The Palimpsest as an Arts-Based Integration Strategy for Mixed Methods Research

More discussion is needed on integration strategies used in mixed methods research. This paper argues for the use of the palimpsest (or a method of literally layering information) as an arts-based integration strategy based on experimentations conducted during a pilot study on undergraduates’ experiences with culture shock associated with a study abroad program. Self-portraits, qualitative journals and quantitative survey data were used to create palimpsests to the explore convergences and divergences in the data. The palimpsest necessitates the researcher to critically consider relationships between data, processes for layering, and accessibility of the research product. Considerations for particular layering methods, implications for the audience, researcher and topic, and affordances of the palimpsest as an integration strategy for mixed methods are discussed.