Best Practices for Mixed Methods Research in the Health Sciences

• Acknowledgement
• Introduction and Background
• The Need for Best Practices
• The Nature and Design of Mixed Methods Research
• Teamwork, Infrastructure, Resources, and Training for Mixed Methods Research
• Developing an R Series Plan that Incorporates Mixed Methods Research
• Beyond the R Series - High-Quality Mixed Methods Activities in Successful Fellowship, Career, Training, and Center Grant Applications
• Reviewing Mixed Methods Applications
• Overall Recommendations
• Appendix A. NIH Working Group on Developing Best Practices for Mixed Methods Research
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• For applicants

• Make sure that all parts of the application from the broader philosophical perspectives to the methods of data collection are consistent.


• Use the Review Criteria Checklist (Table 1) to be responsive to the needs of the reviewers.


• Provide a clear rationale for the use of mixed methods based on the study goals, questions, and aims.


• Take mixed methods seriously in the planning of research to improve the quality and utility of the research.


• Understand the benefit/choice of explicitly choosing to identify the research as mixed methods.


• Make clear the innovative nature of the work being proposed, such as the way mixed methods is used and addressed.


• Participate in formal training opportunities (e.g., courses, conferences, workshops, journals, special issues, article and book readings) to learn about mixed methods.


• Integrate an awareness of formal mixed methods research considerations within the application.


• Take time to assemble a successful mixed methods team, not simply add people to fill methodological gaps. The group needs to meet regularly during the design phase and throughout the process.


• Describe the individuals on projects that hold qualitative expertise in addition to quantitative and mixed methods expertise.

• For reviewers

• Look for evidence of ongoing collaboration and team process building in the biographical statements or publication records of applicants.


• Use the Review Criteria Checklist (Table 1) as a guide for assessing the quality of the planned use of mixed methods research in applications.


• Look for evidence of awareness/knowledge of mixed methods.


• Refer to the mixed methods quality checklists beyond these "best practices" for further information.


• Look for applications that fail to use mixed methods when they should have to best address the identified research problem.


• Be fair and constructive in comments, recognizing that mixed methods is a new, innovative methodology.


• Add information into background profiles about mixed methods expertise.


• Recognize that the application cannot educate everyone and be careful to use criteria that are appropriate for the content and methodological aspects of the application.

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• For stakeholders

• Hold a meeting at NIH with presentations by mixed methods experts and funded researchers to reach those less familiar with mixed methods.


• Widely disseminate these "best practices" through journals, conferences, and other outlets.


• Work for developing criteria for the quality and the presentation of mixed methods research along the example of the CONSORT guidelines..


• Where appropriate, explicitly specify the needs for mixed methods approaches in FOAs.


• Ensure that study section membership includes a combination of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods expertise.


• Seek volunteers to review mixed methods applications for NIH.


• Consider developing/updating the NIH guidelines for qualitative research for applicants and reviewers.

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