Mixed Methods Research SIG Business Meeting: Invited Distinguished Mixed Methods Research Speaker

Session Submission Type: Business Meeting

Abstract

Most disciplines within the health and social sciences regard randomized control trials (RCTs) as the gold standard of evidence-based practice (EBP). The move toward mixed methods within evidence-based research has proven daunting to many researchers and there are few best practices for RCT mixed methods studies that currently exist. This talk will argue for the value of a multi-methodological approach to RCT mixed methods projects that offers research strategies for enhancing the credibility of RCT findings through, for example, incorporating participants’ lived experiences and methodological reflexivity into the research process. The bulk of my presentation will offer case studies that analyze how researchers in diverse fields have taken a multi-methdological praxis into account in their RCT mixed methods projects, including the integration of a mixed methods component into RCT research designs. I will end my talk by addressing the difficulties evaluation researchers face in implementing RCT mixed methods designs and the missed opportunities the encounter for furthering the validity of RCT mixed methods projects.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Mixed Methods Research

Chair

• Nataliya V. Ivankova, The University of Alabama - Birmingham

Participant

• Sharlene J. Hesse-Biber, Boston College