Mixed method nursing studies: a critical realist critique.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Mixed methods study designs are increasingly prevalent in nursing research.
• Potential advantages of mixed methods can be lost due to inadequate attention to theoretical decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To argue that nurse researchers often neglect the philosophical and theoretical aspects of research design.
• To highlight how this oversight can lead to a lack of argumentative coherence and validity in mixed study reports.
• To propose critical realism as a solution to enhance the coherence of mixed methods research.

Main Methods:

• The paper critiques current practices in mixed methods research design.
• It utilizes Hempel's concept of equivalence to illustrate threats to argumentative coherence.
• It introduces Roy Bhaskar's critical realist theory as a framework for overcoming these challenges.

Main Results:

• Insufficient attention to theoretical elements compromises the coherence and validity of mixed study reports.
• Hempel's equivalence concept highlights a key threat to argumentative coherence in mixed methods.
• Critical realism provides a philosophical foundation to address these issues.

Conclusions:

• Nurse researchers must integrate philosophical and theoretical considerations into mixed methods design.
• Critical realism offers a robust approach to ensure ontological, epistemological, and methodological coherence.
• This philosophical grounding enables epistemological pluralism while circumventing issues with mixing disparate metaphysical assumptions.