Determining an Appropriate Mixed

Methods Design:

Seven Basic Steps

Philip Adu, Ph.D.

Methodology Expert

National Center for Academic & Dissertation Excellence (NCADE)

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

padu@thechicagoschool.edu

Twitter: @drphilipadu

Types of Mixed Methods Design

Sequential Designs

(a) Sequential Explanatory Design

(b) Sequential Exploratory Design

(c) Sequential Transformative Design

Concurrent Designs

(a) Concurrent Triangulation Design

(b) Concurrent Nested Design

(c) Concurrent Transformative Design

(Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003)

Types of Mixed Methods Design (Cont.)

Sequential Designs

(Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003)

Types of Mixed Methods Design (Cont.)

Sequential Designs

(Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003)

Types of Mixed Methods Design (Cont.)

Sequential Designs

(Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003)

Types of Mixed Methods Design (Cont.)

Concurrent Designs

(Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003)

Types of Mixed Methods Design (Cont.)

Concurrent Designs

(Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003)

Types of Mixed Methods Design (Cont.)

Concurrent Designs

(Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003)

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

Things To Consider

1. Purpose of the study and research

questions

2. Role of research methods (gathering

data and addressing research

questions)

3. Sequence of gathering data

4. Integration phase

5. Rationale of the mixed methods

6. Expression of theoretical lens

7. Researcher’s advocacy role

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

1. Evaluate your purpose of the study

and research questions

What do you want to find out in the study?

What specific questions do you want to

address?

What kind of data do you need to address

the questions?

How do you want to collect the data?

Who do you want to collect the data from?

SourceStrategyDataQuestionsPurpose

Example

Purpose Statement

The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between

mental health stigma and help seeking behaviors among teens with

mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

In addition, the study will focus on examining how they seek for help to

address their mental health problems.

Research Questions

1. Is there a correlation between mental health stigma and help

seeking behaviors among teens with mental health problems in a

low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

2. How do teens with mental health problems seek for help or mental

health services?

Example

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

2. Role of research methods (gathering data and addressing

research questions) Dominant

Less dominant

Equal

Phenomenon of study: mental

health stigma & help seeking behaviors

.

.

Role of research methods (gathering data and addressing

research questions)

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

3. Sequence of gathering data

Sequential

Concurrent

Question to reflect on:

1. Doesn’t one data collection phase

inform the other phase? a. If yes = Sequential

b. If no = Concurrent

Does the implementation of the qualitative data collection depend on

the outcome of quantitative data collection and analysis?

Research Questions

Is there a correlation between mental health stigma and help seeking behaviors among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

How do teens with mental health problems seek for help or mental health services?

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

4. Integration Phase Data analysis (Connect Qual & Quan)

Data analysis (Separate Qual & Quan)

Data analysis (transform either Qual or Quan)

Interpretation of findings (Merge Qual & Quan)

Integration Phase

Research Questions

Is there a correlation between mental health stigma and help seeking behaviors among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

How do teens with mental health problems seek for help or mental health services?

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

5. Rationale of the mixed methods

Development: Using the results of one method to inform the other method

Initiation: Looking for contradictory results and using different method to collect

data to explain the discrepancy

Triangulation: Using different methods to address the same phenomenon

Complementarity: Using different methods to address the different parts of a

phenomenon

Expansion: Using different methods to address the different parts of a

phenomenon

Rationale of the Mixed Methods

Research Questions

Is there a correlation between mental health stigma and help seeking behaviors among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

How do teens with mental health problems seek for help or mental health services?

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

6. Expression of theoretical lens Implicit: Researcher’s philosophical lens and assumptions are not

specifically described in the research document

Explicit: Researcher’s philosophical lens and assumptions are

described in the research document

Quantitative Dominant Implicit

Qualitative Dominant Explicit

Expression of Theoretical Lens

Research Questions

Is there a correlation between mental health stigma and help seeking behaviors among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

How do teens with mental health problems seek for help or mental health services?

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

7. Researcher’s advocacy role

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

Researcher’s advocacy role

Research Questions

Is there a correlation between mental health stigma and help seeking behaviors among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

How do teens with mental health problems seek for help or mental heath services?

No advocacy role

Determining an Appropriate Mixed Methods Design

Researcher’s advocacy role

Research Questions

Is there a correlation between mental health stigma and help seeking behaviors among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

How do teens with mental health problems seek for help or mental health services?

No advocacy role

Using Mixed Methods Design Decision Tool

(MMDDT)

• Using Mixed Methods Design Decision

Tool (MMDDT) to guide you to choose

an appropriate mixed methods design (free to use)

• https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Choosing_Appro

priate_Mixed_Methods_Design

Philip Adu, Ph.D.

Methodology Expert

National Center for Academic & Dissertation Excellence (NCADE)

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Ncade.me@thechicagoschool.edu

You could reach Dr. Adu at padu@thechicagoschool.edu and

@drphilipadu on twitter.

ReferencesCreswell, John W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among

Five Approaches (3rd). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Gutmann, M. L., & Hanson, W. E. (2003). Advanced

mixed methods research designs. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.),

Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral

research (pp. 209–240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Greene, J. C., Caracelli, V. J., & Graham, W. F. (1989). Toward a conceptual

framework for mixed-methods evaluation designs. Educational

Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 11(3), 255-274.

Hanson, W. E., Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Petska, K. S., & Creswell, D. J.

(2005). Mixed methods research designs in counseling psychology. Journal

of Counseling Psychology, 2(55), 224-235. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.52.2.224

Plano Clark, V. P., & Creswell, J. W. (2008). The mixed methods reader. California:

Sage Publications, Inc.