Description

Author

Alain Lacroux (Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, Valenciennes, France)

Christelle Matin-Lacroux (Université de Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France)

Abstract

In this article, the authors demonstrate the potential for statistical analysis of textual data (SATD), also known as lexicometric analysis, as a valuable tool for mixed methods research. It is particularly suitable for large samples in which vast textual data make manual content analysis difficult. An illustration of this method involves the use of an observational study of 536 professional recruiters who confront spelling deficiencies in fictitious application forms. The authors collected qualitative data (recruiters’ comments), which were processed using textual analysis, and quantitative data (recruiters’ decisions), which were analyzed using a logistic regression model. This work demonstrates a mixed methods research approach by showing how lexical and quantitative data can be integrated in a unified, hypothesis-testing observational framework.