Choose Your Methodology

Dr Charlotte Whiffin, is a registered adult nurse, a senior lecturer at the University of Derby and a visiting researcher at the University of Cambridge. Charlie has taught research methods for over ten years to under-graduate, post-graduate and doctoral students of health and social care programmes. Methodologically Charlie is an experienced qualitive researcher and has used narrative and thematic approaches on data collected through interviews and focus groups. Charlie has also led a complex meta-synthesis of published qualitative research. Charlie has a special interest in the effects of head injury on the family and was successfully awarded a PhD in 2012 entitled 'A study of family transition in the first year post-head injury: perspectives of the non-injured members' by the University of Southampton.

What is methodology? Why does methodology matter? How do I choose between quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies? When should I use quantitative methodology? When should I use qualitative methodology? When can I mix qualitative and quantitative methodologies? DIY: How do I choose the right methodology for my research?