Mixed-method reviews are a type of systematic review that appraises multiple quantitative and qualitative research studies on the same topic. This blog post takes a look at what mixed-method systematic reviews are, why conduct a mixed method review and how to conduct one. We also offer actionable advice on how you can conduct your own mixed-method review.
What is a Mixed-method Review?
A mixed-method review is a type of systematic review that appraises multiple quantitative and qualitative research studies on the same topic. Mixed-method systematic reviews may also include other research designs, like case studies, or even non-research data, like government reports. A mixed-method review is used as a means of critically appraising and then synthesizing evidence found in other studies. Systematic reviews are used to answer questions about a particular topic by identifying the most relevant research studies, appraising them for quality, synthesizing their findings, and then drawing conclusions based on the evidence.
Why Conduct a Mixed-method Review?
As researchers turn to mixed-method reviews more and more often, it’s important to understand why they’re valuable. Mixed-method reviews can help us answer research questions that are difficult to address with quantitative or qualitative findings alone. Common topics for mixed-method reviews include the following: Like all forms of research, the goal of a mixed-method review is to produce new knowledge and insights for your research topic. A mixed-method review can help you to understand how qualitative and quantitative findings relate to one another, or even how they inform one another. Doing so can help you to better understand your research topic and draw more robust conclusions.
How to Conduct a Mixed-method Review
A mixed-method review strategy is one of the stages of conducting a systematic review. To conduct a mixed-method review, you’ll need to first identify relevant research studies to appraise, and then critically appraise them in accordance with a set of criteria. You’ll also need to synthesize your findings, and draw conclusions based on your analysis. Let’s take a look at each one of these steps in turn.
Identify Relevant Studies
First, you’ll need to identify all of the relevant studies on your topic. This can be done in a number of ways. First, you can conduct a broad search for quantitative and qualitative research on your topic, and then narrow things down to include only the most relevant studies. You can scour research databases and catalogs to find published research on your topic.
Appraise Studies
Once you’ve identified relevant studies, you’ll need to critically appraise them. This means that you’ll need to evaluate the strengths and limitations of each study, and reach a judgment about its quality. To do this, you can use a mixed-method review checklist. To make sure that you’ve appraised each study adequately, you can also ask a colleague to review your appraisals and give you feedback. When appraising studies, you’ll need to consider a number of factors, including the study’s:
- Validity and Reliability
- Applicability
Synthesize Findings
Once you’ve critically appraised relevant studies, you’ll need to synthesize your findings. This can be done in a number of ways, including through the use of charts and graphs to compare quantitative and qualitative findings, or by writing a narrative that draws on findings from both types of studies. Draw conclusions based on your analysis. This can help you to better understand your research topic. A mixed-method review can also help you make your conclusions stronger, help you identify gaps and limitations, as it allows you to draw on findings from a wider range of studies than is possible with a standard systematic review.
Conclusion
Mixed-method literature reviews are a more in-depth analysis of your research topic than is possible with a standard systematic review. We hope we touch on everything that you need to know when you are working on your own systematic mixed method review.
