Criteria for Selecting a Research Approach: Advice from John and David Creswell
Given the possibility of qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods approaches, what factors affect a choice of one approach over another for the design of a proposal? This material is drawn from the SAGE Publishing text Research Design by John W. Creswell, professor of family medicine and co-director of the Michigan Mixed Methods Research and Scholarship Program at the University of Michigan, & J. David Creswell from Carnegie Mellon University. This best-selling text pioneered the comparison of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design and and reflects about the importance of writing and ethics in scholarly inquiry. The 2022 Sixth Edition updates reflect the latest developments in mixed methods and new research examples throughout help capture and demonstrate new trends in research. Also see Collaborative Writing in the Creswell Family, about the collaborative effort of John Creswell and daughter Johanna Creswell Báez that resulted in the book, 30 Essential Skills for the Qualitative Researcher. Use the code MSPACEQ123 for a 20% discount on these books, valid until March 31, 2023.
The Research Problem and Questions
A research problem is an issue or concern that needs to be addressed. The problem comes from a void in the literature, conflict in research results in the literature, topics that have been neglected in the literature; a need to lift up the voice of marginalized participants; and “real-life” problems found in the workplace, the home, the community, and so forth.
Certain types of social research problems call for specific approaches. For example, if the problem calls for (a) the identification of factors that influence an outcome, (b) the utility of an intervention, or (c) understanding the best predictors of outcomes, then a quantitative approach is best. Quantitative approaches are also best suited for studies that aim to test a theory or explanation.
On the other hand, if a concept or phenomenon needs to be explored and understood because little research has been done on it, then it merits a qualitative approach. Qualitative research is especially useful when the researcher does not know the important variables to examine. This type of approach may be needed because the topic is new, the subject has never been addressed with a certain sample or group of people, and existing theories do not apply with the particular sample or group under study (Morse, 1991).
A mixed methods design is useful when an exclusively quantitative or qualitative approach is inadequate to fully understand a research problem. The combined strengths of both quantitative and qualitative methods can provide the most robust results. For example, a researcher may want to both generalize the findings to a population as well as develop a detailed view of the meaning of a phenomenon or concept for individuals. In this example, the inquirer can first qualitatively explore the problem to learn what variables to study and then quantitatively study those variables with a large sample of individuals. Alternatively, researchers may first use a quantitative survey with a large number of individuals and then follow up qualitatively with a few participants to obtain their specific views and their voices about the topic. In these situations, collecting both closed-ended quantitative data and open-ended qualitative data could prove advantageous.
Personal Experiences
Researchers’ own personal training and experiences also influence their choice of approach. An individual trained in technical fields, scientific writing, statistics, and computer statistical programs is likely familiar with quantitative journals in the library would most likely choose the quantitative design. On the other hand, individuals who enjoy writing in a literary way, conducting personal interviews, or making up-close observations may gravitate to the qualitative approach.
The mixed methods researcher is an individual familiar with both quantitative and qualitative research. This person also has the time and resources to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Since quantitative studies are the traditional mode of research, carefully worked out procedures and rules exist for them. Researchers may be more comfortable with the highly systematic procedures of quantitative research. Also, for some individuals, it can be uncomfortable to challenge accepted approaches among some faculty by using qualitative and transformative approaches to inquiry.
On the other hand, qualitative approaches allow room to be innovative and to work more within researcher-designed frameworks. They allow more creative, literary-style writing, a form that individuals may like to use. For those researchers undertaking social justice or community involvement, a qualitative approach is typically best, although this form of research may also incorporate mixed methods designs.For the mixed methods researcher, the project will take extra time because of the need to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. It fits a person who enjoys and has the skills in both quantitative and qualitative research.
Audience
Finally, researchers write for audiences that will accept their research. These audiences may be journal editors and readers, faculty committees, conference attendees, or colleagues in the field. Students should consider the approaches typically supported and used by their advisers. The experiences of these audiences with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies can shape the decision made about the choice of design.
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The process for researching literature on research methods is somewhat different from the process used for researching literature about the topic, problem, or questions. What should we keep in mind when selecting methods literature?