Table 2.
Three types of integration Nine practical strategies |
Combinations of strategies (according to the type of MM design) (n = number of studies illustrating each combination) |
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Sequential | Convergent | Multiphase | Multilevel | Other* | |
T1. Connection of phase | |||||
1a. Phase QUAL to Phase QUAN | 1a (n = 4) | 1a (n = 1) | |||
1b. Phase QUAN to Phase QUAL | 1b (n = 4) | 1b (n = 1) | |||
1c. Special case: following a thread | 1c & 2b (n = 1) | ||||
T2. Comparison of results | |||||
2a. QUAL and QUAN results obtained in a separate manner | 2a (n = 9) | ||||
2b. QUAL and QUAN results obtained in an interdependent manner | 1a & 2b (n = 2) 1b & 2b (n = 6) |
2b (n = 15) | 1a & 2b (n = 1) | ||
2c. Special case: divergence | 2a & 2c (n = 1) 2b & 2c (n = 1) |
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T3. Assimilation of data | |||||
3a. QUAL data in QUAN data | 1a & 3a (n = 1) | 2b & 3a (n = 1) | 3a (n = 1) | ||
3b. QUAN data in QUAL data | 3b (n = 1) | ||||
3c. Merging of QUAL and QUAN data | 1a & 2b & 3c (n = 1) 1b & 3c (n = 1) |
2b & 3c (n = 1) 2b & 3b & 3c (n = 1) |
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4. Emerging strategies | |||||
None found | |||||
Observed combinations of TYPES of integration |
7 (n = 19) | 8 (n = 30) | 3 (n = 3) | 1 (n = 1) | 1 (n = 1) |
(Reproduced from Pluye et al. (5) by permission of the International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches)
*Other design: variant of a sequential design where results of a Phase 1 convergent design (QUAL + QUAN) informed a Phase 2 QUAN.
The symbol ‘&’ (meaning ‘and’) allows to represent the combinations with several strategies.