Qualitative and quantitative methods are two popular ways researchers and scholars conduct their research. They are two different forms of analyzing and interpreting data. With qualitative research methods, a researcher executes a project through interviews, polls and surveys while a quantitative research method focuses on experiments and observations to interpret a research question. These two methods have their strengths and limitations. Combining these two popular methods of research and analysis means that your acquired results will be more accurate and precise. Here I will give you tips on how you can defend blended research methods in a dissertation proposal.
• Defend Your Research Approach
Describe your research approach when outlining your dissertation. Give your reasons for using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Since this approach has not been implemented before, you can defend it as a new approach to pursue the desired results. Similarly, you can say that using this approach will make your results more accurate as there can be weaknesses and flaws in any one of these research methods and using the both approaches will reinforce the accuracy of your findings. Remember that you must provide solid reasons for using your approach for research. Failure to do so will render this approach as incompatible.
• Explain Tasks You Will Accomplish
Describe the specific tasks you will accomplish to implement each method. For example: Are you going to interview people or conduct survey or poll? Or will you use statistics about the demographics of a group of people? Besides, you have to explain how your research will lead you to your intended results. Direct your methods in the course of your research question.
• Define the Sequence of Research Method
Decide on the method that you will use first. Typically, a quantitative research is implemented after you have obtained the qualitative data. This is because quantitative research is based on the data acquired through the qualitative research. So unless you have qualitative data available, you cannot proceed to quantitative research.
Qualitative research is meant to implement at initial stage when you are researching your subject. Qualitative research is objective and therefore subject to variation, depending on the interpretation of the researcher.
• Make a Research Design
Make proper design of your research methodology. This will be a proper structure of your research plan and will serve as a roadmap throughout your research process. A good way is to organise your research design in a proper layout. Divide your information into different categories. For example, you will start off with the initial results of your qualitative research. Considering the acquired results, you will then develop your research into quantitative form. Finally, you will match your results with the previous findings and check if they are accurate or not.
