Experiential Exercises

(1) Send teams of students on a literature search to find a study that used mixed-methods research design that involves applied research. Have them describe the type of mixed-methods research used in the study. Based upon what they have found, have them explain why that particular research design was well suited to doing an analysis of applied research.

(2) Set up a contest--show students five different diagrams. Have students then come up with examples to make the diagram true. So, for example, with QUAL+QUAN, have students identify this as an integrated mixed methods design and suggest something like interviews and surveys.

(3) Locate 10 articles which used mixed-methods research designs. Distribute the articles among teams of students and then have them identify the type of research design and have them diagram them. Post the diagrams so that the class can see them, then have them make observations about the diagrams, such as whether one type of research seems to predominate, and to talk about any one design predominates.

(4) Set up small teams of students to generate examples of one of the four mixed-method research designs discussed in class. From each team, have them come up with an example of an embedded mixed-methods research design study. Then have the teams debate which type of measurement should come first on the issue of which would be the most effective use of this mixed-methods research design.

Individual and Group Activities

(1) Have students get access to a prominent sociological database, such as SOCIndex, to locate a study, from a peer-reviewed publication, that used a multitrait-multimethod approach. Assign students a short writing assignment where students describe the study, including but not limited to the nature of the approach used. From the written assignments, select two or three that seem best to illustrate this research approach and present them to the class. Get students to discuss which of the studies seemed to best use this approach and have them discuss why they chose as they did. In the alternative, have them write out their selection and explanation as a short writing assignment.

(2) Schutt's research on homelessness, housing, and mental illness.
Have students locate a copy of the author's research involving the Boston McKinney Project on homelessness, housing, and mental illness. Have students write a short essay about the results of this research, especially to have them identify the type of mixed methods research design that was used.