Challenges and Opportunities for Humanitarian Researchers: Dreadful Biases and Heavenly Combinations of Mixed Methods

This chapter offers much-needed complementary methodological choices that emphasize the heavenly combinations of mixed methods (case studies coupled with analytic hierarchy/network processes; surveys combined with in-depth interviews). It particularly focuses on the linkages between these combinations and humanitarian operations. The chapter also draws attention to the dreadful challenges of biases (e.g., network and citation biases) and statistical complications (e.g., data quality measures and endogeneity issues), which could lead towards invalid findings and biased publications if they are not dealt systematically. Additionally, how contemporary research methods and techniques (e.g., network analysis and machine learning techniques) detect biased publications and highlight the corporate-academic corruption is illustrated with a case taken from the special issue published by the Journal of Business Research in 2016. The chapter finally suggests some pragmatic actions to maintain the quality of our future research.