Media Review: Developing a Mixed Methods Proposal: A Practical Guide for Beginning Researchers

Summary of Media Content

Chapters 1 and 2 engage readers with an introduction to mixed methods research, how to gauge if a mixed methods approach is suitable for their own research study, and the role of theory and worldviews. The authors offer guiding questions for the inclusion of theory and worldviews as guiding mixed methods proposals.

Chapter 3 prompts readers to craft research questions for a mixed methods proposal. The authors discuss three types of research questions within the mixed methods research proposal: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Throughout the chapter, the authors stress quality research questions as a precursor for making sections easier to compose.

Chapter 4 develops the introduction section of the mixed methods research proposal. Readers are prompted to draft sections, such as the definition used, rationales, the audience, and the significance of the mixed methods study.

Chapters 5 and 6 support the development of a literature review and mixed methods research designs. Suggestions are provided for the search, organization, evaluation, and interpretation of literature and to consider appropriate research designs based on research questions. Fully equipped with mixed methods research nomenclature, notation symbols, benefits, and challenges for each design, readers are given issues to consider when selecting mixed methods research designs.

Chapter 7 is “the heart” of the mixed methods research proposal: the methods section. Readers are engaged with tools to begin drafts of the what, how, when, and why of their study. Explicit examples are given to begin the process of identifying key components, such as participants, data collection and analysis procedures, data integration, validity, and credibility.

In chapter 8, external factors that could affect or extend the development of the mixed methods research proposal are given. Factors such as committee member selection, institutional review boards, publication submission, and securing grants are outlined with salient wisdom to consider for each.

Chapter 9 provides readers a comprehensive mixed methods research proposal with references, an extensive appendix, and visual representations for the exemplar research study discussed throughout the book. Within this chapter, readers can review a quality mixed methods research proposal to consult for future proposals.

Critique and Value of Media

I found strengths that alleviate the mysteries of proposal writing in mixed methods research. As a doctoral student at the dissertation proposal phase, I found this text to be highly instructive and logically organized with other strengths I will discuss. First, the authors engage readers with practice sessions—critical guiding questions that prompt writing—after each chapter. Writing tips in chapter 8 provide advice toward how we should think about writing and discussing the mixed methods research proposal. Second, the authors stress the importance of the proposal process being iterative. This wisdom quells proposal worries being in perfect and inflexible states. The authors assure readers emergent issues occur and are common. Third, the authors provide discussions about the ways readers may engage and demonstrate data integration. Last, the authors stress the importance of visual diagrams being incorporated in the mixed methods research proposal. There is a growing body of literature stressing the inclusion of visuals in mixed methods research (Guetterman, Fetters, & Creswell, 2015; Plano Clark & Sanders, 2015). The inclusion of visuals as a “must-see” component of the mixed methods proposal is paramount.

I did find one concern within chapter 3 regarding decisions to include mixed methods research questions. The authors note that “mixed methods questions are not always necessary, as long as there are sufficient quantitative and qualitative research questions” (p. 38). In addition, the authors note “the goal of mixed methods research questions is to create deeper understandings of the phenomenon of interest than the understanding a researcher might expect from looking at qualitative or quantitative data separately” (p. 38). I agree with the latter statement and submit mixed methods research proposals should include a mixed methods question. In addition to providing deeper understandings, the inclusion of mixed methods research questions gives overarching goals of a study and why a study is being approached in this novel way. Similar to how we cannot guarantee integration occurs or will be discussed in a mixed methods study, we should not assume audiences will notice mixing occurring at any point in a research study and how a mixed methods approach combats research problems. Why conduct a mixed methods study if we cannot include mixed methods questions that get to the deeper, rich, and ever-evolving answers we want to illuminate through such an approach? Mixed methods research scholars note the importance of developing research questions in mixed methods research studies (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011; Onwuegbuzie & Leech, 2006). Possible omissions of mixed methods research questions may rob audiences of knowledge we want the mixed methods research approach to do for communities. Last, this book does not give in-depth treatments of mixed methods research. Engage this book as an essential supplement to foundational texts within mixed methods research.

Conclusion

Overall, the authors are generous within this text and I am well-equipped after reading it. This book adds to the growing body of instructional texts demonstrating how to produce mixed methods research products. The cost of the book is also conducive to a graduate student’s budget. The authors note the “book exists because of our students” (p. xxiii). I argue that after reading this book, the field of mixed methods research will always exist.