Mixing it but not mixed-up: Mixed methods research in medical education (a critical narrative review)

Abstract

Background: Some important research questions in medical education and health services research need ‘mixed methods research’ (particularly synthesizing quantitative and qualitative findings). The approach is not new, but should be more explicitly reported.Aim: The broad search question here, of a disjointed literature, was thus: What is mixed methods research – how should it relate to medical education research?, focused on explicit acknowledgement of ‘mixing’.Methods: Literature searching focused on Web of Knowledge supplemented by other databases across disciplines.Findings: Five main messages emerged: – Thinking quantitative and qualitative, not quantitative versus qualitative – Appreciating that mixed methods research blends different knowledge claims, enquiry strategies, and methods – Using a ‘horses for courses’ [whatever works] approach to the question, and clarifying the mix – Appreciating how medical education research competes with the ‘evidence-based’ movement, health services research, and the ‘RCT’ – Being more explicit about the role of mixed methods in medical education research, and the required expertiseConclusion: Mixed methods research is valuable, yet the literature relevant to medical education is fragmented and poorly indexed. The required time, effort, expertise, and techniques deserve better recognition. More write-ups should explicitly discuss the ‘mixing’ (particularly of findings), rather than report separate components.