Jennifer Mason wrote ‘Mixing Methods in Quantitatively Driven Way’ in 2006. Although I will not be tackling quantitative methods in my dissertation because it is not appropriate and there is plenty of quantitative research being carried out in the US Naval War College and SIPRI about Chinese defence spending etc… However, it is not a methodological justification to do so unless you have researched quantitative methods and the benefits of doing so. There is also the option of using some quantitative methods when researching amongst others, this is mixed methodology or ‘multi-dimensional research strategy’ This ‘integrating of method’s is compatible with the idea that multidisciplinary approach to social sciences is the best way to answer questions. (See Tu Yao)
Starting from the point of mixing methods as being the best way not to ‘impoverish’ results by being one dimensional and uses relatively new research as a starting point (1998) Mason talks of the difficulty in measuring certain things such as visits to her mother of hours spent with her. If you read the hypothetical life she imagines her and her mother having you will understand that time spend measured in minutes and seconds is irrelevant. There are lots of emotions that are not captured by quantitative methodology.
‘’Social science research methods need to match up to this complexity of multidimensional experience’’ page 12
Mason agrees with Flyvbergs thoughts on there being no hierarchy on choosing a method when she says ‘’I fully endorse the view that research strategies should be driven by the research questions we seek to answer and part of this must involve choosing methods that are appropriate to the questions being addressed.’’ She also agrees that one research question should be tackled by all methods available ‘’It is also so that researchers are aware that their way of conceptualizing the issues is one among potential others’’ He mixed method idea or ‘’palette of methods’’ means research questions may now have dozens of combos of research methods in order to cover all bases. She thinks the only driver should be how best to answer the question or add something new to the questions answers that already exist.
Mason talks extensively about the macro/micro divide about social science research. She states that the experience she has with visiting her mother has the macro considerations of transport issues, money and time to spend on visiting her mother etc… however there is the micro considerations of the emotional side of their mother daughter relationship. Researchers, according to Mason, tend to pick one side and research that with either quantitative or qualitative methods respectively. We then can end up with either how and why questions are answered or not measurements or vice versa.
Mason contradicts herself I think when she says ‘’ In my view, qualitative research has the explanatory edge precisely because it is concerned with explanation’’ however, it depends on the questions being asked surely? It maybe if the RQ asked ‘how much?’ explanation is the last thing that’s needed.
With the two strengths of qualitative research (context and holistic comparison) Mason thinks we should mix methods and treat context factors as variables that can change she says
‘’My argument is that, if we are going to improve our capacity to explain and to ask and answer rigorous and useful questions in our complex social environment, we need to understand how contexts relate to social life, and factor this understanding into our explanations.’’
Mason does identify issues with this. How can contrasting and differing regional or life experience factors be used to imply social facts? Mason thinks ‘’ we would do well, up against this challenge, to be interested in and to draw upon different theoretically informed approaches to conceptualizing context, rather than insisting upon the primacy of only one world view’’
Masons conclusion reminds us that recognising the validity of more than one approach is important in studies as well as being flexible in the methodological approach we take.
Alexander Dawson 