Expanding the History and Range of Mixed Methods Research

Presentations of the history and range of mixed methods research presented in textbooks, handbooks, and journal articles have typically ignored a great deal of earlier and contemporary research that integrated qualitative and quantitative approaches, but did not explicitly identify itself as “mixed methods.” This article reviews earlier research, in both the natural and social sciences, that clearly integrated qualitative and quantitative approaches and methods, and discusses some contemporary research traditions that use such integration without labeling this “mixed methods.” Important implications of these studies and traditions for the conceptualization and conduct of mixed methods research are discussed.