A joint display in a nursing mixed-methods dissertation brings related findings into one structured view so you can explain what the strands mean together. The purpose is integration, rather than simply placing a results table beside a list of themes.
Start with the integration question
Choose one question that genuinely requires both strands. For example, a survey may describe confidence using a discharge tool while interviews explore the conditions in which nurses use it. Ask what comparing these findings could clarify.
Fetters, Curry and Creswell (2013) identify joint displays as one approach to integration during interpretation and reporting. Your display still needs a reasoned connection between the specific evidence in your own study.
Choose a defensible organising unit
Organise rows around a shared concept, outcome, research objective or comparable group. Explain why each row brings those findings together. A theme about staffing should not be paired with a score about medicine knowledge merely because both appear first in their respective analyses.
Check whether the strands concern the same participants, setting and period. Where they differ, record that difference visibly. Do not imply that an interviewee explains the response of a survey participant unless your design supports that linkage.
Build four useful columns
A practical starting structure is: integration topic, quantitative finding, qualitative finding and integrated interpretation. Preserve measurement units and relevant uncertainty in the numerical column. In the qualitative column, identify the theme and its supporting material without inventing quotations.
The interpretation column should add a conclusion about the relationship. It might explain agreement, a complementary insight, a contradiction or the absence of comparable evidence. Avoid filling it with a repetition of the preceding cells.
Illustrative nursing example
Consider a hypothetical project in which survey respondents rate a discharge tool positively, while interview participants describe difficulty using it on busy shifts. A row could pair perceived usefulness with accounts of implementation barriers.
The integrated interpretation could be that favourable views of the tool coexist with practical barriers to consistent use. It would not establish that the tool improves patient outcomes. This example is an illustration, not a study finding to insert into your dissertation.
Check the evidence behind every cell
Trace each numerical entry to verified output and each qualitative statement to the actual analysis. Label missing or incomparable evidence rather than manufacture a matching result. Keep enough detail for the display to be checked against the separate findings chapters.
Ask whether a different pairing could change your interpretation. This is especially useful when categories were chosen after seeing the results. Explain the organising decision and any limitations instead of presenting the display as a neutral mechanical output.
Use the display in your discussion
Introduce the display with its purpose and explain the strongest integrated insight in the surrounding text. A table does not replace the discussion of design, sample differences and alternative explanations.
For the next writing stage, read how to write an integrated discussion. Keep the display readable and use appendices for supporting detail when your brief permits.
Joint display: illustrative nursing integration table
Illustrative planning example: First, choose a shared concept rather than pair findings by their position in a results chapter. Next, preserve the numerical measure and qualitative meaning. In an illustrative discharge-tool study, favourable ratings may coexist with workload barriers. Therefore, explain this relationship in the interpretation column. Finally, check that your display does not imply individual linkage or causation that the design cannot support.
| Element | Example | Meaning or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived usefulness | Favourable questionnaire ratings | Positive views of the tool |
| Implementation | Interviews describe workload barriers | Practical conditions may constrain use |
| Integrated interpretation | Usefulness and implementation differ | No claim of improved patient outcomes |
Joint display: practical checklist
- Choose a shared organising concept.
- Keep each strand traceable.
- Explain the relationship.
- Record missing comparable evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Can qualitative themes be converted into percentages?
Not simply to make the display look symmetrical. Any transformation requires a justified method and an interpretation consistent with the design.
Must every result appear in the display?
No. Include findings relevant to the integration question and explain your selection.
Can I create the display before collecting data?
You can plan its structure, but populate it only with the legitimate findings produced by the study.
Can a joint display contain an empty cell?
Yes. An explicit evidence gap is more accurate than inventing a match between unrelated findings.
Conclusion
A joint display supports integration when its rows connect comparable nursing evidence and its interpretation adds reasoning. Clear labels and limitations make it useful to readers.
Get feedback on your project
For a review of your own question, plan or draft, use mixed-methods dissertation support. Send your university brief and supervisor comments through our contact page. Follow your university’s rules on external support and share only material you are authorised to disclose.
References
Fetters, M.D., Curry, L.A. and Creswell, J.W. (2013) ‘Achieving integration in mixed methods designs—principles and practices’, Health Services Research, 48(6 Pt 2), pp. 2134–2156. Available at: Full article.
