Mixed Method Research Essay

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Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm Whose Time Has Come
R. Burke Johnson and Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie
A key feature of mixed methods research is its methodological pluralism or eclecticism, which frequently results in superior research (compared to mono-method research)
Quantitative purists (Ayer, 1959; Maxwell & Delaney, 2004; Popper, 1959; Schrag, 1992) articulate assumptions that are consistent with what is commonly called a positivist philosophy. That is, quantitative purists believe that social observations should be treated as entities in much the same way that physical scientists treat physical phenomena. Further, they contend that the observer is separate from the entities that are subject to observation.
Quantitative purists …show more content…

. . data" (Sieber, 1973, p. 1335).
….both quantitative and qualitative research are important and useful. The goal of mixed methods research is not to replace either of these approaches but rather to draw from the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of both in single research studies and across studies.
Mixed methods research should, instead (at this time), use a method and philosophy that attempt to fit together the in-sights provided by qualitative and quantitative research into a workable solution.
Pragmatism also helps to shed light on how research approaches can be mixed fruitfully (Hoshmand,2 003); the bottom line is that research approaches should be mixed in ways that offer the best opportunities for answering important research questions.
We believe it is clear that both qualitative and quantitative research have many benefits and many costs. In some situations the qualitative approach will be more appropriate; in other situations the quantitative approach will be more appropriate.
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But human rights is a complex social concept. The quantity or intensity of violations is only one of several relevant dimensions.
We would suggest that there exist three dimensions of general relevance to human rights measurements, those of scope, intensity and range.
Scope indicates the level of state violations by asking what is done to the victims. The lowest level might involve the infliction of some symbolic humiliation upon a victim or a deprivation on livelihood, while the highest could involve deliberate physical injury or loss of life.
Intensity refers to the frequency of occurrence of each of the various types of state violations during a given time period. The intensity of human rights violations refers to how frequently particular activities are utilized; it addresses the issue of quantity.
Range the size of the population targeted for human rights abuses. Whereas intensity focuses on the number of individuals directly affected, range focuses instead on the size of the target

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