A substantial body of research in caregiving over the past two decades has resulted in knowledge regarding caregiving processes and outcomes and interventions to potentially assist caregivers. However while there have been significant strides, areas where additional research is needed and relatively unexplored caregiving research areas have been identified in several recent state of the science papers and calls for research applications. Some of these topics may well be addressed best by mixed method designs.
Mixed method designs have gained increasing popularity in the last several years because of their potential contribution to expanding the scope and significance of caregiving research. However the why, how and when questions related to the use of mixed methods in caregiving research need careful consideration. These questions have implications for sampling strategies, data collection and data analysis techniques.
This final paper in the symposium will focus on identification of (1) selected areas of caregiving research that might be best addressed with mixed method designs, (2) specific sampling, data collection and analysis issues that need focused deliberation when mixed methods are used, and (3) research design strategies and techniques to address these issues. Using the neurological science population as a model, and examples drawn from the experiences of the authors in this symposium, conceptual and methodological issues associated with combining qualitative and quantitative techniques in caregiving research will be discussed. Topics include mixed methods for exploring concept triangulation versus concept completeness; using mixed methods in constructing multi-dimension models for integrating data on caregiving phenomena such as illness characteristics, family kin relationships, lifecycle and lifespan issues.
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