Key takeaways
- Methodology choice must follow from your research questions—not personal preference.
- Mixed methods combine quantitative and qualitative approaches for richer answers.
- Every methodology has strengths and limitations you must acknowledge.
Choosing the right research methodology is one of the most consequential decisions in your PhD. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods each answer different types of questions. This guide explains each approach, when to use it, and how to justify your choice to examiners.
Quantitative research
Quantitative methods measure variables and test hypotheses using statistical analysis. Best for: confirming relationships, testing theories, generalising findings to populations. Common designs: experiments, surveys, secondary data analysis. Tools: SPSS, R, STATA.
Qualitative research
Qualitative methods explore meanings, experiences, and processes through non-numerical data. Best for: understanding how and why, generating theory, studying complex social phenomena. Common designs: interviews, ethnography, case studies, content analysis. Tools: NVivo, ATLAS.ti, manual coding.
Mixed methods research
Mixed methods integrate quantitative and qualitative data in one study. Best for: validating findings, exploring unexpected results, or answering questions that need both breadth and depth. Designs: sequential (QUAN→qual or QUAL→quan), concurrent, or embedded.
Choosing the right approach
- What type of question am I asking—how much/many, or how/why?
- What data can I realistically access?
- What does my discipline value and expect?
- What methods have successful studies on similar topics used?