Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
Organization for Triangulation
Triangulation, specifically methodological triangulation, is the possibility of gaining deeper knowledge of a social reality through the use of two or more methods.
The triangulation of research techniques, particularly when combining quantitative and qualitative practices, moves beyond viewing reality through a single lens. The concept of triangulation suggests that research techniques are not simply interchangeable. Their joint use is not merely about expanding perspectives but is primarily aimed at methodological control and enhancing validity.
Preparation and Route-Finding
Preparation of quantitative tools and route-finding.
Qualitative Informing Quantitative
When setting up questionnaires, especially those addressing attitudes and opinions, insights from the qualitative phase can be drawn upon. Its aim is for the researcher to refine its application and understand the effects of self-observation, focusing on the language used.
The main connection is made by obtaining expressions from the qualitative phase (phrases, sentence fragments, etc.) which are then used in a questionnaire administered to a statistically representative sample to ask about the degree of attachment to these expressions.
Examples in Practice
Lazarsfeld and Thielens used preliminary interviews (without specifying the number) to develop items for a questionnaire aimed at collecting teachers’ apprehensions. Furthermore, Nie included phrases from interviews and other media in a questionnaire to analyze trends among American voters.
Design Considerations
This design can go beyond the content of the questionnaire. If interesting sectors are identified qualitatively, the survey sample is stratified, giving more weight to these sectors. These practices typically involve participant observation over a long period or open interviews with experts or individuals who assume the character of informants.
Lazarsfeld’s Perspective
According to Lazarsfeld, qualitative practices are subordinate to quantitative survey practices. Their aim is to achieve better adaptation to the situation’s structure and the respondent’s frame of reference.
Exploratory Role of Qualitative Methods
In its exploratory role, the qualitative approach is a source of specific issues and hypotheses. Its aim is to gain a better understanding of how to conduct survey research. This approach, in principle, involves the incorporation of the observer into the observed context.
Underlying Assumptions
The assumptions that lead to this design are:
- The field of investigation is not sufficiently known to conduct the study using a standardized questionnaire.
- Establishing a division of tasks where the qualitative function is assigned to exploration.
Qualitative researchers reinforce this assumption because they attribute the function of generating hypotheses and thus theory to qualitative methods, while quantitative methods are tasked with verification.
Assessing Item Relevance
One aim is to observe the extent to which the measurement instrument presents respondents with a problem that is not their own. This means the qualitative approach is used to clarify the relevance of questionnaire items. Conversely, thorough qualitative exploration should influence the design of the measurement instrument.
Lexical Content Analysis
A key design specification where quantitative analysis is linked to the qualitative approach is lexical or metric content analysis. Instead of qualitative analysis, the discourses produced by interviews or focus groups are subjected to quantitative content analysis or lexicometric analysis. The discourses become texts in their broadest sense.
Common Applications
Most designs of this type are used to:
- Clarification of results from a previous quantitative approach, especially when using a standardized questionnaire.
- Deepening understanding of groups or social sectors identified through quantitative analysis.
Survey vs. Qualitative Roles
The role of the survey is to identify the relevance of certain social groups, behaviors, and attitudes within the population. Once these are detected and their relevance established, the survey acts as a framework. It provides the quantitative identity of the subjects. Qualitative methods reveal the motivations for actions and the meaning of such practices, attitudes, or opinions.