Mixed Methods and PSIA

The use of mixed methods in PSIA refers to the combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods for the analysis of poverty and social impacts of reforms. In undertaking PSIA there is much benefit to mixing and, where possible, matching elements of different approaches to data collection. Mixed methods can leverage the benefits of both quantitative and qualitative analysis. While qualitative research inductively throws up interesting, often surprising and sometimes counterintuitive relationships and patterns, quantitative research is then able to ask how often these phenomena occur and establish how confident we can be that the working hypothesis is valid. Qualitative research can then again probe and explain contextual differences and shed light on the unexplainable of quantitative results.

Qualitative and quantitative research is applied through different methods, producing different types of data. Quantitative methods can be applied across the entire population or a section of the population, e.g. a region. These methods are referred to as non-contextual. In contrast, those methods that are applied to a specific locality, case or social setting are described as contextual. Quantitative methods produce data in the form of numbers, while qualitative methods tend to produce data that are stated in prose or textual forms.

It is the interaction between the two perspectives which makes for a rich and robust Poverty and Social Impact Analysis. Integrating both types of research and methods into a research design in an iterative manner is the overall goal. The integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches can be done at three different levels, which are referred to in more detail in the following documents.

	Ways of Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (Overview) (pdf - 54kb)
	Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches in Program Evaluation" by Vijayendra Rau and Michael Woolcock(pdf - 98kb) (in Francois Bourguignon and Luiz A. Pereira Silva (eds) (2003) The Impact of Economic Policies on Poverty and Income Distribution. Washington, DC: World Bank and Oxford University Press.)
	Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Poverty Measurement", Presentation by Michael Woolcock(pdf - 45kb)