Meet the Keynote Speakers Leading
the Conversation
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Prof. Pat Bazeley
PhD, Director of Research Support P/L
Pat Bazeley (Macquarie University) is Director of Research Support P/L and is formerly an Adjunct Professor in the Translational Research and Social Innovation group at Western Sydney University in Australia. Since graduating in psychology, she has worked in community development and programme evaluation, project consulting, and in academic research development. For more than 30 years Pat has been providing research training in data analysis and serving as project consultant to academics, graduate students and practitioners representing a wide range of disciplines across Australia and internationally. Her expertise is in helping researchers to make sense of qualitative, survey, and mixed methods data, and to use computer programs to assist in management and analysis of data. Pat’s research and writing has focused on qualitative data analysis, mixed methods integration, the development and performance of researchers, community health services, and the wellbeing of older women. She has published books, chapters, articles, and reports on these topics. She has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research(JMMR), was 2015–2016 President of the Mixed Methods International Research Association, and is recipient of the inaugural 2024 “best paper” award for JMMR.
TITLE: From Maverick to Mainstream: A Mixed Methods Bricoleur Contemplates the Poly-Crisis
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Prof. R. Burke Johnson
PhD, University of South Alabama
Burke Johnson(College of Education, University of Georgia) is Professor Emeritus, Department of Counseling and Instructional Sciences at the University of South Alabama. He also has graduate degrees in psychology, sociology, and public policy, which have given him a multidisciplinary perspective on research methodology. He was an early Associate Editor for the Journal of Mixed Methods Research (2006-2009) and was a founding member of the Mixed Methods International Research Association (officially founded in 2013). His works have been cited 105,215 times (Google Scholar, June 6, 2025). Burke is coauthor/coeditor of eight books, four of which are (a) Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (Sage 2021, 2ed. with Abbas Tashakkori and Charles Teddlie); (b) The Routledge Reviewer’s Guide to Mixed Methods Analysis(Routledge 2021, edited with Anthony Onwuegbuzie); (c) The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry (Oxford University Press, 2015, edited with Sharlene Hesse-Biber); and Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches(currently in 8th ed.; Sage 2025, with Larry Christensen). He and Sharlene Hesse-Biber are the Editors of the Reframing Mixed Methodsbook series with Routledge. Burke has conducted mixed methods workshops, keynotes, and courses across the world.
TITLE: Using Dialectical Pluralism in Mixed Methods Research
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Prof. Cheryl Poth
PhD, Faculty of Education
University of Alberta, Canada
Cheryl Poth, is a Professor and award-winning instructor and author in the Centre for Research and Applied Measurement and Evaluation in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta in Canada. She is the co-founder and lead of the Alberta Community and Clinical Evaluation and Research Team and serves as the methodologist on several cross-disciplinary research teams. During the past decade, her collaborations with professional associations, community organizations, students, clinicians, teachers, and academics have examined a range of issues concerned with enhancing capacity for impactful research and evaluation across diverse contexts under conditions of varying complexity. Complex conditions require adaptive responses to changing circumstances. Working under these conditions is challenging because of the lack of predictable outcomes and established pathways for generating solutions. Her work integrates across the disciplines of education, psychology, and health sciences.
She is the past president of the Mixed Methods International Research Association, current associate editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research, and editor of The SAGE Handbook of Mixed Methods Research Design (2023, Sage). She has delivered dozens of invited talks, webinars, and capacity-building workshops on four continents and recently served as a MERIT visiting professor (2023-25) with the McMaster University Health Education Research, Innovation & Theory Centre. Her books, Qualitative Inquiry & Research Designco-authored with John Creswell (2024, Sage), Innovation in Mixed Methods Research: Guiding Practices for Integrative Thinking with Complexity (2018, Sage) and Research Ethics (2021, Sage) are inspired by the dilemmas she hears in the field. More information can be found at https://sites.google.com/ualberta.ca/cheryl-poth/home
TITLE: Mixed Methods Research for a Complex World
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Prof. Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie
PhD, University of Johannesburg, University of South Africa
Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie is a multiple award-winning author, researcher, methodologist, scholar, educator, thought leader, and mentor. Currently, he is Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg and a Professor Extraordinarius at the University of South Africa.
