2.3.1. Mixed Method

In this study, quantitative data from questionnaires were merged with narrative interviews in a convergent parallel mixed method in order to explore aspects of health and well-being for persons who had suffered STBI 7 years earlier. Mixed method utilises the respective strengths of quantitative and qualitative research and allows the comparing or combining of results, the challenging of theoretical assumptions and the development of new theories for a better understanding and to bridge the respective weaknesses of the two methods. Parallel analysis is a widely used design in mixed method [41]. The explanatory sequential design is frequently used in trauma studies [42] but in this study we used the parallel convergent design [40]. There were 3 main methodological phases. Firstly, data collection of 2 parallel types of data on the same topic. The data were then analysed separately, and equal value was used. The results from the 2 datasets were thereafter merged and brought together into an overall interpretation. The merging step included comparing results, how they can relate to each other, i.e., the 2 results were combined to facilitate the interpretation.
