ONLY MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
Everything about nothing” and “nothing about everything” could be the drastic characterization of quantitative and qualitative research methods, respectively. The former reflects a typical narrow topical focus but extensive empirical sample and the latter extreme describes a usually limited empirical base but a wide topical focus. Combining them could be a good idea and so, Mixed Methods Research (MMR) was born (cf. Campbell and Fiske, 1959).
What is Mixed Methods Research?
Although there are several definitions of MMR, a general, yet concise, description is that MMR endorses an approach in which the researcher collects, analyses and interprets both quantitative and qualitative data, integrates the two approaches and then draws meta-inferences that provide additional insights not possible from each approach alone (Cresswell, 2015). Hence, MMR should generally not be confuse
d with ‘‘multiple methods’’ research where various forms of qualitative data (from, e.g., interviews and participant observations) or different quantitative data (from, e.g., surveys and experiments) are collected and analysed.
Rationales for Mixed Methods Research
MMR combines the strengths of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, offering several potential advantages to researchers. One important rationale for MMR is triangulation, where results from quantitative and qualitative approaches may be used to corroborate one another, thereby enhancing confidence in the findings (Doyle et al., 2009; 2016). Additionally, MMR facilitates expansion by enabling researchers to explain quantitative results through qualitative insights, providing richer contextual understanding.
MMR is also particularly useful in exploratory studies, where qualitative data can guide the development of instruments or help identify variables and formulate hypotheses for further quantitative analysis. Moreover, by integrating both methodologies.
Examples of Mixed Methods Research Designs
A variety of designs are available within MMR, offering researchers flexibility in addressing different research questions. While some designs may appear unnecessarily complex, three basic designs can be seen as examples of how to use MMR for academic investigations: convergent, explanatory sequential, and exploratory sequential (Doyle et al., 2016; Harrison et al., 2020).
The Convergent Design
The convergent design is frequently employed when the goal is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of phenomena. In this approach, quantitative and qualitative data are collected concurrently, with findings analyzed independently.
List of Topic Areas
- MMR combines the strengths of quantitative and qualitative methodologies
- One important rationale for MMR is triangulation, where results from quantitative and qualitative approaches may be used to corroborate one another
- Additionally, MMR facilitates expansion by enabling researchers to explain quantitative results through qualitative insights, providing richer contextual understanding.
- MMR is also particularly useful in exploratory studies, where qualitative data can guide the development of instruments or help identify variables and formulate hypotheses for further quantitative analysis.
- Moreover, by integrating both methodologies, MMR allows for a more comprehensive understanding of phenomena, addressing gaps that may arise when using either method independently.
Topic/Area of MMR
There must be a match between the submitted MMR manuscript and what JGM publishes, i.e. research on global employees who cross borders physically and/or virtually for work purposes. These include corporate and self-initiated expatriates, as well as other forms of global employees, such as frequent international business travellers, short-term assignees, and migrant workers. For more details on the remit of JGM, please visit:
https://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/jgm?id=jgm
Submissions Information
To be considered for the Special Issue, manuscripts must be submitted no later than October 1, 2025, 5:00 pm Central European Time. Manuscripts submitted earlier will not be processed until the deadline. Submitted papers will undergo a double-blind peer review process and will be evaluated by at least two reviewers and the Guest Editorial Team (GET). The final acceptance is dependent on the review team’s judgments of the paper’s contribution to the special issue topic. Please remove any information that may potentially reveal the identity of the authors to the reviewers. Once accepted, manuscripts will immediately be published online as citable in-print articles. The complete SI publication is planned for September 2026. For inquiries regarding the special issue, please contact Professor Jan Selmer at [email protected]
Submissions are made using Scholar One Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here.
Key Deadlines
Submission deadline: October 1, 2025.
Accepted manuscripts will immediately be published online as citable in-print articles.
SI publication: September 2026
Fore more details refer here
