REVIEWS
3—№ 1—June 2009
Designing and Conducting
Mixed Methods Research
Creswell, J. W. and Plano Clark, V. L.; 2007
Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 275 pages
Tomáš Čížek
The Institute of Sociology of the Academy
of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Central European Journal of Public Policy
Vol. 3—№ 1—June 2009—pp 92–95
ISSN 1802–4866
© 2009 CESES FSV UK, www.cejpp.eu E
The book under review was first published in 2007 by the prestigious Sage Pub-
lications. Its authors are professors at the Educational Psychology Department of
the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The publication itself is targeted at the whole
spectrum of social science and humanities disciplines. In this sense, it is also in-
teresting for the fields of public and social policy because many of the studies pre-
sented belong to those fields. For example, the book presents research projects
in the fields of drug abuse, educational policy, drug policy, and many more.
As a textbook, Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research is pri-
marily intended for undergraduate college students, rather than, for exam-
ple, PhD. students or advanced researchers who are expected to have a deeper
insight into social science methodology. For the latter, the book is useful as
teaching material in methodological courses. The reader is introduced to the
concept of mixed methods research design in detail and is virtually guided
from the first steps of the research process to final report writing. At the end of
each of the ten chapters, a brief summary is provided of the issues explained,
as well as a collection of activities related to the topic. Appendices showing
four conducted surveys that satisfied the methodological principles of mixed
methods research form an integral part of the book.
Research using mixed methods is characterized by data collection and
analysis based on both methodological paradigms. It rests on the belief that
combining quantitative or qualitative approaches in one study, or a in a series
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Central European Journal of Public Policy—Vol.
of subsequent research studies, is more useful for social research than a sep-
—Creswell, J.
arate application thereof. Authors also see importance in the fact that mixed
methods research is well established in social research and has been practiced
W. and Plano
Clark, V. L.— in an increasing amount of research studies.
Designing and
Conducting
In their view, the researcher should consider his own worldview (positiv-
Mixed…—Čížek ism, constructivism, pragmatism, etc.) before beginning a research project. It is
possible to develop research design based on one or more worldviews. The re-
searcher should know the procedures and rules of quantitative and qualitative
approaches and understand the differences between them. Using mixed meth-
ods primarily depends on the formulation of a research problem. The research
problem formulated can be addressed using different combinations of quanti-
tative and qualitative research.
Chapter 4 is the elementary and most beneficial part of the book in that it
presents four possible types of mixed methods designs. First, in Triangulation,
qualitative and quantitative approaches are used in a single study in the same
period of time and with equal weight. Four variants of triangulation design are
outlined. In the “convergence model”, the researcher acquires and analyzes
data separately and then compares and evaluates the results in the process of
interpretation. It is mainly used to validate and support quantitative results by
qualitative research. In the “data transformation model”, data are also collected
and analyzed separately, but before the process of interpretation begins, one
type of data is converged to another type and the resulting file is interpreted.
Third, in the “validating quantitative data model”, open ended questions are
added to a quantitative questionnaire to help illustrate and validate quantita-
tive data. Last, in “multilevel research”, qualitative and quantitative methods
are used at different levels of analyzing the research problem.
Embedded Design is the second mixed methods research design presented
by the authors. In this design, the two types of research methodologies are not
equivalent, but one of them serves as a complement to the predominant meth-
odology. Again, the authors offer two variants of this design. In the “experi-
mental model”, qualitative data provide better understanding of the impact of
experimental research. In the “correlational model”, qualitative data are used
to explain and illustrate relationships within quantitative data.
Explanatory design is then presented. In this type of design, either quali-
tative data are used to explain quantitative research, or the selection of qual-
itative research interests is based on previous quantitative studies. Emphasis
on research methodologies in both variants varies, what is common to them is
that the qualitative phase follows the quantitative phase.
Exploratory design is the last type of design presented. It is virtually iden-
tical to the previous type but the order of methodological stages in the re-
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REVIEWS—Creswell, J. W. and Plano Clark, V. L.—Designing and Conducting Mixed…—Čížek Central European Journal of Public Policy—Vol. 3—№ 1—June 2009

search process is different, with the qualitative phase preceding quantitative

research. There are, again, two variants, differing in what type of methodology
is emphasized in the interpretation of results.
In the subsequent chapters of the book, the reader is guided in acquiring
various research skills, e.g., how to write about mixed methods research in a
research paper, including many surprising details such as constructing the
name of the research study and the description template for research objec-
tives in the research project. The reader is also familiarized with procedures of
quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. In the final part of the
book, the authors discuss issues related to the various aspects of mixed meth-
ods research and future challenges that arise from this new methodological
approach. These final chapters are important because they show that the re-
search approach presented must solve a large number of problems and chal-
lenges in the future.
Generally speaking, the publication is clearly beneficial to all those in-
terested in the methodological aspects of social research. The issue of mixed
methods research is covered very comprehensively. Some readers may find an-
noying the authors’ eagerness to graphically represent various issues in the
form of diagrams and tables. The book offers dozens of them and at times they
seem unnecessary. Connected with this is the problematic “unproblematic”
character of the book. Various types of research methodologies are presented
in the form of a “cookbook”, suggesting that their use guarantees clear results.
Yet one should be careful concerning the assertion that a mere combination of
methodologies results in a “more delicious meal”, i.e., a better-quality research.
It is definitely important for potential users of mixed methods to master both
research paradigms and also be aware of their weaknesses, yet these are not
extensively covered in the book.
Finally, there is another reason why the publication, currently in its sec-
ond edition, is important: together with other similar books it announces the
age when qualitative and quantitative research in social sciences are not stand-
ing against or ignoring each other and instead the advantages of both research
paradigms are made use of in order to solve research problems with more sat-
isfying results. And that surely counts.

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