Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Research

ACS 301

Slide 1

ACS 301November 27, 2008

Mixing qualitative and quantitative

ACS 301

Slide 2

The case against mixing qual and quant

Methods have fixed epistemological assumptions. You can change them.

Methods have fixed epistemological assumptions. You can change them.

Yes, I agree. Though I would say that qual and quant have conflicting paradigms.

Yes, I agree. Though I would say that qual and quant have conflicting paradigms.

Embedded methods argument Paradigm argument

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Slide 3

The case against mixing qual and quant…is weak

Methods have fixed epistemological assumptions. You can change them.

Methods have fixed epistemological assumptions. You can change them.

Yes, I agree. Though I would say that qual and quant have conflicting paradigms.

Yes, I agree. Though I would say that qual and quant have conflicting paradigms.

Embedded methods argument Paradigm argument

1. Epistemological stances are tendencies, not perfect determining factors

2. There is no technical reason why they can’t be combined

ACS 301

Slide 4

Mixing: an example“The aim was to study

managers in companies that represented the

broad ‘new capitalism’

experience.”

“The aim was to study managers in

companies that represented the

broad ‘new capitalism’

experience.”

“We collected two forms of data…A

questionnaire…[and] We also conducted

interviews.”

“We collected two forms of data…A

questionnaire…[and] We also conducted

interviews.”Source: Wajcman, Judy and Bill Martin. 2002. "Narratives of identity in modern management: the corrosion of gender differences?" Sociology 36:985-1002.

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Slide 5

3 strategies for mixing qual and quant

• Triangulation• Facilitation• Complementarity

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Triangulation

I want to corroborate what I found with a quantitative survey.

I want to corroborate what I found with a quantitative survey.

Well you can do some interviews and see if the main trends are the same.

Well you can do some interviews and see if the main trends are the same.

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Slide 7

Facilitation

I use qual methods to assist in my quant research.

I use qual methods to assist in my quant research.

And I use quant methods to help in my qual research!

And I use quant methods to help in my qual research!

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Types of facilitation

Qualitative helping quantitative

Qualitative helping quantitative

Quantitative helping qualitative

Quantitative helping qualitative

• Generating hypotheses

• Aiding measurement

• Identifying participants

• Identifying different types of participants

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Slide 9

Complementarity

You really can’t do everything with a single method

You really can’t do everything with a single method

That’s true. Sometimes I need to use other methods to answer the entire question.

That’s true. Sometimes I need to use other methods to answer the entire question. Often, however, people

mistake this for “more is better.”

Often, however, people mistake this for “more is better.”

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Slide 10

Types of complementarity

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Slide 11

Mixing: the quant findings

“Fundamentally, the basic career

experiences…or men and women hardly

differ.”

“Fundamentally, the basic career

experiences…or men and women hardly

differ.”

Source: Wajcman, Judy and Bill Martin. 2002. "Narratives of identity in modern management: the corrosion of gender differences?" Sociology 36:985-1002.

ACS 301

Slide 12

Mixing: the qual findings

“Women were much more concerned with

the boundaries…”

“Women were much more concerned with

the boundaries…”

“Women do not necessarily ground

their private identities in their workplace

ones…”

“Women do not necessarily ground

their private identities in their workplace

ones…”Source: Wajcman, Judy and Bill Martin. 2002. "Narratives of identity in modern management: the corrosion of gender differences?" Sociology 36:985-1002.

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Slide 13

Mixed: The Overall Findings

• There were some differences between men and women quantitatively – Discrimination experiences– Pay gap

• But they were often quantitatively the same

• They were vastly different qualitatively

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Slide 14

What to remember…

• Don’t mix for the sake of “more is better”

• Mixing adds to time, scope and budget

• Consider mixing in multiple phases, not a single research project