The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Translational Research Institute recently hosted an interactive workshop, “Complementary by Design: A Mixed Methods Workshop to Optimize Your Research,” designed to improve a researcher’s ability to use mixed methods.
Two external facilitators from the University of New Mexico, Cathleen Willging, Ph.D., and Janet Page-Reeves, Ph.D., partnered with two UAMS faculty, Kathy Allison, Ph.D., MPH, and Paula Roberson, Ph.D., to design and deliver the workshop.
Mixed methods research combines qualitative and quantitative methods and intentionally integrating these methods to answer complex research questions. Quantitative data involves measurable, numerical information to test hypotheses, while qualitative data involves descriptive words and images from interviews and observations to help us understand contextual nuance of the human experience.
The two-part training on Nov. 6 was attended by 27 UAMS trainees, staff and faculty.
Phase one featured workshop facilitators Willging and Page-Reeves presenting on the value of mixed methods research, types of mixed methods research designs, and examples of mixed methods studies.
Willging, center director and senior research scientist for the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, said during her presentation that mixed methods can be a game-changer. Thus, health professionals should know how to properly employ the approach.
“Mixed Methods research helps produce impactful work that can improve public health,” Willging said. “It’s essential to doing innovative projects and fostering productive collaborations.”
Phase two of the training featured roundtable discussions between designated moderators and the attendees. The moderators described their mixed methods research projects, what has worked for them, what has proved unsuccessful, how they’ve built their interprofessional teams, and how they have enhanced their research through community-engagement.
Allison, assistant professor in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, helped moderate the roundtable discussions and lead the conversations. Prior to the discussions, Allison emphasized to the participants how they could best benefit from that portion of the training.
“We want you to workshop your own ideas,” Allison said. “We want this to be very conversational. Ask questions. Share your ideas. Get feedback from the roundtable moderators and your peers.”
Larissa da Cruz, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the UAMS Department of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine, wanted to learn more about the use of statistics in research. She appreciated the opportunity to receive pertinent mixed methods guidance.
“I work full time in research, so it’s very important for me to learn about mixed methods,” Cruz said. “There are times in which research requires the use of different tools. If we’re going to use quantitative data, we’ll also need to learn about using qualitative data. So, I was really pleased with the workshop, for me, learning more statistics is never too much.”
Shannon Vitone, D.O., is a fellow in the Department of Pediatrics’ Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship program. She’s working on a neonatal therapy-related project that requires the use of mixed methods. Vitone said that the training was timely and informative.
“I’m taking implementation science courses to learn how to better execute mixed methods research,” she said. “It’s helpful to see how mixed methods can out combine quantitative and qualitative components to achieve a better understanding of a clinical environment and best determine how to implement a medical therapy. This workshop broadened by understanding of how to successfully conduct a mixed methods research study.”
Roberson, chair of the UAMS Department of Biostatistics, commended the training for how it addressed a major issue within the realm of research.
“There’s often a lot of disconnect between quantitative and qualitative research,” she said. “But there’s a growing interest in how to integrate those forms of research. It’s important to integrate the two approaches in order to come to meaningful conclusions about your research.”