This provocative book discusses a new turn in mixed methods research: merged methods. Moving beyond the binary quantitative-qualitative distinction, it shows you how to integrate methods in social research.
A new turn in mixed methods research is here: merged methods. This provocative book offers a novel analysis of current mixed methods research, complicating traditional approaches and challenging existing techniques.
Moving beyond the binary quantitative-qualitative distinction, the book presents methodologically grounded ways to merge methods in social research and integrate interpretive and structural approaches in one instrument or procedure.
The book:
- Considers the importance of merging both epistemologies and methodologies.
- Showcases eight merged methods research approaches, from the Delphi method to multimodal content analysis.
- Explores the opportunities for merging methods using computational techniques, such as text mining.
This innovative book is a must-read for any postgraduate student or researcher across the social sciences wanting to develop their understanding of mixed methods research.
Arvustused
A ground-breaking text that dismantles the concepts of qualitative and quantitative, demonstrating how their distinction is both artificial and limiting, instead proposing research techniques that harness their points of interface and maximise their various strengths. An asset to the field. -- Felicity Boardman
About the Authors |
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ix | |
Introduction: Setting The Scene Of Merged Methods |
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1 | (14) |
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Some limits of Mixed Methods |
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2 | (3) |
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The `Merged Methods' stance |
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5 | (2) |
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Merged Methods and techniques: the 2for1 offer |
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7 | (6) |
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13 | (2) |
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PART ONE EPISTEMOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY |
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15 | (88) |
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1 Merged Methods: Development and Emergence of a New Approach |
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17 | (16) |
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Where we are starting from |
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18 | (1) |
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Mixed Methods as a resurgence |
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19 | (6) |
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State of the debate in Mixed Methods |
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25 | (5) |
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Surfing the Third Wave: enter Merged Methods |
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30 | (3) |
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2 Merged Epistemology: Assumptions, Experience, Knowledge |
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33 | (20) |
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The need for an epistemological integration |
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34 | (2) |
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The quantitative imprinting in Mixed Methods |
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36 | (1) |
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The original sin in the qualitative--quantitative debate: the multiple meanings of `qualitative' |
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37 | (1) |
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Facts as theory-driven material--symbolic phenomena |
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38 | (2) |
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Is the `pragmatic' approach/paradigm a valuable alternative? |
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40 | (2) |
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The great misunderstanding |
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42 | (2) |
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44 | (1) |
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44 | (2) |
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Method as a (specific) data builder |
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46 | (1) |
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Structures and actions/interpretative and structural |
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46 | (1) |
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Two (complementary) ways to integration: mixed and merged |
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47 | (3) |
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Steps towards `merged epistemology' |
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50 | (1) |
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51 | (2) |
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3 Merged Methodology: A Rationale For Merged Methods |
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53 | (24) |
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Revitalizing old terms by attributing new meanings |
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54 | (12) |
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Measurement: a rare achievement in social sciences |
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66 | (5) |
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Sampling and generalization |
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71 | (1) |
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An alternative classification of main methodologies |
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72 | (1) |
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Conclusion: repercussions and relapses |
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73 | (4) |
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4 Merged Methods Research Design: A Theory-Driven Approach |
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77 | (26) |
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78 | (3) |
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Research designs from Mixed to Merged Methods |
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81 | (4) |
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Theory-driven design orientation |
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85 | (4) |
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Explanation and causation |
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89 | (1) |
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90 | (2) |
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92 | (4) |
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Developing Merged Methods design applications |
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96 | (4) |
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100 | (3) |
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103 | (148) |
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5 The Delphi Method: Forecasting Scenarios |
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105 | (20) |
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106 | (2) |
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Brief history of the Delphi Method |
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108 | (2) |
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110 | (4) |
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114 | (6) |
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120 | (1) |
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Advantages and disadvantages |
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121 | (2) |
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123 | (1) |
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124 | (1) |
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6 The Event History Calendar And Intervey Methods: Interaction at Work in Surveys |
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125 | (22) |
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126 | (1) |
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Brief history of the methods |
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126 | (2) |
