in Quantitative Research Projects Chapter 9. Follow-up Quantitative Extensions in Qualitative Research Projects Chapter 10. Multipart Sequential Designs Chapter 11. Finding the Expertise to Combine Multiple Methods Chapter 12. Conclusions: Further Thoughts About Research Design
