Cheryl N. Poth

Cheryl Poth, PhD is a professor, award-winning instructor, and author at the Centre for Research and Applied Measurement and Evaluation in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta in Canada. She is co-founder and lead of the Alberta Community and Clinical Evaluation and Research Team and serves as the methodologist on several cross-disciplinary research teams. Her specific research interests include enhancing research quality and collaborative research teams in the fields of education and the health sciences. She co-authored the 4th edition of Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design (2017, Sage) with John Creswell and recently released the 5th edition (2024, Sage). She served as editor of The SAGE Handbook of Mixed Methods Research Design (2023, Sage). Her books, Innovation in Mixed Methods Research: Guiding Practices for Integrative Thinking with Complexity (2018, Sage) and Research Ethics (2021, Sage), are inspired by the dilemmas she hears in the field by learners. As an active member of the global mixed methods and qualitative research communities, she served as the fourth president of the Mixed Methods International Research Association and as chair of the advisory board of the International Institute of Qualitative Methodology. She has delivered dozens of invited talks and capacity-building workshops on five continents. She currently serves as associate editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research (Sage) and editorial board member of several publications, including the International Journal of Qualitative Methodology (Sage), Methods in Psychology (Elsevier), and Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation (Canadian Evaluation Society).

KEYNOTE TALK ABSTRACT

Unlocking the Potential of Qualitatively Oriented Mixed Methods Research

To navigate and understand our intricately woven world, we need research approaches that illuminate the shadows and reveal hidden depths. This keynote sheds light on the often overlooked potential of mixed methods designs that prioritize qualitative perspectives in their integration with quantitative research approaches. We discuss applications of qualitatively oriented mixed methods designs across diverse settings, such as the study of literacy gaps in children, the effectiveness of public health messaging, and technology needs in higher education. Delving into the heart of this approach, we explore how qualitatively oriented mixed methods research offers a unique lens to mitigate some of the inequities and ethical issues that arise by relying on sole sources of qualitative or quantitative evidence.
While the significance of qualitatively oriented mixed methods designs has long been known to mixed methods researchers are seeking to prioritize qualitative perspectives. What may be less familiar are the key characteristics that distinguish a qualitatively oriented mixed methods approach from other approaches and how recent integration practice advancements are applied in these designs. Integration, as a fundamental characteristic of all mixed methods research, demands careful planning and thought execution to prioritize qualitative perspectives necessary in qualitatively oriented mixed methods designs. Despite acknowledging the central role of integration in mixed methods, little has been described specific to qualitatively oriented mixed methods.
Central to our exploration are fundamental questions: What does designing for integration in qualitatively oriented mixed methods research involve? What specialized integration skills are needed for qualitatively oriented mixed methods research? How can we optimize descriptive and visual representation of integration in our qualitatively oriented mixed methods research? Through compelling examples and practical strategies, I seek to help researchers leverage qualitatively oriented mixed methods research possibilities to fulfill its potential as a distinct research approach in designing their own studies.