Evidential Variety and Mixed-Methods Research in Social Science

Abstract

AbstractMixed-methods research (MMR)—the combination of qualitative and quantitative data within the same design to strengthen causal inference—is gaining prominence in the social sciences but its benefits are contested. There remains confusion over which methods to mix and what is the point of mixing them. We argue that variety of evidence is what matters, not of data or methods, and that distinct epistemic principles underlie its added value for causal inference. The centrality of evidential variety also implies that strong causal pluralism is untenable as a foundation for MMR.