Chapter 5

     Mixed method research complements both the quantitative approach and qualitative approach; it also allows the study to be more in-depth and accurate. For example, with explanatory mixed method design, quantitative data is collected first, and qualitative data is collected later to explain and clarify the quantitative results. The combination of quantitative data and qualitative data present a clearer picture of the phenomenon being inquired.

    However, mixed method research also has some disadvantages. Polio & Friedman (2017) point out that mix method research might suffer from theoretical issues and methodological issues.

    Mix method research advocates an integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches, while these two approaches have very different methods and paradigm. Therefore, it poses the question of whether these two approaches are commensurable.

    In addition, mix method research might also encounter methodological issues. First, achieving meaningful integration between the two approaches can be challenging. In many research articles in the literature which claim to have used a mix method approach, integration is absent or only minimally implemented; secondly, sampling can be an issue in mixed method research which aims to integrate and compare data from quantitative and qualitative methods, since the sample size of these two different methods could be different. 

      For my final project, I would like to compare online collaborative writing under different planning conditions. The first condition is where students do the planning face to face and continue to finish the essay using Google doc; the second condition is where students do the planning using the chat box function in Google doc and continue to finish the paper collaboratively. I am interested in this topic because I have done a study on online collaborative writing and found out all of the participants complained about the chat box planning procedure. I want to know whether planning conditions would affect students’ writing process and result.