Quality Reporting of Mixed Methods Research in Tourism-Related Studies

Abstract

The aim of this study is to gain scientific insight into internationally-accepted criteria for quality reporting of mixed methods research (MMR). Articles published post-2012 in a particular journal, which referred to “mixed methods” and “tourism”, and reported that qualitative and quantitative data were collected, were drawn from Google Scholar and Scopus. The reporting quality of these studies was analysed according to the GRAMMS framework (Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study). Most of the articles in the data set did not report on all the elements embedded in GRAMMS. It must not be seen as a reflection of the quality of the MMR design itself, nor is the study flawed. It indicates gaps in the reporting of important MMR elements that could be addressed in future research. Exemplars were identified that could serve as case studies for researchers in terms of the quality of reporting on MMR. Editorial boards should adopt guidelines on how MMR could be presented in articles submitted to their journals. These guidelines could assist authors in preparing their articles to conform to international standards on the reporting of MMR studies. Peer reviewers should use the guidelines to judge the quality of reporting on MMR methodology in articles under review. This study could also serve as a future reference for researchers, postgraduate students and supervisors who aim to incorporate MMR in their research.