From mixed methods to strategic research design

ABSTRACT

This paper contrasts mixed methods design with strategic research design. Mixed methods research both advocates for itself as always better than singular research methods, while also seemingly allowing a wide variety of researchers to count their work under the very large umbrella of mixed methods. We argue for strategic research design as a set of principles that can help researchers decide whether to use mixed methods, choose the best methods to mix and the order to mix them in. Drawing on an actual case study of a mixed methods research project, we show the importance of realist epistemology, available resources, and the research situation in guiding the selection and mixing of research methods.

KEYWORDS:

• Mixed methods
• communities
• quantitative
• qualitative
• realist philosophy

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their appreciation to all those involved in the research, and to anonymous reviewers from the International Journal of Social Research for comments on an earlier version of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This material is based upon work support by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, Hatch project 1006637, and a University of Wisconsin Department of Community and Environmental Sociology State Research Assistantship.

Notes on contributors

Randy Stoecker

Randy Stoecker is a Professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, with an affiliate appointment at the Center for Community and Economic Development. He has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, and an M.S. in Counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He practices, conducts trainings, writes, and speaks on community organizing and development, community-based participatory research/evaluation, higher education community engagement strategies, and community information technology.

Elisa Avila

Elisa Avila is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has an M.A. from the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on race, community, and urban sociology with an emphasis on place-based social processes.