Books on Mixed Methods Research: A Window on the Growth in Number and Diversity

Abstract

In the editorial published in the October 2021 issue of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research (Fetters & Molina-Azorin, 2021), we noted several indicators of how the mixed methods field is growing and maturing. This previous editorial focused especially on guidance for using mixed methods from diverse international organizations. In the present editorial we focus on another indicator of the maturity of the field: the books published about mixed methods and books that include substantive content on this methodological approach. While most journal articles focus on research, books play a key role in academia by informing and guiding research as well as facilitating diffusion of knowledge and training about foundational concepts to design, implement, interpret, and disseminate mixed methods studies. Books help promote capacity building for researchers at all stages in their careers from junior to senior scholars. Regarding the number of books specifically about mixed methods research, a previous assessment can be traced to Onwuegbuzie (2012). He identified 31 books written about mixed methods that had been published through 2012. He identified two handbooks (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003, 2010) and 29 authored or edited books, e.g., Andrew and Halcomb (2009), Creswell and Plano Clark (2011), Greene, (2007), Mertens (2004), Tashakkori and Teddlie (1998), Teddlie and Tashakkori (2009). Moreover, some books included mixed methods as a part of the book along with quantitative and qualitative approaches (Creswell, 2008; Johnson & Christensen, 2010). In this editorial, we emphasize the growth in number of books published that examine mixed methods research and portray the diversity of these books relative to the types of books by the authors’ roles, the academic and research emphases, the multidisciplinary versus disciplinaryspecific focus, the characterization of mixed methods as one of multiple methodologies or as a combined methodology, and the focus on a specific aspect of mixed methods research. Our intent is not to identify exhaustively all the books published that have a focus, or a substantive part of the content focused on mixed methods research. Providing a comprehensive list of all the books featuring mixed methods, especially given the very large number of books that may include content about mixed methods, represents a formidable task that extends beyond the