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Chapter contents. Vicky Heap and Jaime Waters. Introduction
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CHAPTER CONTENTS
· Introduction 114
· The Philosophy of Mixed Methods Research 114
¡ Pragmatism 115
¡ Multiple realities 117
¡ Pragmatism, multiple realities and mixed methods 117
· Mixed Methods Designs 119
¡ The priority question 119
¡ The sequence question 120
¡ Priority, sequence and the overall design 121
· Combining Mixed Methods Research 124
¡ The ‘mixing’ in mixed methods 124
· Evaluating Mixed Methods Research 128
· Creating a Mixed Methods Research Project 129
¡ Research questions and mixed methods 130
¡ Mixed methods methodology 130
¡ Presenting mixed methods research 131
· Summary and Review 132
· Study Questions and Activities for Students 133
· Suggestions for Further Reading 133
· References 134
GLOSSARY TERMS
pragmatism multiple realities inductive deductive
mixed methods design inferences and meta
inferences
triangulation complementarity development initiation expansion inference quality
USING MIXED METHODS IN CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH
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VIcky Heap and JaIme Waters
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to mixed methods research, an approach where both quantitative and qualitative methods are utilized in the same research project. Mixed methods is a relatively new methodological strategy and has become increasingly prominent since the turn of the twenty-first century (Plano Clark and Creswell, 2008). It is a methodological approach often employed in situ- ations where the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods can help provide a better understanding of the phenomena being studied, for example where the area of research is complex and multi-faceted. In the discipline of criminology, using a mixed methods strategy can be particularly advantageous because of the distinct issues and complexities that studying crime, deviance and victimization entails – for instance, combining national crime survey data (quantitative) with interviews or case studies (qualitative) to provide a more in-depth understanding of the topic.
This chapter provides a practical guide on how to approach and design your own criminological mixed methods research project. Its starting point is the research philosophy that underpins mixed methods (a combination of pragmatism, multiple realities and so-called abduction), before it goes on to consider the specifics of mixed methods research design (the sequence question and the priority question). It then goes on to discuss the processes of integration (covering triangulation, com- plementarity, development, initiation, expansion) and evaluation (covering inference quality and inference transferability). Finally, the chapter focuses on the actual creation of a mixed methods research project (which entails thinking about central research questions, creating a specific methodology and presentation). These themes are also highlighted in the two case studies (Boxes 5. 1 and 5. 2), which show how the application of mixed methods principles and procedures can work in real-life research situations. In addition, throughout the chapter you will be introduced to some of the terminology associated with mixed methods research. This is especially important because mixed methods research is still an emerging field in which termi- nologies and definitions are contested and often inconsistently used (Teddlie and Tashakkori, 2010).
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