Doing qualitatively-driven mixed methods and pluralistic qualitative research

This chapter revolves around how qualitatively driven mixed methods can help to develop support in the field of mental health and emotional wellbeing by offering research generating multi-dimensional material for a more holistic insight into experiences. The chapter explains the meaning of both mixed methods and pluralistic qualitative research. Focusing on the latter, it expands for instance on how ‘analytical pluralism’ refers to the mixing of several methods of qualitative data analysis on a single dataset, whilst ‘within-method pluralism’ involves using the same method to analyse data in different ways but with underpinning same philosophical assumptions. In contrast to within-method pluralism, the across-method pluralistic research uses different methods to analyse data in different ways so the approach may be underpinned by differing philosophical viewpoints. Pluralism and pragmatism are considered with ‘paradigm peace’ (Bryman, Qual Res 6:97–113, 2006) in mind, acknowledging ‘methodolatry’ where certain research methods and underlying frameworks gain more power than others. The chapter also expands on the issue of research quality and ethics concerns in pluralistic research, and on ways in which you may practise as a pluralistic researcher alone or as part of a team.

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