Qualitative and Qualitative Lite: The Role of Inquiry Worldview in Decisions About Data Collection Methods

• In Event: Integration Issues: Highlighting the Hallmark of Mixed Methods Research Designs

Abstract

Integrating quantitative and qualitative data in meaningful ways is one of the primary challenges mixed methods researchers face. Successful integration requires investigators to make thoughtful and adaptive methodological decisions and considerations across the lifespan of the study. One such decision is the choice of the type of quantitative and qualitative types of data to be collected. We compare three inquiry worldviews and how they can inform decisions about data collection methods. The assumptions underlying these worldviews are substantially different, and to illustrate how these three worldviews can all be differentially applied, we compare how research teams holding these views might consider the use of open-ended questionnaire items or semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data in mixed methods studies.

Authors

• Matthew T. McCrudden, Pennsylvania State University

• Sharon Zumbrunn, Virginia Commonwealth University