Yes, a great question, Judith, and there are many situations where this might be a good approach - but keep in mind that it increases the complexity, and likely the time and cost of the research.

A mixed method approach is particularly useful when the researcher wants to gain multiple perspectives on a single issue. For example, researchers can use a convergent design to compare findings from the two different methods. This would require separately analysing both types of data; and comparing results by, for example, transforming the qualitative data into quantitative scores.

Also, in an example from health care, an investigator could gather qualitative data to assess the personal experiences of patients while also gathering quantitative data measuring clinical outcomes. Then the two datasets can provide cross-validation for each other and enable more holistic improvements to be developed.

Have any of our participants seen this type of research in action?