Mixed Methods Research in the Era of Massive Social Change ― A Reflection on the 2021 MMIRA Asia Regional/7th JSMMR Conference

Abstract

In this article, I reflect on the 2021 Asia Regional Conference of the Mixed Methods International Research Association (MMIRA)/7th Annual Conference of the Japan Society for Mixed Methods Research (JSMMR). The joint conference of the MMIRA and JSMMR was held on October 30 and 31, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the theme “Mixed Methods Research in the Era of Massive Social Change.” To offer a summary of the conference, I describe the new wave of mixed methods research (MMR) that I witnessed during the meeting. This was the second conference held online, following the 6th Annual Conference of the JSMMR in 2020. The main difference between the conferences in 2020 and 2021 is that the 2021 meeting was international. The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation, prompting a move into global virtual space. Accordingly, participants from five continents, including countries such as the United States, Germany, Austria, the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Nigeria, and Japan, gathered in virtual space to share their interest in MMR.