Lecture at the Nosmo Methodology day March  9 2007 University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands, Europe

Mixed Method Research for Complex Societal Issues

Dr. Erik Pruyt, Delft university of Technology, P.O. Box 5015 , 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
Telephone: + 31 15 2787468 - E-mail: E.Pruyt@tudelft.nl

 

Abstract: Complex societal issues are often characterised by complex time evolutionary behaviour on many important dimensions, interactions between many actors with different interests/goals/preferences on different (policy) levels, uncertainties and risks, et cetera. Traditionally, such issues were studied either by means of purely quantitative approaches or by means of purely qualitative approaches. However, both approaches can only deal with specific subaspects of such complex societal issues, and therefore offer only a very partial view on these complex societal issues. Mixing and matching of very different approaches and methods could possibly help to develop more integrated views. However, consistent mixing and matching is quite a task which is why frameworks for mixing and matching of method(ologie)s have been developed to help practitioners on their way. Some of these frameworks are discussed critically in this paper in view of their application to complex societal issues.

 

Dr. Dorien  DeTombe (MSc.Ph.D.)

Chair International Research Society on Methodology of Societal Complexity

P.O. Box. 3286, 1001 AB Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Europe

Tel: +31 20 6927526

E-Mail: DeTombe@nosmo.nl ; http://www.geocities.com/doriendetombe

 

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©Dorien J. DeTombe, All rights reserved, first announced February  2007