A Momentous Development in Mixed Methods ...

Editorial

A Momentous Development in Mixed Methods Research

Journal of Mixed Methods Research 2014, Vol 8(1) 3–5 Ó The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1558689813518230 mmr.sagepub.com

Donna M. Mertens1

I am devoting this editorial to the historical development occurring in mixed methods research, that is, the launch of the Mixed Methods International Research Association (MMIRA) and plans for the first MMIRA conference to be held in Boston, Massachusetts. I make this choice for this editorial because I have been part of other significant shifts in our professional worlds in which the history of the developments of those organizations were not recorded until well after the events occurred. A prolonged time period between the development and the recording of the events around those developments increases the challenge of obtaining accurate records of what transpired. Hence, I am making my contribution to the mixed methods history in a proactive way by sharing information about MMIRA’s mission, objectives, member benefits, plans for the first conference, and the process used in the development of this association. The mission of the MMIRA is as follows: MMIRA aims to create an international community to promote interdisciplinary mixed methods research. The mission of the Association is to engage with the international community to support mixed methods research, which broadly includes the following: mixing/combining/integrating quantitative and/or qualitative methods, epistemologies, axiologies, and stakeholder perspectives and standpoints. MMIRA seeks to engage with a broad set of approaches in the service of understanding complex social, behavioral, health, educational, and political concerns related to the human condition and natural world. Our vision includes bringing together diverse communities of scholars, students, practitioners, policy makers, citizens, and other stakeholders, with the goals of expanding knowledge and producing social betterment and social and global justice. To this end, the following objectives have been established for the Association: 

  

Support MMIRA Annual Conference to provide a forum at various locations worldwide for scholars, students, practitioners, policy makers, citizens, and other stakeholders to come together and share their international and interdisciplinary problems, perspectives, findings, and solutions. Advance a commitment to inclusiveness that seeks to facilitate dialogue among diverse scholars and different perspectives about research. Offer mentoring services for researchers and students seeking to learn the ‘‘how-to’s’’ of conducting mixed methods research, including information on publishing and funding. Provide members with access to the Journal of Mixed Methods Research.

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Gallaudet University, Washington, DC, USA

Corresponding Author: Donna M. Mertens, Department of Education, Gallaudet University, Fowler Hall 404B, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA. Email: [email protected]

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Journal of Mixed Methods Research 8(1) 



Support teaching and mentoring within the field of mixed methods research through offering research-rich pedagogical materials (syllabi, handouts) to facilitate the teaching and learning of mixed methods research. Provide a website (http://mmira.org/) for information on the latest developments on conferences and publications in the field of mixed methods research as well as training materials for novice and seasoned researchers, information on online courses, and links to other websites that offer open access materials on mixed methods research topics.

MMIRA is a membership association with the following benefits:   



An e-access subscription to the Journal of Mixed Methods Research A 10% discounted rate for participation in the Annual MMIRA Conference fee that will be held annually in different locations across the world Access to the new MMIRA website (http://mmira.org) that includes research-rich pedagogical materials, dialogue among mixed methods scholars and students, and resources and news about the latest mixed methods initiatives, advances, and conferences Leadership and mentoring opportunities in the MMIRA organization.

A Brief History of the Birth of MMIRA An international mixed methods conference was first held at the Cambridge University (United Kingdom), Homerton School of Health Studies in 2005, with Tessa Muncey as Convener from that date through the 2012 conference. The conference continued to be held in Cambridge over subsequent years until its move to the University of Leeds (United Kingdom) in 2009. Annual conferences were held in that venue until 2012, with the exception of 2010 when it was held in Baltimore, Maryland, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University. At each of these conferences, informal conversations occurred about the need for an international association for mixed methods researchers. Action on the development of MMIRA began formally in June 2012 with the convening of a group of persons interested in doing the work to create the organization. This small group consisted of Jennifer Wisdom, Sharlene Hesse Biber, John Creswell, Burke Johnson, Beth Larson, Cheryl Poth, Pat Bazeley, and myself. Jennifer Wisdom served as MMIRA’s initial Interim Executive Director, moderating conference calls of the new steering committee to facilitate the collaborative development of organization objectives and bylaws and completing the administrative aspects of forming MMIRA into a legal entity. The Steering Committee included 17 members from 8 nations. Many conference calls were held between that time and the official launch of MMIRA in June 2013. Interim Board members were needed to establish the legal framework for MMIRA and to carry out the activities of the organization in its nascent stages. These included Helen Chin, John Creswell, Burke Johnson, Sharlene Hesse Biber, Beth Larson, Nancy Gerber, and myself. John Creswell and Sharlene Hesse Biber were selected to be cochairs of the Interim Executive Board until elections would be held in 2014. Formal elections will be held in accord with the organization’s by-laws, which are available at the association’s website. In August 2013, Jennifer Wisdom passed the baton to Burke Johnson who is currently serving as the Interim Executive Director.

Inaugural Annual Conference for MMIRA The first MMIRA conference will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, June 27-29, 2014, at Boston College, convened by Sharlene Hesse Biber. The theme of the meeting is ‘‘Coming at

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Things Differently: Challenges, Advances, and Diversity.’’ The format for the conference includes keynote speakers, paper and roundtable presentations, publishers and software exhibitors, and postconference workshops.

An Ongoing Journey for the Mixed Methods Research Community The launch of MMIRA and the plan for its inaugural conference represent significant steps for the mixed methods research community world-wide. Yet, like the field of mixed methods itself, this association and its activities are just a beginning point. Hopefully, this point will serve as an important platform for sharing advancements and contentions within and across mixed methods communities across the world. I write in gratitude for those who have worked so hard to make this happen and in hope for the prosperous future of mixed methods across the globe as we continue to share our work, dialogue, and advance mixed methods theories and approaches.

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