week 9 dq post
Thanks to several of the articles required reading in
this school I have learned the division in scholastic sub disciplines is deeper
than I thought it was.
There are researchers who are actually prejudice
against methods they do not use. They see their method as the one and only with
validity and the rest are in effect inferior. Previously I read them for the
information and variables. Now I am reading for other purposes.
I have read 3 articles in a row about neuropsychology
which actually have sections in them that realistically inside the article they
complain about how other researchers, other study methods, etc. refuse to
cooperate and use cross references.
“To what extent is mixed methods research simply
taking a quantitative design and a qualitative design and putting them
together?”
Based on a decade in formal academics and a lifetime
in independent study, there are obviously different ways to combine the two. In
a couple of the sample articles for this class a few claimed to be quantitative
but were more qualitative and vise versa. Just because the authors are aiming
for a specific type of study does not mean for a second said structure is true.
Each mixed method article needs to be perceived and adjusted according to what
the authors were trying to do, with what the results actually were. All things
in scholastics requires basic scientific criticism in order to determine for
yourself how valid or invalid any given study is
Next, explain the types of research questions best
served by mixed methods research.
When the scientific method is used, it always starts
with either a question or an idea. The question does a+b=c,
if it does not than what does a+b =, then an
explanation of why the answer is x and not c or it is c
and this is why not x. Which is in a way an oversimplification, but the
foundation is academically sound. For mixed methods the questions must be aimed
at both macro and micro. Macro for the largest possible sample size, micro to
ask extremely specific questions. One semi example of a mix method research are
political polls, where between 1200 and several 1000 people are asked specific
questions. Sample size is relatively (relatively e.g. many qualitative studies
are measured in dozens to hundreds of participants. Rarely are they in the 1000s
range) huge but the questions are specific “who will you vote for”. Exactly
what are the issues most important to you. Which are the definition of specific
qualitative questions.
The types of questions
the only things in the first article which comes close
to addressing this question is
mixed-model designs and mixed-method designs
both of which have
flaws in them which apparently
The entire abstract and
the first couple paragraphs of the first article talk about virtually the same
exact variables using extremely similar sentence structure to the articles
provided for this class and the very few articles regarding neuropsychology
from the database (R, & Onwuegbuzie, 2004).
This article even uses
the word War. What a colossal waste of everyone’s time. Arguing over methods
which beyond clearly have issues and limitations.
Reminds me of the
“bloodletting” the pure beyond measure fiction that medical science was
entirely convinced was correct which had zero scientific validity to it. But it
was used well beyond the point where it should no longer be used because it is
better to argue the points one more time than admit the whole thing is
wrong.
This weekend HBO had a
free weekend. I binged “From the Earth to the Moon”, the second to last episode
caught my attention in extreme ways. A committee was trying to decide what was
going to be the 3rd landing zone. Four groups were dead set on their
part. One group fought tooth and nail for a return to the smooth already proven
by Neil and Buzz location. The leader of that group simply could not back down,
he used every social skill he possessed to keep pushing his point. Refusing to
give an inch at all regarding tried and true landing skills.
Other groups argued
other landing zones, but all they did (15) guys at a table arguing to argue for
hours on end. They simply could not stop fighting to see the scientific
evidence. The fight to win was the point, the discussion had left scientific
and exploration variables behind long before the chat occurred. The in-effect
wind bags had to be given a chance to say their piece and restate it dozens and
dozens of times, to make 100% sure their position was heard and understood.
Reading these articles reminds me of the sentences from the transcript of that
conversation. Different sides using full throated arguments praising their
position and insulting everyone elses.
Come to think of it,
the new texting culture might actually be able to break some of those patterns.
You can write down your thoughts 1000s of times, but the passion and intensity
of the argument is tapered down because no matter how hard you type, you cannot
scream or dominate a conversation, you can only use caps lock and repeat and
repeat and repeat, but you cannot dominate because as soon as you push send
someone else gets to post something. This is actually a great tool to allow
everyone to be heard. Writing things down allows for the evidence to be
present. Screaming it 500 times does not feel as satisfying as having it
written down. Minus the battle of being able to in effect dominate the
conversation. But those are not facts and evidence, those are sociological
techniques to control a mob, not present facts and evidence. In truth none of
these techniques work that well alone. They answer limited questions, but in
ways which are very difficult to apply to humans. In short using measurement
tools created centuries ago has been beyond proven countless times that
qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods simply does not allow for enough
variables to be accounted for in either the macro or micro aspects of
measurement.
Instead of arguing one
more time about how great x is better than y. Time to join the 21st
century and use new tools which might actually work.
Then, explain one strength and one limitation of mixed
methods research.
When done properly, the strengths of mix methods
research is a solid balance between the strengths of the methods used. The
strengths of one counter the weaknesses of the other or others.
The limitations are when the balance is imperfect and
the limitations of any one given method overshadow the strengths of its
counterpart.
Finally, provide a rationale for or against the
utility of mixed methods research in your discipline.
When used properly it is the best tool to use when
trying to determine both macro and micro =x or c questions. However, using it
properly is not an easy task for many psychologists. It is not an issue with
the mathematics, it is an issue with not understanding the engineering inside
the human dynamics. Mathematics is based on a single number line of
information; little about animal/human behavior is definable using a single
number line. The most basic aspects of human nature eat, sleep, propagate
itself comes with close to an infinite amount of different ways in which each
human makes decisions as to how they as individuals wish to interact with the
world. Personal choices start the list, age of the subject, then of course
allergies, what the society will accept, etc. the number of choices is close to
infinite in just fulfilling those most basic of questions.
Every question added x? the number of different
variables and variations in said variables. The mechanism of the subjects being
studied on various ways in which studies can be conducted sometimes the
mathematics are not designed to identify and measure the consistencies of the
subject under examination. For example, in explosive calculations, without the
use of motion cameras it is not possible to calculate how much force was
released at what split second sequence. What was the rate of decrease of psi in
the explosion. Without the motion camera it is impossible to identify how much
force as many seconds after detonation. Motion cameras do not record using a single
plane. A ruler cannot measure more than one plane at a time. Everything comes
down to the proper tool for measuring will produce the correct =x. But the
things; the item, how it moves, what type of measurements are required to
identify the item and each (fixed point) movement being able to use the correct
measurement tools but using them all properly is all that matters.
references
R, B. J., &
Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed methods research: A research paradigm whose
time has come. Educational Researcher, 33(7), 14-26. Retrieved
from https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F216901546%3Facc