Abstract
Mixed methods research (MMR) is gaining prominence as a research design in the records and archives management discipline and information science field at large. Researchers, scholars, and practitioners are drifting away from the mono-method cocoon dominated by qualitative approaches and are slowly embracing MMR. This study investigated digital archiving in selected public universities in Kenya with a view to developing a framework for digital archiving in the institutions. Using MMR, data was collected from six institutions, namely University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Moi, Kenyatta, Maseno, and Egerton Universities. Preliminary findings suggest digital archiving in Kenya is still in its infancy and a lot needs to be done to streamline the practice in universities. Among other suggestions, the study recommended a systematic roll-out of awareness programmes for top officials in the institutions to bring them to a position of appreciating and supporting digital archiving initiatives.
TopIntroduction
Quantitative and qualitative research approaches continue to occupy large spaces in the research domain (Ngulube, 2020a), but mixed methods research (MMR) approaches are gradually emerging out of the need to efficiently evaluate and analyze highly complex social and behavioural phenomena (Green et al. 2015; Hall, 2020). In a social science study, a researcher and participant’s bias are undeniably present, intentionally and unintentionally, hence the use of multiple data sources enhances the trustworthiness of the study results and aids in data saturation (Fusch, Fusch, & Ness, 2018). Combining both qualitative and quantitative methods in one study, also known as methodological triangulation, enables researchers to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon under study (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). It also helps to enhance data accuracy, overcomes the underlying limitations in either of the methods and contributes to a more holistic and comprehensive outlook to knowledge (Baskarada & Koronios, 2018).
Notably, the application of mixed methods in Library and Information Science (LIS) research was until recently viewed wearily by scholars in the field (Ngulube, 2020a) as most researchers prevalently stuck to the common mono-method terrain. However, as observed by Zhang, Tam and Cox (2021), this narrative is slowly but gradually changing as the field continues to be increasingly intertwined with other subject areas such as Computer Science and Health Informatics. A slow but marked tendency towards diversifying the range of research methods in LIS to include MMR has been gradually witnessed (Zhang, Tam, & Cox, 2021), a trend that motivated the researchers to settle on MMR as the ideal methodological approach for the current study which covered multiple study sites. This chapter demonstrates the applicability of MMR in the LIS domain, by illustrating its usage in a multifaceted doctoral thesis study in records and archives management (RAM) which is still a work-in-progress. The chapter discusses preliminary findings of the study to provide a glimpse into the research output.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Digital Archival Repositories: Repositories of d-information that ensure the integrity and long-term accessibility of digital records through various preservation strategies.
Triangulation: The use of more than one approach, theory, or data collection method in the same study.
Digital Archiving: The identification, appraisal, description and tagging, storage, preservation, management and access of digital records.
Mixed Methods Research: A research methodology that propagates the “mixing” or systematic integration of quantitative and qualitative data within a single program of inquiry or investigation.
Archival Science: The practice and study of selection, appraisal, acquisition, preservation, authentication and provision of access to records in all formats.