Two UNL faculty members played leading roles in developing best practices recommendations recently released by the National Institutes of Health for scientists conducting mixed methods health research.
Best Practices for Mixed Methods Research in the Health Sciences was created by:
•John W. Creswell, UNL professor of educational psychology
•Vicki L. Plano Clark, UNL research assistant professor of educational psychology and director of the Office of Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research
•Ann Carroll Klassen, Drexel University
•Katherine Clegg Smith, Johns Hopkins University
Additional input came from a working group of scientists with expertise in research methodology from diverse fields such as public health, nursing and medicine. The NIH’s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research identified the need for this guidance and commissioned the report.
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Mixed methods research combines the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research.
Despite the increased interest in mixed methods research in health fields and at NIH, scientists have received limited guidance in developing NIH funding applications featuring mixed methods designs. NIH reviewers also have received little direction in how to assess the quality of these applications.
Multi-pronged strategies that address both prevention and treatment are critical to effectively tackling today’s most pressing public health problems, including obesity, health disparities among populations, poor adherence to treatments and many other problems, NIH said in a news release.
Teams of scientists working together on the genetic, societal and behavioral causes of such problems require rigorous data – both quantitative and qualitative – to understand and effectively address these problems.
Solving Problems That Have No Simple Answers
The authors note that mixed methods investigation lends itself to research problems in which a singular approach would not allow the scientist to develop multiple perspectives and a complete understanding of the problem or the research question.
The report also provides suggestions on how to design a mixed methods study, outlines the challenges in mixed methods investigations and addresses how to form, lead and train a mixed methods research team.
The report offers useful best practices for researchers seeking to incorporate mixed methods research into applications for NIH research grants, as well as fellowship, career, training and center grants.
The latter part of the report suggests criteria for evaluating the merits of proposed investigations using mixed methods. The best practices report ends with overall recommendations for applicants, reviewers and stakeholders.