Networked Learning Conference 2010

Mission Statement The identification and adequate application of optimal research methods and evaluation strategies are decisive prerequisites in order to ensure the validity and reliability of research findings. A comprehensive research process should select the appropriate methods depending to the specific goals in the according phases of the research project. Furthermore, different research strategies should mostly be combined to strengthen the content, coverage and explanatory power of research findings. Although, in the domains of qualitative and quantitative methods sophisticated techniques and epistemiological frameworks exist in research practice the combination of those methods is still uncommon or occurs mostly insufficient. Partially this results from the fact that those research paradigms are taught mostly independently to students and in the literature integrative approaches are only marginally addressed. This SIG strives to foster integrative views of qualitative and quantitative research methods in theory and practice. Especially, the following questions are in the scope of our future work: * Which factors determine the appropriate application of research techniques and strategies? * Which theoretical frameworks can be adopted in order to ensure a sound application of integrative research techniques and strategies? * Which recommendations can be formulated for a selective combination of research techniques and strategies? * What are specific quality criteria which have to be respected in complex research processes? * Which general research and publication standards can be identified that encourage the application and prevalence of integrative methodological approaches?