APPLICATION OF THE MIXED METHODS RESEARCH USING SEQUENTIAL EXPLANATORY DESIGN

In the past two decades there has been a growing number of health, social and behavioural sciences researchers employing mixed-methods research designs in their studies. By definition, mixed methods research is a research methodology which focuses on research questions that call for real-life contextual understandings, multi-level perspectives, and cultural influences. By design, this approach employs rigorous quantitative research assessing magnitude and frequency of constructs and rigorous qualitative research exploring the meaning and understanding of constructs and intentionally integrates these methods to draw on the strengths of each. Simply put, mixed methods is a procedure for collecting, analysing, and "mixing" or integrating both quantitative and qualitative data at some stage of the research process within a single study for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of the research problem. The logic for mixing both kinds of data within a single study is based on the fact that neither quantitative nor qualitative methods in isolation are adequate to clearly highlight the trends and finer details of a situation. However, when used in combination, quantitative and qualitative methods complement each other leading to a more dynamic analysis which draws on each other's strength. Notwithstanding the myriad of mixed methods research designs reported in the literature, the sequential explanatory design seem to be highly popular among health, social and behavioural researchers. This design implies collecting and analysing first quantitative and then qualitative data in two successive phases within a single study. Despite its simplicity and popularity, the implementation of this mixed methods design is not easy. Researchers who opt for mixed methods sequential explanatory study have to consider certain methodological issues. This paper addresses some technical issues associated with the mixed methods sequential explanatory design. Key among these concerns are: the methodological overview of priority, implementation, and mixing in the sequential explanatory design, practical guidance of addressing those issues as well as the steps for graphically representing the procedures in a mixed methods study. A mixed methods sequential explanatory study employed in evaluating a South African Government Victim Empowerment Programme for addressing the gender-based violence is used to illustrate these methodological debates.