Embarking on large-scale qualitative research: reaping the benefits of mixed methods in studying youth, clubs and drugs

Qualitative research is often conceptualized as inherently small-scale research, while larger-scale projects are often assumed to be solely the domain of quantitative researchers, The aim of this paper is to discuss qualitative research done on a comparatively larger scale. In addition to the centrality of a qualitative perspective, the research incorporates some quantitative elements into the design, data collection, and analysis. Larger-scale qualitative research shares some of the challenges and promises of smaller-scale qualitative work. However, there are additional challenges specific to the scale of qualitative research such as data overload, time constraints, and mentoring large research teams. Yet large samples can prove to be essential for enabling researchers to conduct comparative research, whether that be cross-national research or cross-cultural research.