5.1 Purpose of Mixed Methods

Mixed methods design is a research design that combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods in a single study to gain a more comprehensive understanding of a phenomenon. It strategically combines and integrates quantitative and qualitative research methods in a single research study to take advantage of the best of both worlds.¹ This approach involves the intentional collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, which are triangulated to validate results. Mixed methods research aims to maximise the strengths of quantitative and qualitative research methods, combining inductive and deductive reasoning to gain a more comprehensive understanding of health research questions. Mixed methods are especially useful in complex research environments where a single method may not be sufficient to fully understand the problem at hand. Mixed methods can balance the limitations of quantitative and qualitative research, create robust descriptions and interpretations of data, make quantitative results more understandable, and increase the broad applicability of qualitative results from small samples.²