Mixed methods studies are the future of user experience research. The rise of research software, a more accessible digital population, and the growing desire to use research to get through complex, abstract problems have all fueled more mixed methods studies. A mixed methods study design, while powerful, can be complex or challenging, especially for new researchers or immature or unstable research cultures.

This Handbook aims to give you foundational knowledge to get started using this kind of study design in your research. Reasons to use or avoid a mixed methods study, common mixed designs, as well as exploration of how to analyze mixed data can be just enough to build your confidence.

For an even deeper look, check out the two (paid) books listed below. Both are approachable and expand greatly on the material covered here.

• “Mixed Methods” (Sam Ladner, 2019)
• Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (John W. Creswell, 2003)

And, if you’re short on time, check out this guide on the questions you should ask yourself before starting a mixed-methods study. It’ll give you an overview of the questions and quick tips on choosing methods.

Guide 19: Choosing a Mixed Design

The term mixed methods study design (or mixed designs for short) will be used heavily in this chapter. But what does it mean?

In the Fruitful library, there’s a conscientious effort to relabel confusing, ambiguous, unhelpful terms associated with accessible mixed methods content. If something is relabelled, the common label will be included as a footnote. when it happens. There’s also formal notation or symbols used when visualizing mixed methods studies. This notation is used heavily in publicly accessible literation. However, the diagrams aren’t well-known to non-researchers/stakeholders, nor do they help non-researchers see the value of mixing methods. Many of the resources for this chapter use this notation and you can take a closer look here in this article.