Mixed methods research--so far easier said than done?

Abstract

Mixed methods research (MMR) involves the application of both quantitative and qualitative approaches in a single study, and has been advocated for physiotherapy research. MMR studies are considered to be useful in cases where several different but related research questions are examined or when the purpose is to triangulate quantitative and qualitative data addressing one research question. Few MMR studies have been published in physiotherapy journals, and no papers are found to discuss the actual experience of conducting an MMR study. In this paper an MMR study is used to exemplify how a study applying a concurrent triangulation design was performed, and some aspects related to performing MMR are discussed. Some challenges are identified, and questions are raised about how to incorporate the findings of the two data sets and which skills are needed for doing MMR.