Introduction
PhD candidates in the social sciences and humanities often combine different research methods. A popular combination, for instance, is to conduct a survey and qualitative interviews. The combination of different methods often leads to more powerful insights than single-method studies.
In this course, we will explore different ways to design, conduct and analyse mixed-method studies. We will also consider how to tackle the challenges in preparing results from such studies for academic publications.
Course information
ECTS: 2.5
Number of sessions: 4
Hours per session: 3
Key Facts & Figures
- Type
- Course
- Instruction language
- English
- Mode of instruction
- Offline
What will you achieve?
- After completion of the course you will know the general methodological dimensions of mixed methods research and be able to position their own and other research.
- After completion of the course you will concepts, approaches, benefits, disadvantages,
- After the course you will have operational insights about sampling and data collection in mixed methods research: single or multiple samples, sequencing, data preferences.
- After the course you will be aware of the challenges of mixed data-analysis, e.g. the complementary or contradictory use of data.
- After completion of the course you will be able to assess the academic quality of mixed method research.
Start dates
Session 1
November 4 (Monday) 2024
13.30-16.30 hrs
Mandeville building (campus map), room T19-01
Session 2
November 11 (Monday) 2024
13.30-16.30 hrs
Mandeville building (campus map), room T19-01
Session 3
November 18 (Monday) 2024
13.30-16.30 hrs
Mandeville building (campus map), room T19-01
Session 4
November 25 (Monday) 2024
13.30-16.30 hrs
Mandeville building (campus map), room T19-01
Working method and relevance
The course is not tied to a particular discipline or theory; it is relevant for PhD candidates from all disciplines.
The course discusses conceptual aspects of mixed-methods studies (different designs, approaches for analysis, etc.) and practical issues regarding data collection, analyses and quality assessment. We work with concrete examples from PhD candidates, literature and the lecturer's own research. Course assignments are set up to directly inform your own PhD-research.
The course does not require any in-depth knowledge about quantitative or qualitative paradigms, and will not deal with the details of quantitative or qualitative methods. The focus will be on explaining and exploring mixed-methods from design to publication.
Active participation and the willingness to share and discuss your own studies are expected.
Session descriptions
This lecture starts with a short introduction into quantitative and qualitative research and their respective strengths and weaknesses. The main part will be spend on discussing the various versions in which quantitative and qualitative approaches can be combined, the rationales for choosing specific designs, and the practical implications such choices have for important aspects of a research project, such as sampling procedures and the likely duration of a study.
The second lecture will provide advice on how to plan for and execute the collection of data, when a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches is intended.
Often the most difficult step in mixed-method studies is the effective analysis and integration of data following quantitative and qualitative logics. In this lecture, we will discuss the possibilities as well as the challenges when integrating and theorizing from mixed-method data. We will further look into the challenges of writing-up mixed method studies for publication in academic journals.
The last session will be used to wrap up design, data collection, analysis and integration, and assess the combination of quality criteria that are relevant for mixed method research.
Suggested reading
Example studies
- Baranik, L.E., Hurst, C.S., & Eby, L.T. (2018). The stigma of being a refugee: A mixed-method study of refugees' experiences of vocational stress. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 105, 116-130.
- Singh, S. & Aggarwal, Y. (2018). Happiness at Work Scale: Construction and Psychometric Validation of a Measure Using Mixed Method Approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(5), 1439–1463.
- Van Thielen, T., Decramer, A., Vanderstraeten, A., & Audenaert, M. (2018). When does performance management foster team effectiveness? A mixed-method field study on the influence of environmental extremity. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(6), 766-782.
Instructor
Esther RozendaalProf. dr. Esther Rozendaal is the dean of EGSH. In June of 2023 she was appointed professor of Digital Resilience at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). Since 2020, she has been an associate professor of Communication and Behavioural Change at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). Her research focuses on the digital resilience of young people. In particular, she investigates how to help children and teenagers to behave media-wise online. In addition to her academic research, she is concerned with bridging the gap between science and practice. In 2011, together with Prof. Moniek Buijzen (ESSB), she founded Bitescience, a company aimed at transferring scientific knowledge to professionals with young people as the target group.Email address
Contact
- Enrolment-related questions: enrolment@egsh.eur.nl
- Course-related questions: rozendaal@essb.eur.nl
- Telephone: +31 (0)10 4082607 (Graduate School)
Facts & Figures
- Fee
- free for PhD candidates of the Graduate School
- €575- for non-members
- consult our enrolment policy for more information
- Tax
- Not applicable
- Offered by
- Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Humanities
- Course type
- Course
- Instruction language
- English
- Mode of instruction
- Offline