Abstracts Sociology

Mixed methods in social scientific research

by Kyle James McNew

The following paper maintains that a mixed methods approach produces explanations more likely to reveal causation while maintaining generalizability. In this paper, I attempt to illustrate that both methodologies and the explanations produced by each are essential to sociology. The quantitative methods employed by holists tend to produce generalizable explanations. The qualitative methods employed by individualists tend to produce explanations that reveal causation. Methodological holists are correct that explanations need to be generalizable, but the need for generalizability does not render causality irrelevant. Methodological individualists are correct that explanations need to reveal causality, but the need to reveal causality does not render generalizability irrelevant. Holism and individualism are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, sociological explanations can benefit from the quantitative and qualitative methods employed by each methodological approach.