With a current h-index of 116 and more than 125,000 citations, he has had published more than 600 works, including more than 450 journal articles, 75 book chapters, and 6 books. He has delivered more than 1,000 presentations, 250 methodological workshops, and 80 keynote addresses worldwide. He is former editor of Educational Researcher and is currently editor-in-chief of both the International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches and the Journal of Mixed Methods Studies. He is a past president of the Mixed Methods International Research Association. According to the AD Scientific Index World Scientist and University Rankings 2025, within the Field of Education, he is ranked #1 in the United Kingdom and #22 in the world in terms of number of citations over the last 6 years. Also, he has been recognized as a top social science researcher and a top-cited Social Sciences and Humanities Scientist by Research.com, achieving the rankings of #2 in South Africa and #104 globally. Most recently, he received the 2025, 2022, and 2023 Research.com Social Sciences and Humanities Leader Awards (South Africa, U.K., and USA, respectively), the 2023 Best Researcher Award: International Academic Awards, and the 2024 Research Excellence Distinction Award: International Academic Achievements and Awards.
TITLE: Charting the Future of Mixed Methods Research: Meta-Principles from Global Voices for a Unified Vision of Quality
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Pat Bazeley
PhD, Director of Research Support P/L
Western Sydney University
Pat Bazeley (PhD, Macquarie University) is Director of Research Support P/L and is an Adjunct Professor in the Translational Research and Social Innovation group at Western Sydney University in Australia. Since graduating in psychology, she has worked in community development and programme evaluation, project consulting, and in academic research development. For more than 30 years Pat has been providing research training in data analysis and serving as project consultant to academics, graduate students and practitioners representing a wide range of disciplines across Australia and internationally. Her expertise is in helping researchers to make sense of qualitative, survey, and mixed methods data, and to use computer programs to assist in management and analysis of data. Pat’s research and writing has focused on qualitative data analysis, mixed methods integration, the development and performance of researchers, community health services, and the wellbeing of older women. She has published books, chapters, articles, and reports on these topics. She has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research(JMMR), was 2015–2016 President of the Mixed Methods International Research Association, and is recipient of the inaugural 2024 “best paper” award for JMMR.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
R. Burke Johnson
PhD, University of South Alabama
Burke Johnson(PhD, College of Education, University of Georgia) is Professor Emeritus, Department of Counseling and Instructional Sciences at the University of South Alabama. He also has graduate degrees in psychology, sociology, and public policy, which have given him a multidisciplinary perspective on research methodology. He was an early Associate Editor for the Journal of Mixed Methods Research (2006-2009) and was a founding member of the Mixed Methods International Research Association (officially founded in 2013). His works have been cited 105,215 times (Google Scholar, June 6, 2025). Burke is coauthor/coeditor of eight books, four of which are (a) Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (Sage 2021, 2ed. with Abbas Tashakkori and Charles Teddlie); (b) The Routledge Reviewer’s Guide to Mixed Methods Analysis(Routledge 2021, edited with Anthony Onwuegbuzie); (c) The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry (Oxford University Press, 2015, edited with Sharlene Hesse-Biber); and Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches(currently in 8th ed.; Sage 2025, with Larry Christensen). He and Sharlene Hesse-Biber are the Editors of the Reframing Mixed Methodsbook series with Routledge. Burke has conducted mixed methods workshops, keynotes, and courses across the world.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Cheryl Poth
PhD, Faculty of Education
University of Alberta, Canada
Cheryl Poth, PhD is a Professor and award-winning instructor and author in the Centre for Research and Applied Measurement and Evaluation in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta in Canada. She is the co-founder and lead of the Alberta Community and Clinical Evaluation and Research Team and serves as the methodologist on several cross-disciplinary research teams. During the past decade, her collaborations with professional associations, community organizations, students, clinicians, teachers, and academics have examined a range of issues concerned with enhancing capacity for impactful research and evaluation across diverse contexts under conditions of varying complexity. Complex conditions require adaptive responses to changing circumstances. Working under these conditions is challenging because of the lack of predictable outcomes and established pathways for generating solutions. Her work integrates across the disciplines of education, psychology, and health sciences.
