Qualitative dominant mixed methods research: Studying stigma in people with Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

This case study shows how I, working primarily alone, carried out a research project on people living with Parkinson’s disease. The research scope of the study is movement disorders (a term that covers a broad range of diseases and syndromes such as Parkinson’s disease, other neurodegenerative disorders that affect body movement, neurodevelopmental syndromes), but I developed an anthropological inquiry for which a qualitative dominant mixed methods research approach was chosen. By anthropological inquiry I mean a kind of research which focuses on people’s behavior and representations instead of focusing on diseases per se. In this case study, I discuss the typologies and then recommend a type of design suitable for the practice of this research. I have included a discussion of ethical considerations as well because research on human subjects involves controversy, particularly when the researcher becomes familiar with the group of people participating in the research. Several lessons I learned from this case are included to show how beneficial it is to embark on research with a pragmatic, nonprejudiced and open-minded approach. The mixed methods approach in particular helped me conduct my project and achieve my objectives. The qualitative dominant perspective in particular opened my mind as regards the subjective experience of people with Parkinson’s disease, while the use of a quantitative perspective allowed me to enter into this world through a path that is easier—and also better known in the medical field—than directly engaging in in-depth inquiry.