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Approach to data collection and organization I: the EHC |
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128 | (3) |
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Knowing and know-how I: the rationale of the EHC |
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131 | (2) |
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Approach to data collection and organization II: the Intervey |
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133 | (2) |
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Knowing and know-how II: the rationale of the Intervey |
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135 | (1) |
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136 | (3) |
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Advantages and disadvantages |
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139 | (5) |
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144 | (1) |
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145 | (2) |
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7 Q-Methodology: Studying People's Viewpoint |
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147 | (26) |
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148 | (2) |
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Brief history of Q-Methodology |
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150 | (1) |
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Approaching Q-Methodology |
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151 | (5) |
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156 | (8) |
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164 | (4) |
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168 | (2) |
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Advantages and disadvantages |
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170 | (1) |
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170 | (1) |
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171 | (2) |
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8 Multimodal Content Analysis: Texts and Sentiments |
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173 | (20) |
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174 | (1) |
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Brief history of Content Analysis |
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174 | (1) |
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Approaches to data collection, organization and analysis |
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175 | (2) |
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177 | (2) |
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179 | (2) |
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181 | (1) |
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182 | (1) |
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Multimodal Content Analysis: research experience |
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183 | (6) |
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The merging point: MCA as merged method |
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189 | (1) |
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Advantages and disadvantages |
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189 | (2) |
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191 | (1) |
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191 | (2) |
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9 Text Mining: From Tacit to Explicit Knowledge |
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193 | (28) |
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194 | (7) |
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Brief history of Text Mining |
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201 | (1) |
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202 | (8) |
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210 | (6) |
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216 | (2) |
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Advantages and disadvantages |
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218 | (1) |
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219 | (1) |
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220 | (1) |
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10 The Symlog Method: How to Analyse Behaviour and Group Dynamics |
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221 | (22) |
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222 | (4) |
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Brief history of the Symlog method |
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226 | (3) |
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229 | (5) |
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234 | (4) |
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238 | (1) |
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Advantages and disadvantages |
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239 | (2) |
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241 | (1) |
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242 | (1) |
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11 Conclusion: The Ways Ahead |
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243 | (8) |
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245 | (6) |
Glossary |
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251 | (4) |
References |
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255 | (38) |
Index |
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293 | |
Giampietro Gobo is Professor of Methodology of Social Research and Sociology of Science at the University of Milan (Italy). He was one of the founders of the Qualitative Methods Research Network of the European Sociological Association.
His interests concern scientific controversies on health issues and workplace studies. He is currently undertaking projects on immunization and COVID-19 policies, and ethnographic experiments in the area of cooperation in small teamwork. His books include Doing Ethnography (Sage, 2008), Qualitative Research Practice (co-edited with C. Seale, J. F. Gubrium and D. Silverman, Sage, 2004) and Constructing Survey Data: An Interactional Approach (with S. Mauceri, Sage, 2014). Nigel Fielding, BA (Sussex) MA (Kent) PhD (LSE), is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Surrey, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and a member of the Community of Experts of the European Science Foundation, and served on the Mixed Methods Research Associations presidential task force on the future of mixed methods.
His interests in research methodology include mixed methods, socio-spatial methods, qualitative software, interview methods, field observation, and digitally-mediated fieldwork. Nigel has authored/edited 27 books, many in research methodology, including The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods, Sage, 2018 (second edition), with Grant Blank and Ray Lee.
Gevisa La Rocca is Associate Professor of Sociology of Communication at the University Kore of Enna (Italy) and a member of the Scientific Council of the Processes and Cultural Institutions Group of the Italian Association of Sociology. She has a background in sociology, communication, quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Her research interests cover communication research, hashtags studies, textual data analysis, risk studies. On these topics, she has written several articles for national and international journals (Sage Open, Revue Internationale De Sociologie, Barataria. Revista Castellano-Manchega de Ciencias Sociales) and co-edited the book Technological and Digital Risk: Research Issues (with J. Martìnez-Torvisco, Peter Lang, 2020). Wander van der Vaart is Associate Professor of Social Research Methodology at the University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht (The Netherlands) and serves as a Vice-President of RC33, the Research Committee on Logic and Methodology of the International Sociological Association. He has a background in quantitative and qualitative research methods, political science and psychology.
His interests are in flexible surveys and study designs for hard-to-study populations and phenomena. His publications appear in methods oriented journals (Field Methods, Journal of Official Statistics, Quality and Quantity, International Journal of Public Opinion Research) and substantive journals (Journal of Aging and Environment, Applied Cognitive Psychology).