The research proposal “A Study to Determine Whether there is a Relationship between African Americans Hesitancy to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines and The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment” has a design that uses quantitative methods to determine if the four hypotheses worked out in the research proposal are true or false. Interestingly, Timans et al. (2019) note that convergence of methods in social science research has recently become a popular trend. This combination was made possible by using the Mixed Methods Research or MMR, which has features of both qualitative and quantitative methods and implies the interpenetration of these methods and the analysis of relationships between the data obtained using both methods. This paper aims to discuss how the research proposal can benefit from using qualitative methods along with a quantitative one.
The research uses quantitative methods to analyze the answers to the short questionnaire, applying the Likert scale. The study aims to determine if the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment had a long-term impact on the African Americans’ reluctance to get vaccinated. It also aims to find out if the different social groups of African Americans were impacted differently and whether other factors contributed to the participants’ negative mentality regarding the vaccination. However, if the researchers included the qualitative method in their design, they could collect some personal stories that could be shared with the public. The researchers could ask the older African Americans what emotional impact the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment story had on them and if they had acquaintances who became the victims of the experiment. Applying qualitative methods could enhance the project by creating a broader and more authentic perspective of the events that happened 89- years ago.
Thus, it was discussed how the research proposal could benefit from using mixed methods research. Introducing the qualitative methods in the research design can potentially enhance the study process by making it more authentic and providing a broader perspective. Applying the mixed methods became very popular since it allows enriching the solely quantitative or qualitative studies by using various techniques and cross-analyzing the data received.
Reference
Timans, R., Wouters, P., & Heilbron, J. (2019). Mixed methods research: what it is and what it could be. Theory and Society, 48(2), 193-216. doi.org/10.1007/s11186-019-09345-5