She is the past president of the Mixed Methods International Research Association, current associate editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research, and editor of The SAGE Handbook of Mixed Methods Research Design (2023, Sage). She has delivered dozens of invited talks, webinars, and capacity-building workshops on four continents and recently served as a MERIT visiting professor (2023-25) with the McMaster University Health Education Research, Innovation & Theory Centre. Her books, Qualitative Inquiry & Research Designco-authored with John Creswell (2024, Sage), Innovation in Mixed Methods Research: Guiding Practices for Integrative Thinking with Complexity (2018, Sage) and Research Ethics (2021, Sage) are inspired by the dilemmas she hears in the field. More information can be found at https://sites.google.com/ualberta.ca/cheryl-poth/home
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie
University of Johannesburg, University of South Africa
Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie is a multiple award-winning author, researcher, methodologist, scholar, educator, thought leader, and mentor. Currently, he is Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg and a Professor Extraordinarius at the University of South Africa.
With a current h-index of 116 and more than 125,000 citations, he has had published more than 600 works, including more than 450 journal articles, 75 book chapters, and 6 books. He has delivered more than 1,000 presentations, 250 methodological workshops, and 80 keynote addresses worldwide. He is former editor of Educational Researcher and is currently editor-in-chief of both the International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches and the Journal of Mixed Methods Studies. He is a past president of the Mixed Methods International Research Association. According to the AD Scientific Index World Scientist and University Rankings 2025, within the Field of Education, he is ranked #1 in the United Kingdom and #22 in the world in terms of number of citations over the last 6 years. Also, he has been recognized as a top social science researcher and a top-cited Social Sciences and Humanities Scientist by Research.com, achieving the rankings of #2 in South Africa and #104 globally. Most recently, he received the 2025, 2022, and 2023 Research.com Social Sciences and Humanities Leader Awards (South Africa, U.K., and USA, respectively), the 2023 Best Researcher Award: International Academic Awards, and the 2024 Research Excellence Distinction Award: International Academic Achievements and Awards.
Title: From Maverick to Mainstream: A Mixed Methods Bricoleur Contemplates the Poly-Crisis
Professor Pat Bazeley
Life today is replete with interconnected, multi-sector catastrophises – a state of poly-crisis for which we have no optimal solutions or definitive answers. Can mixed methods research, which integrates multiple interdependent approaches to making, gathering, and/or analysing data, contribute to finding some of those solutions or answers?
In this talk I will draw some lessons from my 50+ years journey as a maverick – perhaps even a renegade – student and researcher and reflect on their implications then and for mixed methods researchers today. These include:
- the importance of strong and broad foundational skills and understanding
- working “naturally” and creatively as a bricoleur; open to innovation
- marrying a practical approach with conceptual thinking.
The siloing of the research world into qual and quant, with associated ‘paradigms’, were issues not encountered until I eventually entered an academic environment and was formally introduced to mixed methods research in the 1990s. Over time, things done naturally have gained mainstream acceptance, and lessons learned prove to be highly relevant “craft skills” needed to deal with the complexity, messiness, and uncertainty of problems we face today.
Title: Using Dialectical Pluralism in Mixed Methods Research
Professor Burke Johnson
Mixed Methods researchers routinely have to operate and make decisions and choices in the presence of multiple differences and tensions surrounding each research project. Dialectical pluralism (DP) is a pluralist metaparadigm and philosophical process theory for interacting with and learning from important differences we face in research and practice to systematically produce new combinations and integrations for addressing these complex issues and dilemmas we face in MMR, especially when we are working on heterogeneous research teams. Dialectical pluralism is not in competition with any paradigm in MMR because it is a process and metaparadigm. The DP process and ideal outcome is to continually work towards win-win solutions. DP relies on collaborative efforts and produces strong research that is justifiedaccording to multiple relevant epistemological and research quality standards. The process relies on five fundamental principles and many well-established strategies from multiple applied literatures. Application of DP must be tailored for each research project or study.
