Some Methodological Insights in Using the Mixed-Methods Approach: Studying Social Interaction Among Residents of Gaborone, Botswana

Abstract

This case is a methodological reflection from a research I conducted to assess the nature and extent of urban social ties and urban–rural linkages among the residents of Gaborone, Botswana. Its specific focus is the methods I used to collect the information required for the study—a study that utilized the mixed-methods approach throughout the research process. I applied a combination of the survey method and life histories in the collection of data, and I used triangulation not only in data collection but also during the selection of respondents for the study. The objective of this case is to draw comparisons between the two methods of data collection guided by their strengths and weaknesses. My analyses showed that each method had both strengths and shortcomings. The survey method, for example, provided data that were easy to manage, but it lacked the kind of depth provided by the life histories. The life histories method, on the other hand, meant that I as the researcher had less control, required more time and limited the number of cases studied. Although the life histories best fitted the subject matter of the study, the data from the surveys provided the base for conducting life histories.

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