Posibilidades y limitaciones de la indagación inductiva con métodos mixtos en el análisis de la dinámica de diálogo en una comunidad de práctica profesional on-line

In research on on-line Communities of Practice (CoP), there may be multiple approaches depending on the ontological and epistemological assumptions of the researchers. Each approach has strengths and weaknesses. In this article, based on research on the dynamics of dialogue of an on-line CoP, we intend to analyze the possibilities and limitations of using an inductive approach using mixed methods. Based on an exploratory sequential design, the dialogues produced by the COP over two years are analyzed from different perspectives. The results of these analyses are contrasted at different times with interviews with the participants. The progressive analyses make it possible to define the concept of "dialogue zones," which is characteristic of the dynamics of this CoP. The analysis of the methodological process followed shows how this type of design helps generate theoretical concepts, allows participants to understand their dynamics, facilitates the diachronic study of the phenomenon, and provides more complex views of the case. The digital support of the exchange in these CoPs facilitates the subsequent quantitative and qualitative analyses of the dialogues. However, this methodology requires long study times, prolonged immersion in the context, and a good relationship with the participants. On the other hand, the on-line texts do not reflect the contexts of discourse production or the transformations suffered by those participants who do not write.