Reference no: EM133473573

Assignment:

Deciding Whether to Use a Mixed Methods Study

Very often, researchers become so excited about their topic they fail to look at all of the research options available. One may set out to do quantitative study or a qualitative study and refuse to look at any other approach. However, it is possible that combining the two may result in an even better study. Utilizing the checklist on pages 273-274 of your text, determine whether your proposed research project could be studied from a mixed-methods approach. Answer all 8 questions in the same format as presented in the text. One word answers are not acceptable. Use complete sentences.

Purpose Research Project: This research aims to analyze the effectiveness of restorative justice as an alternative to incarceration in reducing recidivism rates in the criminal justice system.

Expectations:

Format the assignment exactly as stated in your textbook.

Provide references.

Checklist Pinning Down the Logistics and Feasibility of a Mixed-Methods Study

1. Can your research problem be better addressed with both quantitative and qualitative data than with only one form of data or the other? If so, explain how each kind of data will contribute to your inquiry.

2. Does your proposed project reflect a convergent, embedded, exploratory sequential, explanatory sequential, longitudinal mixed-methods, or multiphase iterative design? If so, which one? If not, describe the general nature and structure of your design.

3. What specific steps should you take to ensure that your proposed study has credibility in the eyes of other scholars?

4. Given your design, how much of your time is the study likely to take?

5. What specific research skills do you need to collect the data? Do you currently have these skills? If not, explain how you might reasonably acquire them.

6. What specific research skills might you need to analyze and interpret the data? Do you currently have these skills? If not, explain how you might reasonably acquire them.

7. What special resources do you need to complete the study?

8. Do you have the time, energy, skills, and resources to carry out the study as you have designed it? If not, how might you scale down your study so that you can still address your research problem or question? Alternatively, how might you revise your problem or question so that you can reasonably address it, given the time, skills, and resources you have?