Data integration in mixed methods research

Background: A core assumption of mixed methods research is that it combines the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research. Simply collecting quantitative and qualitative data and separate reporting of the results does not leverage this strength. Although the use of mixed methods research in music therapy is steadily growing, quantitative and qualitative findings tend to be presented separately in study reports and true integration of data sets is often lacking.Objective: To explore various strategies for effective integration of quantitative and qualitative data in order to optimize understanding of research phenomena.Methods: Integration of quantitative and qualitative data is particularly challenging for new mixed methods researchers. This session will illustrate different strategies for data integration including merging data in joint displays, transforming data, connecting data in sequential fashion, and spiralling. The presenter will share several data integration examples of her mixed ...