A Guide to a Mixed-Methods Approach to Healthcare Research
Definition
:1. Background
2. Historical Background and Development
3. Design of Mixed-Methods Research
3.1. Types of Mixed-Methods Designs
3.2. Formulating Research Questions for Mixed-Methods Studies
4. Data Collection Technique
5. Data Analysis Techniques
Meta-Inference in Mixed-Methods Research
6. Applications in Healthcare
7. Conclusions and Prospects
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Design | Convergent Parallel Design | Explanatory Sequential Design | Exploratory Sequential Design |
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Details | Qualitative and quantitative data are collected simultaneously and analyzed independently before merging results. | Quantitative data are collected and analyzed first, followed by qualitative data to explain the findings. | Qualitative data are collected first to explore a phenomenon, followed by quantitative data to generalize findings. |
Research Question | It seeks to understand a phenomenon from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives simultaneously. | It aims to explain or elaborate on quantitative results using qualitative insights. | It qualitatively explores a phenomenon in-depth before quantifying the findings. |
Methods | Data collection occurs in parallel using surveys, experiments, interviews, or focus groups. Both datasets are analyzed independently using statistical and thematic analysis, and results are merged or compared to identify similarities, differences, or complementarities. | The first phase involves collecting and analyzing quantitative data (e.g., surveys, secondary data analysis, and experiments) to identify patterns or relationships. The second phase consists of qualitative data collection (e.g., interviews and focus groups) to provide deeper explanations for the quantitative results. | The first phase involves qualitative data collection (e.g., in-depth interviews, ethnography, and focus groups) to explore key themes or generate hypotheses. The second phase uses quantitative methods (e.g., surveys, structured observations, and experimental designs) to test or generalize findings to a larger population. |
Context | This is suitable when both types of data provide complementary insights into a research problem. | This is useful when quantitative data need further explanation through qualitative insights. | This is appropriate when little is known about a phenomenon and qualitative insights are needed before generalization. |
Resources | These require expertise in both qualitative and quantitative analysis; data collection must be well coordinated. | These require time for sequential data collection and expertise in both methodologies. | These demand qualitative expertise first, followed by quantitative skills for validation. |
Key Strengths | These provide a comprehensive understanding; they allow for a direct comparison of different data types. | These offer deeper insights into quantitative findings; helps clarify unexpected results. | These capture rich qualitative insights before quantification; they are useful for theory development. |
Key Limitations | These require substantial coordination; there is potential difficulty in integrating data. | These are time-consuming due to sequential phases; a qualitative follow-up may not fully explain the results. | Initial qualitative findings may not be easily generalizable; these require expertise in both methods. |
Data Collection Techniques | Description | Examples of Data Collection Approach |
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Quantitative Data Collection | This involves methods that yield numerical data suitable for statistical analysis. These techniques are designed to measure variables and quantify relationships between them. They provide objective, reliable, and generalizable data that can be used to test hypotheses and identify patterns [7,25]. |
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Qualitative Data Collection | This technique focuses on gathering non-numerical, rich, and contextual data that capture individuals’ thoughts, experiences, and behaviors. This approach helps uncover meanings, themes, and personal insights that cannot be measured quantitatively [6,26]. |
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Integration of Data Collection | A defining feature of mixed-methods research involves collecting both quantitative and qualitative data to provide a holistic view of the research problem. Integration can occur simultaneously (data collected at the same time) or sequentially (one method follows another) [12,27]. |
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20-Step Mixed-Methods Integration & Rigorous Analytical Guidelines (20-MIRAGE) |
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Rana, K.; Chimoriya, R. A Guide to a Mixed-Methods Approach to Healthcare Research. Encyclopedia 2025, 5, 51. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia5020051
Rana K, Chimoriya R. A Guide to a Mixed-Methods Approach to Healthcare Research. Encyclopedia. 2025; 5(2):51. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia5020051
Chicago/Turabian StyleRana, Kritika, and Ritesh Chimoriya. 2025. "A Guide to a Mixed-Methods Approach to Healthcare Research" Encyclopedia 5, no. 2: 51. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia5020051
APA StyleRana, K., & Chimoriya, R. (2025). A Guide to a Mixed-Methods Approach to Healthcare Research. Encyclopedia, 5(2), 51. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia5020051