Title: Mixed Methods Research for a Complex World
Professor Cheryl Poth
What does a complex world ask of mixed methods researchers? As researchers increasingly confront interconnected social, environmental, technological, and health challenges, complexity is no longer the exception; it is becoming the context in which we work, and its avoidance is no longer an option. The idea that complexity changes the mixed methods researcher aligns closely with the conference theme, Navigating the Polycrisis: Mixed Methods for a Changing World. This keynote explores how engaging with complexity transforms the way we think, design, integrate, collaborate, and continue learning as mixed methods researchers.
Building on recent conceptual work, this keynote introduces four interrelated ways researchers can engage with complexity: complexity-aware, complexity-sensitive, complexity-informed, and complexity-centred. Together, they provide a common language for discussing how complexity shapes integration decisions, research design, and the preparation of the next generation of mixed methods researchers.
Through practical examples and reflections drawn from research and teaching, I challenge us to reimagine complexity as a catalyst for methodological innovation. Ultimately, the keynote invites us to consider how learning to see complexity differently can transform the future of mixed methods research and the global community that continues to shape it.
Title: Charting the Future of Mixed Methods Research: Meta-Principles from Global Voices for a Unified Vision of Quality
Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie
What might become visible when global voices on mixed methods quality are brought into conversation—not to erase their differences, but to learn from them? Drawing on contributions to the forthcoming Routledge International Handbook for Enhancing Quality in Mixed Methods Research, this keynote transforms an international collection of perspectives into a living inquiry into the future of the field. Across diverse philosophies, designs, cultures, analytic traditions, and emerging technologies, recurring meta-principles reveal quality as more than methodological rigor: it is relational, integrative, reflexive, context-responsive, transparent, consequential, and continually constructed.
Rather than presenting these principles, the keynote invites participants to experience them through an arts-based methodological performance combining architectural metaphor, visual symbolism, poetic inquiry, audience participation, and narrative progression. Guided by Critical Dialectical Pluralism and its 10 CLEAR STEPS metaphilosophically informed dimensions—Cultural, Life, Environmental, Academic, Research, Spiritual, Theoretical, Ethical, Political, and Societal—competing perspectives will be placed into productive dialogue as we navigate tensions between common standards and contextual responsiveness, methodological coherence and pluralism, and established practices and emerging possibilities.
Against a backdrop of interconnected global polycrises, participants will be invited not merely to ask what constitutes quality in mixed methods research, but to help imagine what quality must become.
Call for Sponsors & Exhibitors – MMIRA 2026
We’re proud to offer a sponsorship experience where your organisation won’t get lost in the crowd. Instead, we create the ideal environment to foster meaningful, motivated, and responsive relationships between sponsors, exhibitors and delegates.
Our conference is international, interdisciplinary, and inclusive; it attracts influential decision-makers who are passionate about research and improving their universities, research centres or organisations.
We’re seeking partnerships with organisations, and we value long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. We will work closely with our sponsors and exhibitors to ensure visibility, engagement, and genuine connection throughout the event.
Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting?
Please contact us atMMIRAconference2026@torrens.edu.auor reach out to the Conference Chair: Prof. Ros Cameronros.cameron@torrens.edu.au
Present Your Research at
MMIRA 2026
MMIRA 2026 welcomes higher degree and early career researchers to showcase their work through poster and oral presentations. Whether you’re a doctoral candidate, postdoctoral researcher, or an emerging scholar, this is a valuable opportunity to share your research with a global audience, gain experience, and receive constructive feedback from peers and leaders in the field.
All abstracts will undergo peer review, and support is available throughout the process to help you prepare and present with confidence.