Innovation in Mixed Methods Research
A Practical Guide to Integrative Thinking with Complexity
- Cheryl N. Poth - University of Alberta, Canada
Winner of the 2020 Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association.
Explaining both why and how to use mixed methods for discovering solutions to complex research problems, this guide gives readers the tools to adapt approaches to suit their own research conditions. Written in a warm, encouraging tone and packed with helpful diagrams and visual organizers, it provides an easy-to-follow map to the mixed methods process, covering everything from ‘what is mixed methods research?’ to framing, integrating, and describing a complexity-sensitive mixed methods approach.
Features include:
- Key questions to navigate the important concepts of each chapter
- Practice alerts to provide practical tips on working in the field
- Chapter check-ins to assess development of key skills
- Further reading to expand and deepen knowledge of mixed methods practices
- An annotated glossary to get to grips with foundational terms and revise for exams
Supported throughout by real-world examples and advice from the author and other mixed methods experts, this book helps readers succeed in their projects and think innovatively about the methods they use.
Supplements
Big data and increasingly sophisticated research challenges mean that we can no longer rely on ‘off the shelf’ methodologies. This book is essential reading for anyone engaging in mixed methods work, offering a positive call to action and essential guidance.
Cogent, practical, and based on extensive experience—this book will be especially useful to researchers navigating the space between the ideal research designs they were taught and the realities on the ground.
Poth’s framing of complex mixed methods problems reflects the importance of visualising and mapping out complex situations in research. This book acts as a particularly useful tool for developing this key skill as a mixed method researcher.
Professor Poth’s new book takes the reader on a journey of discovery into the world of mixed methods. This easy to read resource provides the nuances required to undertake good mixed methods studies. The book is a must-have for novice and seasoned researchers alike.
Dr. Poth provides a helpful balance of theoretical and practical guidance for new scholars seeking to pursue mixed methods research. Her book, which provides concrete examples illustrating the steps involved in navigating complex research projects, is an invaluable resource for students.
Balancing theory, her experiences, and diverse examples spanning social sciences, Dr. Poth simultaneously initiates readers to mixed methods and explores design complexities that will illuminate many emerging and established scholars. Her accessible, thorough, well-paced text accounts for what, why, and how. Eschewing prescription, she welcomes adaptation in mixed methods research.
Mixed methods research is well established in the literature yet there exists much diversity across many areas and a lack of consensus within the field... This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction into the field.
This book is a good guide for anyone doing complex, multi-phase research, where there are interlinking social and institutional uncertainties and imperfect knowledge about their nature and solutions
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Poth describes six adaptive practices to help researchers respond to unfolding conditions in complex social research. She says that the traditional mixed methods approach is limiting and that we need to be more flexible when research is complex, multi-layered and when there are many uncertainties.
This is a very good resource for students and teaching
Very practical and very interesting for who are beginning research.
