Pushing the Integration Envelope: A Network Analysis of Study Abroad Website Content

Abstract

This article demonstrates how network analysis of qualitative content can be used to build on traditional research approaches to confirm and expand prior findings and to point to fruitful directions for future research. Drawing on mixed methods research on policies and practices that improve access to study abroad at U.S. higher education institutions, we demonstrate how network analysis, namely, quadratic assignment procedure and community detection, of qualitative content codes can enhance the explanatory power and generalizability of previous research. Our use of network analysis contributes an empirical example that validates, challenges, and deepens conversations surrounding network analysis in mixed methods research, all while pushing the envelope on how and when qualitative and quantitative data can and should be integrated.