Mixed methods/ Integrated design
Exploratory sequential
Discover what matters. Then measure it.
Begin with qualitative exploration, then use those findings to build a quantitative instrument, intervention, or hypothesis test. Integration occurs as the later phase is constructed.
WHEN IT FITS
Concepts are poorly understood, or existing measures do not adequately represent a particular population or context.
Strengths
- Grounds measurement in participants’ perspectives.
- Reveals constructs missing from existing instruments.
- Makes the path from insight to measurement explicit.
Limitations
- Development and testing require substantial time.
- Turning accounts into items can remove context.
- Qualitative grounding does not replace psychometric testing.
Know the boundary
The sequence is qualitative then quantitative. Wider measurement still requires appropriate sampling and evidence of construct validity.
USED ACROSS
Banking & financeBusiness & MBAPsychologyComputer scienceEducation