Copyright �� eContent Management Pty Ltd. International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches (2010) 4: 186���191. 186 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIPLE RESEARCH APPROACHES Volume 4, Issue 3, December 2010 COMMENTARY Using mixed methods in research studies: An opportunity with its challenges KEYVAN SALEHI PhD Candidate, Department of Educational Measurement and Evaluation, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran NAHID GOLAFSHANI Professor of Math and Technology Education, School of Education (English), Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada ABSTRACT Changes in fi rst and second movements in research methodology led to emergence and develop- ment of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Second movement in research methodology emerged with an objective of rectifying certain shortfalls in the fi rst movement however, the second movement, itself, was not exempt from some shortfalls. These have led to the emergence of the third methodological movement which resulted in the birth of mixed methods research. Researchers are fi nding this movement to be a new opportunity to study complex phenomenon. They are also fi nding that the new opportunity comes with its own challenges. Some of the currently discussed challenges among educational researchers are philosophical and epistemological aspects of mixed methods research. Keywords: mixed method research, triangulation, qualitative, quantitative, methodology INTRODUCTION Tmethodologies he fi rst and second movements in research have led to the emergence of quantitative and qualitative research methods, respectively. Often quantitative research pre- pares necessary background for drawing a gen- eral conclusion or result such as humans��� social patterns (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994 Neuman, 2000 Rocco, Bliss, Gallagher, & Perez-Prado, 2003 Williams & May, 1996) while qualitative research is found to be benefi cial for different exploration and interpretations of data such as individual���s personal experiences (Polit & Beck, 2006). With the advent of the second movement in research methodology, some shortfalls of the fi rst methodological movement were rectifi ed. Despite the refi nement of certain shortfalls in quantitative research, qualitative research was not exempt from shortfalls either (Cameron & Miller, 2007). Some prevalent weaknesses of the latter research method are: lack of attention to quantitative aspect of phe- nomenon (Bazargan, 2007), limited possibility to generalize some fi ndings (Denzin & Lincoln,

Using mixed methods in research studies Volume 4, Issue 3, December 2010 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIPLE RESEARCH APPROACHES 187 such as human���s social patterns, using deductive logic. Qualitative method deals with interpreta- tion and exploration which guide researchers to understand and explain events and occurrences, such as humans��� phenomenon from the social patterns. The combination of the last two meth- ods is a foundation for developing mixed methods research which has been called as an ���evolution of research methodology��� (Creswell & Garrett, 2008, p. 322). This combination allows for the integra- tion of data collection and analysis techniques of both quantitative and qualitative methods in either parallel or sequential stages (Creswell, 2003 Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003). The philosophical foundation for mixed methods research is pragmatism (Andrew & Halcomb, 2007 Cameron, 2009 Morgan, 2007). Pragmatism accepts the use of multiple methods in one study and emphasizes the relevant research questions and reliable fi ndings or correct answers to the questions (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003). In other words, it is the research questions that defi ne a good research study rather than only its selected method or paradigm. Thus using both qualitative and quantitative methods on one study will serve these principles. Andrew and Halcomb (2007) state that there are six documented purposes for using mixed methods design. The following summarizes the purposes and provides a brief defi nition for each purpose: Triangulation It is ���a validity procedure where researchers search for convergence among multiple and different sources of information to form themes or catego- ries in a study��� (Creswell & Miller, 2000, p. 126). In addition, triangulation is a partnership among different methods in collecting data and confi rm- ing results in one study. Complementarity The application of triangulation in research yields to complementarity of the mixed methods when quantitative methods can ���further develop fi ndings 2004 Husen, 1997), and some limitations in performing qualitative research (Neuman, 1997, 2000 Williams, 1996). Each of these constraints can hinder a full comprehension of an interesting research study or an existing phenomenon. Surely, both quantitative and qualitative meth- ods hold some weak and strong components in research methodologies and Kelle (2006) suggests the integration of the two methods. Combining the two types of methods along with orches- trating necessary conditions to maximize the potency in one hand and minimize weaknesses in the other hand can contribute immensely in the analysis and comprehension of phenom- enon. The choice of a research method is very infl uential in determining how a researcher con- ducts a research. It has an enormous impact on the data collections and analysis of the research study. Thus familiarity with a research method and, in particular, with the nature the mixed methods and its applied objectives are essential in conducting a strong research study. However, the absence of enough attention toward mixed methods research due to its perceived complex- ity is documented by some researchers (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) and this calls for more awareness of such method. OVERVIEW OF MIXED METHODS RESEARCH In today���s fast evolving social phenomenon, the scholars and educational researchers are address- ing more complex research problems than before. They are looking into developing new methods, as tools, to conduct reliable and valid complex research and to lessen the effects of the shortfalls of the old research methods. Thus the emergence of the third methodological movement, mixed meth- ods, was inevitable (Cameron, 2009 Cameron & Miller, 2007). Mixed methods research involves both quantitative and qualitative methodolo- gies (Hanson et al. 2005 Tashakkori & Teddlie, 1998). Quantitative method includes numerical values and measurement which help research- ers to describe and determine some patterns,