A Concise Introduction to Mixed Methods Research

For students and researchers new to mixed methods, A Concise Introduction to Mixed Methods Research 2e by renowned author John W. Creswell provides a brief and practical introduction to mixed methods. Many graduate students and researchers in the social, behavioral and health sciences may not have the time or resources to read long treatises or stacks of journal articles on mixed methods research. This text quickly describes the basics of setting up and conducting a study using this methodology. Chapters are short and follow the process of research, from ensuring skills for conducting research, acknowledging the steps in planning a study, designing studies with increasing complexity, planning sampling strategies and integration, and writing up the results of your study. Get started in mixed methods quickly with this brief primer.

Table of Contents:
PREFACE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK AUDIENCE FEATURES OF THIS CONCISE BOOK CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK NEW FEATURES IN THIS SECOND EDITION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR CHAPTER 1. Basic Characteristics of Mixed Methods Research QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER UNDERSTANDING MIXED METHODS RESEARCH A DEFINITION OF MIXED METHODS RESEARCH WHAT MIXED METHODS IS NOT ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MIXED METHODS RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 2. Skills, Experiences, and Attitudes to Conduct Mixed Methods Research QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH SKILLS MIXED METHODS SKILLS MIXED METHODS TEAMS EXPERIENCES IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH ATTITUDES TOWARD RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 3. Steps in Planning a Mixed Methods Study QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING A STUDY STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF MIXED METHODS RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 4. Introducing a Mixed Methods Study QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD INTRODUCTION INCLUDING COMPONENTS OF A MIXED METHODS INTRODUCTION WRITING MIXED METHODS STUDY AIMS OR A PURPOSE STATEMENT WRITING QUANTITATIVE, QUALITATIVE, AND MIXED METHODS HYPOTHESES AND QUESTIONS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 5. Using Core Mixed Methods Designs QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER EVOLVING MIXED METHODS DESIGNS UNDERSTANDING THREE CORE DESIGNS CHOOSING A MIXED METHODS CORE DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 6. Using Complex Mixed Methods Designs QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER EMBEDDING CORE DESIGNS INTO COMPLEX FRAMEWORKS OR PROCESSES EMBEDDING CORE DESIGNS INTO EXPERIMENTS EMBEDDING CORE DESIGNS INTO PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH STUDIES EMBEDDING CORE DESIGNS INTO A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY EMBEDDING CORE DESIGNS INTO AN EVALUATION STUDY CHOOSING A COMPLEX DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 7. Drawing Diagrams of Design QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER USING DIAGRAMS USING TOOLS FOR DRAWING DIAGRAMS IDENTIFYING ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO PLACE IN DIAGRAMS DRAWING DIAGRAMS IN STEPS DETAILING THE DIAGRAMS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 8. Sampling, Integration, and Metainferences QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER EXPLORING SAMPLING, INTEGRATION, AND METAINFERENCES CONDUCTING SAMPLING IN MIXED METHODS STUDIES CONDUCTING MIXED METHODS INTEGRATION DATA ANALYSIS DRAWING METAINFERENCES FROM THE INTEGRATION RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 9. Writing a Mixed Methods Article for Publication QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER ADDING MIXED METHODS COMPONENTS TO A PUBLICATION STRUCTURING A MIXED METHODS ARTICLE DECIDING ON THE TYPE OF MIXED METHODS ARTICLE TO WRITE LOCATING A SUITABLE JOURNAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS CHAPTER 10. Evaluating the Quality of a Mixed Methods Study QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER LOCATING STANDARDS OF QUALITY FOR MIXED METHODS RESEARCH DETERMINING IF STANDARDS ARE APPROPRIATE ASSESSING STANDARDS OF QUALITY IN THE LITERATURE ADVANCING MY QUALITY STANDARDS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER ADDITIONAL READINGS GLOSSARY REFERENCES INDEX

About the Author :
John W. Creswell, PhD, is a Professor of Family Medicine and Senior Research Scientist of the Michigan Mixed Methods Program. He has authored numerous articles and 34 books on mixed methods research, qualitative research, and research design. While at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, he held the Clifton Endowed Professor Chair, served as Director of the Mixed Methods Research Office, co-founded SAGE’s Journal of Mixed Methods Research, and was an Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan and a consultant to the Veterans Administration Health Services Research Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was a Senior Fulbright Scholar to South Africa in 2008 and to Thailand in 2012. In 2011, he co-led a National Institutes of Health working group on the “best practices of mixed methods research in the health sciences,” served as a Visiting Professor at Harvard’s School of Public Health and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. In 2014, he was the founding President of the Mixed Methods International Research Association. In 2015, he joined the staff of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan to Co-Direct the Michigan Mixed Methods Program. In 2017, he coauthored the American Psychological Association “standards” on qualitative and mixed methods research. The fourth edition of this book on Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design won the 2018 McGuffey Longevity Award from the U.S. Textbook & Academic Authors Association. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he gave virtual keynote presentations to many countries from his office in Osaka, Japan. Updates on his work can be found on his website at johnwcreswell.com.