Secondary Data in Mixed Methods Research by Daphne C. Watkins, the latest contribution to the Mixed Methods Research Series, offers unique and necessary instruction in this growing topic. With the increasing amount of secondary data available through journals and repositories, researchers have a trove of sources for new investigations at their fingertips, but few books to guide them. This brief text provides readers with a step-by-step procedure for incorporating secondary data into various mixed methods research designs, as well as identifying key characteristics of existing datasets that make them good candidates for mixed methods projects and giving ideas for new uses of secondary data. Introductory chapters help the reader understand the "what" and "why" of secondary data. Subsequent chapters address the use of secondary data in convergent, exploratory sequential, explanatory sequential, and other complex research designs. The final chapters delve into writing and reporting on projects before, during, and after the project. Quotes throughout the chapter help readers remember key bits of knowledge, while learning objectives and summaries in each chapter structure the reading experience. Application questions at the end of each chapter help readers recall information and apply it to their own research projects. By emphasizing how to use existing qualitative and quantitative datasets in mixed methods research, Secondary Data in Mixed Methods Research will help readers answer new and ongoing questions in social science research.

About the Author
Daphne C. Watkins is a professor of social work and a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at the University of Michigan. She became interested in mixed methods research during her quest to uncover the "voices behind the numbers" as a doctoral student. Professor Watkins has taught research methods to health and human service professionals for more than two decades. After noticing the lack of post-graduate research training, Professor Watkins developed the first Certificate Program in Mixed Methods Research at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. The certificate program -- designed for researchers and practitioners interested in doing mixed methods research in practice settings -- was the motivation behind her first book Mixed Methods Research (2015, Oxford University Press) for the Pocket Guides to Social Work Research Methods Series. In addition to developing culturally-appropriate strategies for conducting mixed methods, Professor Watkins developed the Rigorous and Accelerated Data Reduction (RADaR) technique, an individual and team-based approach to organizing, coding, and analyzing qualitative data. Professor Watkins is particularly interested in using secondary data in mixed methods research and has been awarded grants that address health disparities and achieve health equity. Professor Watkins is the founding director of the Gender and Health Research (GendHR) Lab and the award-winning Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project, which leverages technology to provide mental health education and social support for young Black men. She currently directs the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training at the University of Michigan.


Book Information
ISBN 9781506389578
Author Daphne C. Watkins
Format Paperback
Page Count 264
Imprint SAGE Publications Inc
Publisher SAGE Publications Inc
Weight(grams) 420g